ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS DURING SETTLEMENT

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS DURING SETTLEMENT

LISA A. BROWN Thompson & Horton LLP

Phoenix Tower 3200 Southwest Freeway, Suite 2000

Houston, Texas 77027-7554 (713) 554-6741

lbrown@

State Bar of Texas 26TH ANNUAL SUING & DEFENDING GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES COURSE July 31- August 1, 2014

Austin CHAPTER 22

Lisa A. Brown Thompson & Horton LLP 3200 Southwest Freeway, Suite 2000

Houston, Texas 77027 713-554-6741

lbrown@

Lisa A. Brown is a partner at Thompson & Horton LLP, a Texas law firm devoted to the representation of public and private schools, institutions of higher education, and governmental entities. Brown regularly handles lawsuits, appeals, and grievances involving employment law, federal constitutional issues, civil rights law, education law, and local government law. In addition to her litigation and appellate practice, Ms. Brown assists governmental entities and schools with policy manual development, preparation of contracts, and compliance with ethics and conflict of interest laws.

Brown received her law degree with honors from the University of Texas School of Law in 1989 where she served on the TEXAS LAW REVIEW. She received her B.A., also with honors, from the University of Texas at Austin. As an undergraduate, she served as managing editor of THE DAILY TEXAN student newspaper. Brown served as chair of the Texas Council of School Attorneys in 2006-2007 and as chair of the State Bar of Texas School Law Section in 2002-2003. She served on the board of directors of the National School Boards Association's Council of School Attorneys from 2010-2014. She is a frequent speaker on employment law, constitutional law, education law, and legal ethics.

Representative publications and speeches include the following:

Speaker, "The Texas Whistleblower Act," University of Texas School Law Conference (2013) Speaker, "Employment Investigations," TEXAS LEGAL DIGEST Conference (2012) Speaker, "Update on Legal Ethics for School Lawyers," National School Boards Association (2012) Author, "Accommodating School Employees with Disabilities Under the Americans with Disabilities

Act," TEXAS LEGAL DIGEST (2012) Co-Author, "Searching the Matrix: Investigating the Use and Misuse of Electronic Communication

Devices by Public Employees," TEXAS LEGAL DIGEST (2010) Speaker, "Legal Issues Pertaining to the Use and Misuse of Communication Devices," State Bar of Texas

School Law Seminar (July 2010) Speaker, "Ethical Considerations During Negotiations and Mediation," Texas Center for Legal Ethics

(2010) Speaker, "Ethical Considerations During Settlement," National School Boards Association Council of

School Attorneys Conference (2009) Contributing author, "Prayer on Campus: Forty-Five Years of Litigation and Counting," RELIGION &

PUBLIC SCHOOLS: STRIKING A CONSTITUTIONAL BALANCE, National School Boards Association, 3d. ed., 2008 Speaker, "Sexual Harassment Law: Beyond the Basics," University of Texas School Law Conference (2009)

Ethical Considerations During Settlement

Chapter 22

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I.

INTRODUCTION: SETTLEMENT & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY ............................................. 1

II. CLIENT'S AUTHORITY TO DECIDE WHETHER TO SETTLE ................................................................. 1 A. Duty to Communicate Settlement Offers.............................................................................................. 1 B. Managing Client Expectations .............................................................................................................. 2 C. The Attorney Must Possess Actual Authority to Settle ........................................................................ 2

III. CONFLICTS AND DISAGREEMENTS .......................................................................................................... 4 A. Representation of Client When the Client and Lawyer Strongly Disagree........................................... 4 B. Duty to Client When the Attorney is Hired By An Insurance Company .............................................. 5 C. Settlement of Claims Involving Multiple Clients ................................................................................. 5 D. Conflicts Between the Attorney's Personal Interests and the Client's Interests ................................... 6 E. Restrictions on Settlements that Waive Sanctions, Malpractice Claims, or Grievances ..................... 7

IV. TRUTHFULNESS IN NEGOTIATIONS ......................................................................................................... 8 A. "Puffing" During a Negotiation ............................................................................................................ 8 B. Settlement Induced Through Threats, Fraud, or Lies ........................................................................... 8 1. Threats ..................................................................................................................................... 8 2. Mistakes and Omissions .......................................................................................................... 9 3. Lies........................................................................................................................................... 9

V. COMMUNICATIONS WITH OPPOSING PARTIES ................................................................................... 10 A. Communicating With a Represented Party ......................................................................................... 10 B. Communicating With an Unrepresented Party ................................................................................... 10 C. Settlements with Pro Se Plaintiffs ...................................................................................................... 11

VI. SETTLEMENT AND CONFIDENTIALITY ................................................................................................. 11 A. Don't Tell it to the Judge .................................................................................................................... 11 B. Confidentiality of Negotiations........................................................................................................... 11

VII. UNETHICAL SETTLEMENT TERMS.......................................................................................................... 12 A. Restrictions on an Attorney's Right to Practice Law.......................................................................... 12 B. Restrictions on the Client's Right to File a Bar Grievance or Malpractice Claim.............................. 13 C. Restrictions on Future Use of Evidence.............................................................................................. 14

VIII. DISCLOSING SETTLEMENT TO THE COURT......................................................................................... 15

IX. HANDWRITTEN AGREEMENTS, BUYERS' REMORSE, AND OTHER COMMUNICATION SNAFUS .......................................................................................................................................................... 15

APPENDIX ................................................................................................................................................................... 19

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