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Ethics and Professionalism

Why Choose Us

The law puts great responsibility on those who practice it. When you received your law license, you agreed to follow and uphold the rules of legal ethics. As an attorney, that license is your greatest asset so it’s important not to take unnecessary risks with it. Knowing your ethical responsibilities and obligations before you act enables you to honor your commitment to ethics and professionalism and ensures you remain a steadfast legal advocate for your clients.

Ulmer’s ethics attorneys use their deep knowledge of the rules of conduct to provide proactive counsel on ethics-related issues and defend attorneys exposed to liability for their professional conduct. Whether you or your law firm are in need of strategic advice or representation regarding an ethics matter, we can provide you with proactive counseling, useful guidance, and vigorous defense.

Who We Assist

Lawyers, law firms, and law students rely on our team to provide guidance regarding a wide array of legal ethics issues. We have significant experience advising clients through challenging situations, providing feedback on potential paths of action while there is still opportunity to adjust course and representing clients accused of violating ethical rules.

What We Do

Prudent attorneys and firms understand that they cannot wait to seek the advice of experienced ethics counsel until they are in the middle of an alleged ethical breach. Our team listens to you and delivers solutions to the complex matters affecting your practice. In addressing your ethics issues, we provide a useful range of services, including but not limited to:

  • Advising attorneys regarding compliance with rules of professional conduct.
  • Providing confidential advice to help attorneys avoid ethical breaches before they occur.
  • Counseling on a lawyer’s duty of confidentiality and the limits and exceptions to attorney-client privilege.
  • Helping attorneys navigate what they can and cannot do with respect to lawyer advertising.
  • Providing counsel to assist clients in avoiding conflicts of interest.
  • Advising on Interest on Lawyer Trust Account (IOLTA) management issues, such as the danger of commingling funds, rules for withdrawals, and recordkeeping requirements, and advocating on behalf of clients who are accused of mismanaging such accounts.
  • Guiding attorneys and law firms on key ethical obligations during the period of transition when lawyers change firms.
  • Providing counsel on ethical rules involving ex parte contact with employees and other unrepresented individuals.
  • Advocating for law students and out-of-state lawyers seeking admission to the bar, as well as practitioners seeking to return to the practice of law after suspension, in character and fitness proceedings.

December 16, 2022 – Recognizing that, nowadays, most lawyers communicate electronically with their clients, and with lawyers representing other parties, the American Bar Association has provided advice on an important consideration that arises when using email and other forms of electronic communication. In a recent formal opinion, the ABA Standing Committee...

August 2, 2022 – Regardless of communication barriers that various client circumstances may present, lawyers owe their clients the duties of competent representation and effective communication.[i]  These duties are not diminished even when the client and the lawyer speak different languages, or when the client possesses a hearing, speech, or vision disability. ...

April 19, 2022 – In some Ohio counties and municipalities, prosecutors and judges are permitted to serve in part-time roles. In such circumstances, the representation of clients in the part-time judge’s or part-time prosecutor’s private practice may create a greater frequency of conflicts of interest.[i] While the conflict of interest is...

February 4, 2022 – Ohio judges may provide letters of recommendation for individuals so long as the letters are based on the judges’ personal, firsthand knowledge of the individuals and the letters are not an abuse of the prestige of their judicial office. On December 10, 2021, the Ohio Board...

The objective of The Ethics and Professional Liability Bulletin is to keep legal professionals informed of recent developments and trends in the areas of legal ethics, professionalism, and professional liability. November 10, 2021 – On October 1, 2021, the Ohio Board of Professional Conduct (the “Board”) issued Advisory Opinion 2021-10...

The objective of The Ethics and Professional Liability Bulletin is to keep legal professionals informed of recent developments and trends in the areas of legal ethics, professionalism, and professional liability. August 23, 2021 – A lawyer may communicate that he or she is a specialist in a field of law...

The objective of The Ethics and Professional Liability Bulletin is to keep legal professionals informed of recent developments and trends in the areas of legal ethics, professionalism, and professional liability. July 7, 2021 – Effective April 12, 2021, Ohio Revised Code 169.01 created a new category of unclaimed funds called “Attorney Unclaimed...

The objective of The Ethics and Professional Liability Bulletin is to keep legal professionals informed of recent developments and trends in the areas of legal ethics, professionalism, and professional liability. June 2, 2021 – Typically, lawyers may not serve both as advocates for clients and necessary witnesses in private arbitration....

The objective of The Ethics and Professional Liability Bulletin is to keep legal professionals informed of recent developments and trends in the areas of legal ethics, professionalism, and professional liability. May 4, 2021 – Today, compared to decades past, lawyers are more likely to change law firms during the course...

The objective of The Ethics and Professional Liability Bulletin is to keep legal professionals informed of recent developments and trends in the areas of legal ethics, professionalism, and professional liability. April 5, 2021 – Ohio Senate Bill Number 13, which is to take effect on June 14, 2021, establishes a...

Ulmer & Berne LLP is proud to announce the addition of Counsel Alvin E. Mathews, Jr., to its Columbus office. Recognized as a lawyer’s lawyer, Mathews represents major law firms, in-house counsel, and solo practitioners on a variety of ethics and professional liability matters. “We are excited to welcome Alvin to...

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