COURSE DESCRIPTION
Navigate the complex ethical landscape of modern discovery practice where technology, cooperation requirements, and zealous advocacy intersect in ways that can create unexpected professional responsibility violations. This essential program addresses the professional conduct standards that govern discovery obligations in today's litigation environment. Master the ethical requirements that ensure competent discovery practice while maintaining client advocacy and professional integrity.
- Understand competence and supervision requirements for electronic discovery and technology-assisted review
- Navigate cooperation obligations and meet-and-confer requirements affecting discovery strategy and advocacy
- Address document preservation and spoliation prevention duties affecting client counseling and litigation holds
- Master professional conduct standards governing discovery requests, responses, and privilege assertions
Speakers:
Thomas E. Spahn is a partner in the McLean, Virginia office of McGuireWoods, LLP, where he has a substantial practice advising clients on properly creating and preserving the attorney-client privilege and work product protections. For more than 30 years he has lectured extensively on legal ethics and professionalism and has written “The Attorney-Client Privilege and the Work Product Doctrine: A Practitioner’s Guide,” a 750 page treatise published by the Virginia Law Foundation. Mr. Spahn has served as a member of the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility and as a member of the Virginia State Bar's Legal Ethics Committee. He received his B.A., magna cum laude, from Yale University and his J.D. from Yale Law School.
William J. Kelly, III is a founding member of Kelly & Walker LLC and has more than 25 years’ experience in the areas of employment and commercial litigation. In the area of employment law, he litigates trade secret, non-compete, infringement and discrimination claims in federal and state courts nationwide and has advised Fortune 50 companies on workplace policies and practices. In the area of commercial litigation, his experience includes class action litigation, breach of contract and indemnity, mass-claim complex insurance litigation, construction litigation and trade secrets. Earlier in career, he founded 15 Minutes Music, an independent music production company.