Contents
Table of Cases xi
1. INTRODUCTION 1
A Changing Profession 3
Theregulatoryregime 8
Regulating Conflicts of Interest 10
Theneedforanempiricalstudy 12
Research Method 13
Other Components of the Research.
15Plan of the Book 16
2. THE REGULATORY REGIME 17
Introduction 17
Successive Representation 18
Simultaneous Representation 43
Summary 49
3. THE MODERN FIDUCIARY: CONFLICTS IN OTHER
PROFESSIONS 51
Introduction 51
Conflicts at the Bar: Approach of the Bar Council of England and
Wales 55
Accountancy Conflicts: A ‘Managed’ Approach 63
Fiduciary Duties and Regulatory Rules: the Law Commission’s
Findings 69
Summary 72
4. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: AN INTERNATIONAL
PERSPECTIVE 75
Introduction 75
United States 77
The Commonwealth 81
Europe 90
Summary 92
5. DISCOVERING CONFLICTS: PROCEDURES AND DILEMMAS 95
Introduction 95
Obtaining Instructions and the conflict check 97
ThefrustratedClient 102
Ensuring Confidentiality for Would-be Clients 103
Protecting Clients’ Identities From Colleagues 105
Evaluating the Data 106
Summary 106
6. THE DECISION WHETHER TO ACT: PROCEDURES AND
INTERESTS 109
Introduction 109
Classifyingconflict 114
Competinginterests 116
Law Society Guidance 116
Clients’ Views on Conflicts 119
The Decision-Maker 120
A Clear Divide 122
GroupOne: The Big and Bold 123
Group Two: The Mindful Moderates 131
Group Three: The Pious Provincials 135
Summary 140
7. ACTING IN THE FACE OF CONFLICT 143
Introduction 143
The Available Options 144
Selecting the Measures (in Theory) 146
Selecting the Measures (in Practice) 148
The Client Perspective 158
Summary 160
8. CONCLUSION 163
Introduction 163
Law Society Rules and Legal Principles: The Debate 163
The Empirical Evidence 173
Possible Ways Forward 178
Summary 186
The Wider Context: Legal Ethics Within a Changing Profession 189
Appendix !—METHODOLOGY 191
Bibliography 201
Index 209