The hiring of nonattorney staff such as a paralegal can implicate some similar ethics issues as hiring a lateral attorney. For example, a paralegal often has in their possession confidential information relating to those matters on which the paralegal provides professional services. When that paralegal moves to a new law firm, the paralegal’s prior work on other matters could create conflicts of interest for the new law firm.

Not all law firms treat these issues with the seriousness they may deserve. The consequences of such omissions can be serious, but they are avoidable. The Supreme Court of Georgia provided guidance for law firms in navigating these issues to avoid a disqualifying imputed conflict of interest in its decision in Hodge v. Urfa-Sexton, LP, 295 Ga. 136 (2014).