Two examples make the point. First, an associate at a large law firm receives an email from a college classmate asking about the best way to get his security deposit back from his landlord. The associate does some quick research and sends along the relevant statute with some suggested language for a demand for the return of the security deposit. His classmate forwards the email along to the landlord with a threatening email of his own.
As it turns out, the landlord is one of the law firm’s largest clients. The implications are serious. It is an obvious ethical conflict of interest. But for the law firm, there is the much more significant client relations problem.
