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TLIE mourns the passing of Board of Director Mary-Ann Bellatti
September 14, 2022TLIE said goodbye to long-time TLIE Director Mary-Ann Abbott Bellatti with her passing on August 5, 2022. Mary-Ann lived in Houston and had served on the TLIE Board of Directors since 1999. Mary-Ann was born February 24, 1945 in Tulsa, OK, and grew up in Stillwater, OK. She graduated from Read the full post
TLIE wins Texas Lawyer “Best of” Poll 2022
September 1, 2022For the twelfth straight year, TLIE has won the Texas Lawyer Best of readers’ poll! TLIE won for Professional Liability Insurance Provider and for Cybersecurity Insurance Provider. Also, since TLIE has won at least three of the last four years in Professional Liability and Cybersecurity, we were awarded the Texas Read the full post
Succession Planning Basics
August 18, 2022Have you considered what would happen if you were suddenly unable to practice law? If so, have you implemented a succession plan to protect your clients’ interests? No one wants to think about becoming ill, incapacitated, being suspended or disbarred, or dying unexpectedly. Perhaps for this reason, far too few Read the full post
Duty of Confidentiality in Correcting Client Statements
July 22, 2022Most lawyers generally understand their duty of confidentiality. And yet, the duty of confidentiality is a common pitfall for many attorneys. Often there are competing forces at play–the attorney’s duty to preserve confidential information relating to a client’s representation pursuant to Rule 1.05 of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Read the full post
Mediation: Practical Tips to Achieving a Favorable Outcome
June 14, 2022Mediation has become an increasingly popular form of resolving a dispute. After all, litigation is costly, stressful, and time-consuming. In this Article, we discuss some of the benefits of mediation, and offer some guidelines for achieving a successful outcome. The Advantages of Mediation Whether voluntary or court-ordered, mediation offers several Read the full post
Why Proper Documentation and Management is Critical to Your Practice
May 17, 2022It’s not uncommon for lawyers to neglect properly documenting their files. Attorneys often cite lack of time or wanting to keep costs down for not doing so. And yet, lack of documentation is part of many malpractice claims. In this Article, we cover why proper and thorough file documentation are Read the full post
When It’s Time to Say Goodbye: Terminating the Attorney-Client Relationship
April 18, 2022This Article focuses on the termination of the attorney-client relationship, including practical steps of withdrawal, ethical obligations under the Texas Rules of Professional Conduct (“Texas Rules”), and risk mitigation tips when terminating the attorney-client relationship. TERMINATING THE REPRESENTATION In many instances, the attorney-client relationship has a natural conclusion. For example, Read the full post
TLIE Celebrates Tom Hanna
March 11, 2022Long-time Board member Thomas “Tom” Hanna passed away on February 6, 2022, during his 37th year of service on the Board of Directors of Texas Lawyers’ Insurance Exchange. TLIE and the Board will miss Tom’s leadership, business and legal acumen, his tireless dedication to TLIE and its policyholders, his generosity, Read the full post
Practical Tips for Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
March 10, 2022Conflicts of interest are a consistent source of legal malpractice claims. In a study of TLIE’s claims between 1996 and 2001, 16.4% of all claims reflected an allegation of conflict of interest, with 22.5% of all losses and defense costs involving a conflict of interest. In this Article, we provide Read the full post
In Memoriam: Thomas Lee “Tom” Hanna
March 1, 2022TLIE lost a great friend and champion with the recent passing of Thomas Lee “Tom” Hanna. Tom was born in Hall Summit, Louisiana on September 25, 1938 and moved to Nederland, Texas when he was five years old. He graduated from Nederland High School in 1957. Tom attended Baylor University Read the full post