On October 29, Tucker Ellis hosted the in-person segment of its 11th annual In-House Counsel Summit Series. The series will continue over the next few weeks with four more virtual sessions. In-house counsel gathered at the firm’s Cleveland office for an afternoon dedicated to networking and continuing legal education presentations. The program featured four sessions, which covered the following topics:

1. Ethical Issues for In-House Counsel: Top 10 Tips from Recent Caselaw

May in-house attorneys give legal advice to someone other than a client? Do ethics rules apply differently to in-house counsel depending on whether they are acting as company officers or company lawyers? In this session, Diana Gerstel discussed important case law on ethical issues that are commonly confronted by in-house attorneys, as well as practical takeaways that they can apply to their own practices.

2. Supreme Court Term in Review

The United States Supreme Court’s 2023–2024 term was marked by significant rulings on constitutional, civil, and regulatory issues. The cases that dominated the news cycle—presidential immunity from criminal prosecution and access to abortion medication—overshadow other important rulings related to arbitration, the power of federal agencies, securities litigation, the First Amendment, and Chevron deference, among others. The upcoming term promises more of the same, with petitions already granted for issues on the Second Amendment, immigration, and presidential immunity. Elisa Arko, Chad Eggspuehler, Mike Ruttinger, Ben Sassé, Jeff Sindelar, and Ethan Weber of Tucker Ellis’s Appellate & Legal Issues Group discussed all this and more.

3. The (Harvey) Specter of Ethics

Grayson Sieg and Caroline Tinsley examined the complexities of ethical dilemmas faced by legal professionals through the lens of a 2011 case study of New York-based firm Pearson Hardman LLP. Key themes included the importance of transparency, honest dealing, and the impact of mentorship on ethical decision-making. By examining the conduct of Pearson Hardman attorneys against the standards set forth in both the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct and the Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct, Grayson and Caroline illustrated the balance between achieving success and upholding ethical standards in the legal field.

4. Health Care News You Can Use

Health care is one issue that everyone can relate to, and it is a field marked by fast-paced innovation and ever-present regulatory oversight. There is a range of health care topics that may be helpful for in-house counsel to know and better understand, because they are of high interest to their employees, customers, families, and stakeholders. Featuring Kelli Novak and Victoria Vance, this presentation included a discussion of health care laws and regulations, medical care (timing of preventative health screenings), technology (telehealth, AI, and cyber risks), and resources available to consumers including information about nursing homes and senior care options.