10/17/2025
MNB LLP attorneys Andrew K. Meade and Sam Haren recently argued before the Texas Supreme Court on a critical legal ethics issue: What safeguards must law firms implement when non-lawyer staff switch sides?
The Issue: A paralegal who worked on a case was later hired by opposing counsel—and continued working on the very same case for the other side, with no conflict checks or ethical instructions in place to safeguard against disclosure of privileged information.
Our Position: The trial court granted disqualification, and we defended that decision through the appellate courts. Law firms must include paralegals in conflict-checking systems and provide clear ethical guidance. These aren’t burdensome requirements—they’re foundational protections for client confidences.
As we argued: implementing these safeguards is “like looking both ways before crossing the street”—easy to do, with very serious potential consequences if you don’t.
We’re honored to defend principles that protect client trust in our legal system.
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