Physical Office Requirements for New York Law Firms
Remote work for lawyers is commonplace these days. With the blessing of ABA Opinion 495 (Dec. 2020) and state ethics rules, it’s now routine for attorneys to practice virtually in jurisdictions where they’re licensed, without being physically located in them. In New York, however, remote practice is still governed by Judiciary Law § 470. Under […]
California’s Law Firm Registration and Renewal Process is Now Online
Effective September 1, 2025, the State Bar of California implemented a new online registration and renewal process for all law corporations and partnerships, and has stated that it will not accept paper submissions going forward. The State Bar now will require all law firms first to register for Agency Billing, their online portal for managing […]
Choosing Limited Liability for Your New York Law Firm
Limited liability is a smart choice for any law firm. It shields owners’ personal assets from the firm’s contractual debts and other liabilities and from liability for malpractice by other partners or owners in the firm. The forms of limited-liability entities available for law firms differ from state to state. In New York, a law […]
Can Lawyers Just Ignore AI?
Many law firms have begun using AI regularly in their practice, including in various software platforms that have quietly integrated AI functions. But to many lawyers, AI is a vast unknown technology that they don’t know much about, don’t understand, and don’t use or don’t want to use. Why not just ignore the changes AI […]
Be Warned: CA In-House Corporate Counsel Must Register With State Bar
Remote practice and multistate jurisdictional practice (MJP) have been hot topics highlighted by the pandemic. However, we cannot discuss these subjects without considering the unauthorized practice of law (UPL). UPL is not just an issue for non-lawyers. Unfortunately, under California’s (and most other states’) rules and laws, it is also a concern for lawyers who […]
California Disqualification Decision and Claims of “Unreasonable Delay”
A frequent tool in the defense arsenal of lawyers facing a disqualification motion is a claim that there was an “unreasonable delay” in bringing the motion. Some lawyers and clients tend to assume, incorrectly, that a moving party’s knowledge of a disqualifying conflict will be presumed if the movant was a party to a former […]
California’s Confidentiality Rules for Lawyers Stand Apart
Lawyers frequently cite California’s confidentiality rule—California Rules of Professional Conduct Rule 1.6— as the strictest in the nation. How does it differ from the ABA Model Rule? In three ways. First, California’s Rule 1.6 is supplemented by California Business & Professions Code § 6068(e)(1), which requires lawyers to “maintain inviolate the confidence, and at every […]
O’Rielly & Roche LLP announces the opening of its New York office
Led by New York Managing Partner Briana Cummings, our New York office expands our reach by providing practical counsel on law firm formation and planning, partner departures, law firm dissolution, and legal ethics. We are business and legal ethics lawyers for law firms, in-house legal departments, and law-related businesses, when comprehensive experience and an outside […]