OBLIC news, events and updates.

“Tail” coverage – the Basics: “Tail” insurance or “tail” coverage is shorthand for an Extended Reporting Endorsement. Your OBLIC policy provides coverage on a claims-made and reported basis. This type of policy provides coverage for claims which are made and reported during the applicable policy period of an in-force policy.  Coverage under a claims-made and […]

On April 8, 2022, the Ohio Board of Professional Conduct issued two new Advisory Opinions relating to the conduct of lawyers and judges. Ohio Board of Professional Conduct Opinion 2022-02  Judicial Membership and Leadership in County or State Party Executive Committees, Political Party Clubs, and County Boards of Elections In Opinion 2022-02 the Board of […]

What is “MFA”? Multi-Factor Authentication “MFA,” also known as Two-Factor Authentication, is a process that adds security for password-protected accounts. It requires additional information to access the account in addition to the initial password The three most common authentication factors are the knowledge factor, the possession factor or the inherence factor. Knowledge factor authentication usually […]

We’re revisiting this topic to remind you of important steps you can take to prevent wire fraud. Losses from wire fraud were up 33% in 2021 over 2020. The monetary losses from wire fraud were almost $2.4 billion. With an increase in the number of real estate transactions as well as cyber breaches, this information […]

In April the ABA’s Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility issued a new advisory opinion– Formal Opinion 501. The Opinion addresses impermissible client solicitation by a lawyer and by others acting on a lawyer’s behalf under ABA Model Rule of Professional Conduct 7.3. The ABA Committee recognized that there are many individuals who may […]

This month Microsoft released security updates to address approximately 120 vulnerabilities in Windows and various other Microsoft products. The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (“CISA”) encourages users and administrators to review the updates and apply them as appropriate. Staying current on security updates is key to protecting you and your firm against cyber-attacks. According to […]

Malpractice claims in the practice areas of probate, estates, trusts & wills accounted for 46% of OBLIC closed claims in February 2022. Probate, estates, trust & wills continue to lead all other practice areas for claims. Avoid becoming part of this statistic by adopting the following Best Practices. Recognize Conflicts of Interest and Address Them […]

Mishandling client funds is the second most common cause for lawyer discipline, second only to neglect of client matters. Last month the Ohio Supreme Court suspended two lawyers for conduct that included management of client funds. See, Disciplinary Counsel v. Darling and Disciplinary Counsel v. Smith. Here are some reminders to avoid disciplinary problems involving […]

The Supreme Court of Ohio recently decided two cases addressing oil and gas drilling rights  In a unanimous opinion, the Court held in Fonzi v Brown, Slip Opinion No. 2022-Ohio-901 that based on the particular facts of these cases, the surface landowners did not exercise reasonable diligence in attempting to identify all holders of mineral […]

The question of how to deal with a difficult client is something we address frequently with our insured lawyers. The best advice we can give is to trust your instincts and avoid getting involved with these clients in the first place. However, a difficult client is not always easy to spot before undertaking the representation. […]