This program is eligible for 3 hours of CLE credit in 60-minute states. In 50-minute states, this program is eligible for 3.6 hours of CLE credit. Credit hours are estimated and are subject to each state’s approval and credit rounding rules.
Overview
This course will provide a practical overview of how to draft clear, ethical, and enforceable fee agreements under the Pennsylvania Rules of Professional Conduct (Pa.R.P.C.). This session highlights common mistakes and offers tips for avoiding fee disputes and disciplinary complaints.
Key Topics:
- Required disclosures on scope, fees, and expenses (Rules 1.4, 1.5(b))
- Reasonable fees and documentation (Rule 1.5(a))
- Contingent fee agreements and required terms (Rule 1.5(c))
- Advance fees, retainers, and trust-account handling (Rule 1.15)
- Limited-scope representation (Rule 1.2(c))
- Referral fees and fee-splitting (Rule 1.5(e), Rule 5.4)
- Third-party payments (Rule 1.8(f))
- Refunds and proper disengagement (Rule 1.16(d))
Learning Objectives:
Participants will be able to:
- Draft compliant fee agreements for multiple fee structures.
- Apply trust-account rules when handling client funds.
- Avoid common ethical pitfalls in billing and client communication.
Faculty
Victoria L. White, Esq.
Ms. White is currently Ethics Counsel to the Pennsylvania Bar Association. As Ethics Counsel, Ms. White responds to Ethics Hotline inquiries from PBA members who have questions concerning the impact of the provisions of the Pennsylvania Rules of Professional Conduct upon their own prospective conduct. Ms. White also assists the PBA’s Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee, which issues written ethics opinions and reviews and recommends proposals for changes to the Pennsylvania Rules of Professional Conduct. In addition to staffing the Ethics Committee, Ms. White is the staff liaison to the PBA Civility in the Profession Committee. She also serves as the Associate Editor of the Pennsylvania Ethics Handbook, a useful guide to the professional responsibility obligations of practicing Pennsylvania lawyers. Prior to joining the PBA, Ms. White served as Assistant Counsel for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission, practiced for several years in the private sector, and was a staff attorney in the solicitor’s office for a local municipality. Ms. White received her B.A. from Franklin & Marshall College and her J.D. from American University, Washington College of Law.
Daniel J. Siegel, Esq.
Attorney Daniel J. Siegel is a nationally recognized authority on ethics, technology, data protection and business workflow management, and the principal of both the Law Offices of Daniel J. Siegel, LLC and Integrated Technology Services, LLC. Dan provides techno-ethics counsel to solo, small and mid-sized law firms on cybersecurity, technology and other related issues. His practice includes representing of attorneys in disciplinary matters; providing professional responsibility guidance to attorneys and firms; serving as appellate counsel; and representing individuals in workers’ compensation and personal injury matters. Dan also consults with law firms and businesses on workflow management, implementation of paperless offices, and other productivity matters. Attorney Siegel is a prolific speaker and author, and serves as the Chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Committee on Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility, and Past-Chair of the American Bar Association’s Professional Development Board Chair. The author of 15 books, Dan is a columnist and frequent lecturer on a wide range of topics, including ethics, technology, substantive law, appellate law, and professional responsibility matters. You can reach Dan at [email protected].
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