Duties to Prospective Clients and Other Third Parties CLE

Duties to Prospective Clients and Other Third Parties

July 2010

Duties to Prospective Clients and Other Third Parties

Program Description:

What are your ethical responsibilities and liability issues when meeting with prospective clients? Can they sue you for information provided in an initial meeting, even if no attorney-client relationship is subsequently established? In Colorado Court of Appeals case 07CA2163, Steele v. Allen, 2009 Colo. App. LEXIS 214 (Feb. 19, 2009) the court held that plaintiffs stated a case for negligent misrepresentation when they received erroneous legal advice during a meeting with defendant attorneys. Plaintiffs did not allege the existence of an attorney-client relationship with defendants.

What are your duties under Colo. RPC 1.18, “Duties to Prospective Client”?

- Ethical responsibilities and liability issues when meeting with prospective clients.

- Can they sue you for information provided in an initial meeting, even if no attorney-client relationship is subsequently established?

- Colorado Court of Appeals case 07CA2163, Steele v. Allen, 2009 Colo. App. LEXIS 214 (Feb. 19, 2009)—court held that plaintiffs stated a case for negligent misrepresentation when they received erroneous legal advice during a meeting with defendant attorneys. Plaintiffs did not allege the existence of an attorney-client relationship with defendants.

- Colo. RPC 1.18, “Duties to Prospective Client.”

Agenda:

11:30 am - 12:00 pm

Registration

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Program

1:00 pm

Adjourn

Faculty:

Ross W. Pulkrabek, Esq.,

Jones & Keller, P.C.

Denver, CO

Ross W. Pulkrabek represents businesses and individuals in civil trials and commercial disputes. His practice emphasizes litigation of claims for legal malpractice and other forms of professional negligence, commercial and securities fraud, and other business torts. Mr. Pulkrabek graduated with honors from the University of Colorado School of Law, where he was notes and comments editor of the University of Colorado Law Review and a teaching fellow in the legal writing program. He received his bachelor's degree from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Before entering private practice, Mr. Pulkrabek clerked for Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey of the Colorado Supreme Court. He lectures at continuing legal education seminars on topics involving lawyers' professional liability and civil trial procedure. He also is a contributing author to CBA-CLE's revised edition of Colorado Courtroom Handbook for Civil Trials and Lawyers' Professional Liability in Colorado: Preventing Legal Malpractice & Disciplinary Actions. Mr. Pulkrabek is a member of the American, Colorado, and Denver bar associations, as well as the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association. He is licensed to practice in state and federal courts in Colorado.