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Legal Ethics
« Previous EntriesSpeak 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 [...]
Is a 12-year sentence enough for Madoff?
Wednesday, June 24th, 2009The Associated Press reported today that Bernard Madoff’s lawyer, Ira Sorkin, has asked the judge who will sentence Madoff to limit his jail time to a mere twelve years. Sorkin contends that sentencing the 71-year-old Madoff to only a dozen years in prison would be appropriate, given that Madoff surrendered voluntarily, accepted responsibility for [...]
When it comes to ethics, the grass is sometimes greener
Thursday, May 14th, 2009When I work with organizations to develop their codes of ethics, I frequently encourage them to look beyond their specific fields to see what other professions and industries are doing. They sometimes push back, arguing that their particular areas of expertise are so specialized and technical that no one else could possibly write rules [...]
Have you updated your company’s gift and entertainment policy?
Tuesday, April 21st, 2009AIG’s use of federal bailout money to pay lavish bonuses has made the embattled insurer a favorite target for public disgust over corporate excess. It’s not that AIG was doing anything illegal, you understand. It’s just that funding personal luxury with taxpayer funds is in very, very bad taste.
You’d think that other companies [...]
Business Apology Tip #3 - Consider calling your lawyer
Friday, April 17th, 2009My last business apology tip focused on the importance of investigating a customer complaint to find out what happened. You really can’t avoid this step. After all, how can you apologize if you don’t know what you’re apologizing for, right?
Once you’ve looked into the facts behind the incident that upset your [...]
Attorney General Holder deserves kudos for enforcing ethics standards
Monday, April 6th, 2009Back in August, I wrote a post wondering whether the next President would take steps to enforce strong ethics at the Justice Department. It’s a pleasure to observe that the answer seems to be a resounding yes.
While never before expecting to praise the dismissal of public corruption charges against an elected official, I have [...]