Attorney Ethics 101: Fraud is Not Allowed
The non-legal press doesn’t usually get very deep into questions of legal ethics, but New York Magazine did a reasonable job of it in its hard-hitting piece this week on “The Bad, Good Lawyer” David Boies.
The article asks whether Boies…
AI in the Law Firm: The Ethics of Who’s Running the Show
We’ve had a great response to an Above the Law op-ed here that outlined the kinds of skills lawyers will need as artificial intelligence increases its foothold in law firms.
The piece makes clear that without the right kinds of skills, many…
The Weinstein Saga: Now Featuring Lying Investigators, Duplicitous Journalists, Sloppy Lawyers
Decent investigators and journalists everywhere ought to have been outraged at news over the weekend in the Wall Street Journal that appears to have caught a corporate investigator masquerading as a Journal reporter.
According to the story,…
Can You Get Me Bank Accounts and Some Cocaine, Please?
If an investigator told you he could get you some cocaine or find you a way to conduct illegal business with North Korea, would you say “go ahead” simply based on the idea that it could be done?
We ask people this question fairly often…
GPS Trackers: Powerful but Often Illegal
GPS trackers are among the hottest topics in ethics discussions today. At least, that is my impression after a series of ethics lectures I’ve given around the country based on my book, The Art of Fact Investigation.
We wrote three years…
When Spying on Your Spouse’s Computer Turns into Wiretapping
One of the most powerful tools a spouse had to monitor assets or other activities is to look at the shared computer of the spouse under investigation. We have written before in When You’re Allowed to Look Through Your Debtor’s Computers…
Magical Bank Account Searching
It happens at least twice a month: someone calls our office and asks us to obtain bank account information for another person – usually an estranged spouse.
We reply that without a court order, we are not entitled to know the account number,…
The Sterling Tapes: Don’t Try This at Home
Revenge is a dish best served cold, so if you’re going to tape a spouse or significant other, be cool about how you do it.
Donald Sterling may yet hang on to his basketball team, and his (probably now former) girlfriend V. Stiviano may owe…
When You’re Allowed to Look Through Your Debtor’s Computers and Phones
PROBLEM:
You want to know what your debtor is hiding from you but you’re not sure if it’s okay for you to secretly look through your debtor’s phones and computers.
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SOLUTION:
Although privacy laws vary state by state, as…
Divorce Lawyer Jailed for Using Shady Investigator
San Francisco area divorce attorney Mary Nolan was sentenced last week to two years in federal prison on multiple felony charges, including illegal wiretapping and tax evasion. Her crimes included hiring private investigator Christopher Butler…
