Attorneys and law firms typically devote significant resources to risk prevention relating to potential conflicts of interest. Conflicts among legal representations can lead to legal malpractice claims or bar grievances. However, most firms have a road map for how to identify traditional conflicts and, if possible, resolve them.

However, more and more law firms are discovering potential conflict issues arising from nontraditional sources. While most conflicts are identifiable on the beginning of a new attorney-client relationship, the modern law practice sometimes leads to conflicts—or the risk of a conflict—arising in unexpected circumstances.