On May 8, 2026, Michele Weiss, principal at Holtz, Slavett, Drabkin & Warner, APLC, together with Special Trial Judge Jennifer Seigel, Sabrina Strand of Greenspoon Marder, LLP, and Sam Roberson of Curtin Law Robertson Dunigan & Salans, PC, will discuss ethical considerations and client conflicts on the panel “Multiple Interest, One Duty: Who is My Client, No, Really, Who Is It?” The panel will be presented on behalf of the ABA Tax Section, Closely Held Businesses Committee at the ABA May Meeting this coming Friday in Washington, DC.
Attorneys can often find themselves in murky situations regarding their ethical duties when they represent multiple clients that appear to have aligned interests at the beginning of an engagement. This can arise in matters involving closely held businesses and their shareholders, partnerships and partners, and trusts, their trustees, and their beneficiaries. Analyzing the ABA Model Rules, the panel will analyze when conflicting and adverse interests between clients can be represented by the same lawyer, when instituting a wall between lawyers in the same firm can be sufficient, and conflicts rise to the point where the attorney can no longer represent all the parties involved in the matter.
The panel will also discuss ethical considerations surrounding the use of artificial intelligence (AI). Attorneys have increasingly been using AI to conduct legal research and draft legal documents. The panel will explore an attorney’s duties and responsibilities in using AI generated work product, particularly when filing those work products in court.
If you have questions about client conflicts of interest, you can reach out to Michele at mweiss@hsdwtaxlaw.com or 310-550-6200. Michele is a former IRS Counsel attorney who has extensive experience in navigating these and many other tax controversy related issues.