It’s 2nd and goal from the 1-yard line, with 27 seconds remaining in the Super Bowl. You trail 28-24 and only a touchdown will seal the win. You have one timeout remaining. What play to call? Surely, you’ll hand the ball off to your star running back who led the NFL in touchdowns during the [...]
I love fall in Montana. We put our rafts away and get ready for the winter as the temperature drops, the leaves change, and the snow starts to fly. Fall is also eagerly anticipated at my house because fall brings with it Montana’s deer and elk hunting season. Hunting is a deep-rooted tradition in Montana [...]
I really struggled this month to find a topic to write about. In fact, I simply did not want to write this blog. Monday I took a partial “mental health day” hoping to feel better. I simply felt a bit overwhelmed. I was frustrated I did not get enough done over the weekend from my [...]
Clearly, the world in which attorneys operate — a world where the attorney is usually the point person assisting other people or entities in addressing legal disputes, individuals’ rights, personal/property/financial losses, and a wide variety of adversarial matters — is one in which conflict is inherent and prominent. Consequently, it is a world that typically [...]
“Baby Boomers, the generation of people born between 1944 and 1964, are expected to transfer $30 trillion in wealth to younger generations over the next many years. This jaw-dropping amount has led many journalists and financial experts to refer to the gradual event as the “great wealth transfer.”” (Forbes.com). Further complicating this situation is the fact that [...]
The idea of the Nigerian e-mail scam in which the rich Prince finds himself needing a few thousand dollars from you so that he can obtain his rightful kingdom and then reward you richly for your help has been around so long it qualifies as Internet lore. The scam involves some version of a [...]
What is an ethics grievance? An ethics grievance/ bar complaint/ ethics inquiry are all interchangeable words for a complaint made against an attorney alleging misconduct or a violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct. Who can file a grievance? Anyone can file an ethics grievance against an attorney. Clients, former clients, opposing parties, other attorneys, [...]
On February 23, 2021, the Montana Supreme Court issued an opinion delivered by Justice Laurie McKinnon in ALPS Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co. v. Keller, Reynolds, Drake, Johnson & Gillespie, P.C., 2021 MT 46 (Mont. 2021) which upheld the lower court’s ruling that there was no coverage for a claim because the insured firm had [...]
Not too often, but often enough, we receive phone calls from concerned insureds inquiring about what they should do now they have become aware of a claim or potential claim. While taking the correct initial steps once a claim arises is important, your actions prior to becoming aware of the claim will very likely have [...]
2020 has been a year of challenges for most people, not just attorneys, both personally and professionally. The virus has created significant stress, economic hardship, and strain across the nation. The strain is exacerbated by the need for social distancing to prevent the continued spread of the virus. We cannot just reach out and give [...]
