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Legal Ethics
« Previous EntriesDuchess of York commits “grubby” ethical breach
Wednesday, May 26th, 2010After all the bad news from the Gulf oil spill and the economic meltdown, it was almost a relief to turn to press reports that Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson had to apologize for attempting to sell access to her ex-husband, Prince Andrew of Britain, for about $723,000. Seems that the duchess has been having [...]
Will conflicts of interest ruin oil spill tests in the Gulf?
Monday, May 24th, 2010Wouldn’t you think things were bad enough in the Gulf of Mexico? The Deepwater Horizon oil spill has already dumped millions of gallons of crude into the waters of the Gulf and ugly residues are starting to wash ashore. The New York Times reported Friday that local environmental officials in the Gulf states [...]
Now we know why BP hasn’t apologized
Tuesday, May 11th, 2010For the past several days, I’ve wondered why British Petroleum’s CEO, Tony Hayward, has skipped the crucial words “we’re sorry” when discussing the oil leak that’s pouring into the Gulf of Mexico after one of his company’s offshore drilling platforms exploded. It seemed odd because Hayward had already said that BP would pay for [...]
Can we please stop pointing fingers and just mop up the oil???
Monday, May 3rd, 2010As the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico continues to grow, it’s hard not to indulge in a lot of useless finger-pointing. The Obama Administration, under fire for failing to move faster to contain the spill, is blaming British Petroleum. BP CEO Tony Hayward has promised that the company will pay all [...]
Don’t play favorites with your employees
Saturday, April 24th, 2010Continuing my Friday series on keeping your business out of court, let’s talk about a legal risk that managers take all the time. Unless you’re a sole practitioner, your business has one or more employees and, if you’re human, you’re going to like some of them better than others. That’s fine, but unless [...]
Speak simply
Friday, March 5th, 2010Continuing my Friday series on keeping your business out of court, let’s address a problem that plagues the customers and clients of many highly skilled professionals: the inability to understand what’s their professional advisors are saying to them.
One of the hallmarks of a profession is education in a specialized field and, with it, immersion in [...]
Even Tiger Woods is only human
Monday, February 22nd, 2010It’s been an interesting few days, as I’ve found myself discussing Tiger Woods’ apology with interviewers from across the U.S., Canada and Europe. More than a few people have criticized the apology as being too “scripted” or dissed Woods’ delivery as too “wooden.” A handful of angry critics have refused to accept the apology [...]
Is McDonald’s abusing the legal system?
Wednesday, January 27th, 2010The attorneys at McDonald’s certainly seem to be of the “take no prisoners and damn the torpedoes” school of legal thought. The fast food giant has had Egg McMuffin all over its corporate face on two separate occasions this week. There was the employee in the Netherlands who successfully sued McDonald’s for firing [...]
Was Ryan Howard’s 200th career run baseball really worth a lawsuit?
Wednesday, October 28th, 2009A few months ago, the Philadelphia Phillies’ Ryan Howard hit his 200th career home run. It was not only a tremendous accomplishment for Howard, but an important moment in baseball history because Howard managed to reach that milestone in fewer games than any previous major league player. !2-year-old Phillies fan Jennifer Valvida retrieved [...]
Is it ethical to haggle with your customers?
Monday, October 5th, 2009This month, I’m honored to be quoted in an Entrepreneur magazine article titled, “Is This the Best You Can Do?” It’s all about that ancient, time-honored sport, haggling. Particularly in this economy, people are working harder and harder to get better deals. But from a business owner’s perspective, is there anything unethical [...]
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