Hilary Gerzhoy is a partner at HWG LLP, where she represents lawyers, law firms, legal tech companies, and in-house counsel navigating the full range of legal ethics matters. She serves as outside general counsel to law firms nationwide, advising on risk management, conflicts and disqualification, and firm formations and dissolutions.
Hilary is the Chair of the D.C. Bar Rules of Professional Conduct Review Committee, a member of the ABA's Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee, and was appointed by the judges of the D.C. Circuit to serve on the D.C. Circuit's Advisory Committee on Admissions and Grievances. She also teaches legal ethics as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center.
Hilary has published more than forty articles on developments in legal ethics and her work has been featured in the Chicago Tribune, Bloomberg Law, The National Law Journal, Law.com, Law360, the Washington Lawyer, and LexisNexis.
WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT ETHICS TROUBLE FOR LAWYERS
Most lawyers work hard to serve their clients well, and part of that commitment means staying alert to ethical challenges. Questions around conflicts, supervision, or new technology don't have to turn into problems – if you know how to spot and address them early.
As a lawyer who advises firms across the country on professional responsibility, Hilary Gerzhoy helps attorneys do exactly that. She guides clients through bar complaints and malpractice claims, but more importantly, she shows them how to avoid those situations in the first place.
In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge Podcast, Elise Holtzman talks with Hilary about the most common ethics missteps, how disciplinary actions differ from malpractice suits, and the practical steps you can take to safeguard your reputation.
1:25 — Hilary's background and role in legal ethics
2:19 — The two types of risk lawyers face: disciplinary vs malpractice
2:46 — How bar complaints get filed and investigated
4:28 — Range of sanctions, from private admonishments to disbarment
5:50 — Key differences between malpractice suits and bar complaints
8:20 — Why "the cover-up is worse than the crime"
9:28 — Why malpractice suits often turn into bar complaints
12:40 — Common triggers for bar complaints (including money issues)
18:05 — When conflicts of interest create ethics problems
25:12 — How firms can reduce risk with better supervision and systems
30:44 — The role of technology, including AI, in malpractice and ethics risk
36:17 — Steps lawyers can take to mitigate mistakes in real time
44:44 — Why hiding errors can have career-ending consequences
45:20 — Building a firm culture where people can admit mistakes
Mentioned In Good Lawyers, Bad Outcomes: How Lawyers Can Avoid Ethics Trouble
Get connected with the coaching team: hello@thelawyersedge.com
SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE
Today's episode is brought to you by the Ignite Women's Business Development Accelerator, a 9-month business development program created BY women lawyers for women lawyers. Ignite is a carefully designed business development program containing content, coaching, and a community of like-minded women who are committed to becoming rainmakers AND supporting the retention and advancement of other women in the profession.
If you are interested in either participating in the program or sponsoring a woman in your firm to enroll, learn more about Ignite and sign up for our registration alerts by visiting www.thelawyersedge.com/ignite.
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