Legal Ethics Counsel

Who helps you understand how you should behave as a lawyer? Downey Law Group has two decades of experience advising lawyers, law firms, and corporate counsel on legal ethics, risk management, and related issues. Questions on which we regularly advise lawyers include:

  • Forming, joining and leaving law firms
  • Evaluating and addressing conflicts of interest, including through conflict waivers and ethics screens
  • Terminating client relationships including due to non-payment or client wrongdoing
  • Advising lawyers on unusual business or client relationships, including forming joint ventures and receiving payment in stock and property
  • Complying with regulations relating to advertising and soliciting client business

We counsel lawyers every day regarding their obligations and compliance with nearly every Rule of Professional Conduct. Often a situation you fear may be a major headache can be resolved quickly and efficiently, at a low cost to you.

Downey Law Group can provide these services because we draw upon broad and deep experience with legal ethics and law firm risk management and practice issues. Michael Downey has honed this experience, in addition to his work with our many lawyer and law firm clients, by the following:

  • More than 10 years teaching legal ethics as an adjunct professor at both Washington University and St. Louis University Schools of Law
  • Ten years teaching Introduction to Law Firm Practice at Washington University School of Law
  • Presenting more than 500 times and publishing more than 150 articles on legal ethics and law firm risk management
  • Serving in numerous bar leadership positions including as Chair of the ABA Law Practice Division, Chair of the Illinois State Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Professional Conduct, and now as a Member of the Missouri Bar Board of Governors and ABA Standing Committee on Professional Regulation

In addition to his extensive work in legal ethics, Mr. Downey also advises certain other professionals on their ethical and fiduciary obligations. This includes that Mr. Downey possesses substantial expertise in the ethics rules that regulate certified public accountants (CPAs). In addition, Mr. Downey served as primary author of the Missouri Public Service Commission’s ex parte communication rules, now codified as 4 Missouri Code of State Regulations 240-4.020.

In 2017, Downey Law Group’s Legal Ethics Counsel was named a “Best New Legal Service” by the readers of Missouri Lawyers Weekly.

Contact us for more information about our work in legal ethics and how we can assist you.