Ethics & Professionalism + Property Taxes + Cyberattack + Liquor Laws & Insurance + PFAS Battleground

As so many of us work in a hybrid environment, ethical issues arise for lawyers in this day and age, when transparency and technology in the practice of law are intertwined with personal lives are at an all time high. This paper will discuss how to use social media and technology in the practice of law and in your personal life, how to communicate effectively with parties, counsel, the court, the media, and witnesses, when sanctions are (and are not) appropriate, tales from the wild wild west, and best ethics practices for both in house and outhouse counsel.

While the restaurant industry has largely sidestepped the controversy raging in courthouses, state houses, and regulators’ offices over PFAS, six suits recently filed against quick-service restaurants suggests that the industry might not remain above the fray for much longer. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (known as "PFAS") is a catch-all term used to describe thousands of different "forever chemicals" that break down incredibly slowly over time and are found in any number of consumer products and especially in products’ packaging. Plaintiffs and consumer advocates have argued that these chemicals can lead to a number of negative health effects for humans and animals alike, including an increased risk of cancer and an impact on the body’s immune system.