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Mediation: Practical Tips to Achieving a Favorable Outcome
June 14, 2022Mediation has become an increasingly popular form of resolving a dispute. After all, litigation is costly, stressful, and time-consuming. In this Article, we discuss some of the benefits of mediation, and offer some guidelines for achieving a successful outcome. The Advantages of Mediation Whether voluntary or court-ordered, mediation offers several Read the full post
Why Proper Documentation and Management is Critical to Your Practice
May 17, 2022It’s not uncommon for lawyers to neglect properly documenting their files. Attorneys often cite lack of time or wanting to keep costs down for not doing so. And yet, lack of documentation is part of many malpractice claims. In this Article, we cover why proper and thorough file documentation are Read the full post
When It’s Time to Say Goodbye: Terminating the Attorney-Client Relationship
April 18, 2022This Article focuses on the termination of the attorney-client relationship, including practical steps of withdrawal, ethical obligations under the Texas Rules of Professional Conduct (“Texas Rules”), and risk mitigation tips when terminating the attorney-client relationship. TERMINATING THE REPRESENTATION In many instances, the attorney-client relationship has a natural conclusion. For example, Read the full post
TLIE Celebrates Tom Hanna
March 11, 2022Long-time Board member Thomas “Tom” Hanna passed away on February 6, 2022, during his 37th year of service on the Board of Directors of Texas Lawyers’ Insurance Exchange. TLIE and the Board will miss Tom’s leadership, business and legal acumen, his tireless dedication to TLIE and its policyholders, his generosity, Read the full post
Practical Tips for Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
March 10, 2022Conflicts of interest are a consistent source of legal malpractice claims. In a study of TLIE’s claims between 1996 and 2001, 16.4% of all claims reflected an allegation of conflict of interest, with 22.5% of all losses and defense costs involving a conflict of interest. In this Article, we provide Read the full post
In Memoriam: Thomas Lee “Tom” Hanna
March 1, 2022TLIE lost a great friend and champion with the recent passing of Thomas Lee “Tom” Hanna. Tom was born in Hall Summit, Louisiana on September 25, 1938 and moved to Nederland, Texas when he was five years old. He graduated from Nederland High School in 1957. Tom attended Baylor University Read the full post
Wellness Tips for Lawyers Struggling with Mental Health or Substance Abuse Issues
February 15, 2022The Legal Profession has a Problem Mental health issues and substance abuse are pervasive within the legal community, and studies consistently show that they affect lawyers at a higher rate compared to the general population. A 2016 landmark study from the Journal of Addiction Medicine underscores this fact with some Read the full post
Are You Adequately Protected? Understanding the Perils of being Underinsured
January 21, 2022Attorneys who assume that obtaining legal malpractice insurance will adequately protect them from any type of claim arising in connection with the operation of their law practice may be in for a rude awakening. Consider these scenarios. An attorney opens a phishing email, or opens an email from someone whose Read the full post
TLIE Gives Back 25 Years in a Row
January 3, 2022Texas Lawyers’ Insurance Exchange is the only insurance company in Texas that is owned by the lawyers and judges that it insures. And as a member-owned company, TLIE gives money back to its insureds in years when TLIE’s claims experience is favorable. Over the past several years, fewer and fewer Read the full post
Jett Hanna Retires from TLIE
December 27, 2021After more than 34 years of distinguished service to the legal profession, Senior Vice President Jett Hanna announced that he will retire from Texas Lawyers’ Insurance Exchange at the end of 2021. Jett began his career with TLIE in 1987 as a Claims Attorney helping to resolve professional liability claims against Read the full post