On May 4, 2021, partners Craig Singer and Bill Burke gave a legal ethics presentation at the Working Group on Legal Opinions (WGLO) virtual Spring Seminar.  The panel, “Current Ethics Issues Relating to Transactions Practice,” discussed ethics-related issues that have been the subject of recent developments or debate. The panel focused on issues concerning lawyers’ obligation of truthfulness and the ABA’s new Model Rule 8.4(g) on Discrimination and Harassment.

Craig concentrates his practice in three broad areas: professional liability, false claims and criminal defense, and appellate work. Craig has represented numerous lawyers and law firms, including some of the nation’s largest firms, in federal and state courts, government investigations, and arbitration proceedings in many jurisdictions around the country. Craig has particular experience in defending professionals and firms in matters arising from Ponzi schemes and other frauds.  He is the author of a book on that subject, Professionals, Firms, and Fraud: Defending Professionals Against Liability For Client Fraud, which was published by the ABA in 2015. Craig is also a member of the TriBar Opinion Committee, which prepares influential reports on legal opinion practice, and a member of the board of the Working Group on Legal Opinions, which provides a national forum for the discussion of important issues relating to closing opinions.

Bill concentrates his practice on complex commercial litigation, professional liability defense, and investigations. In the field of professional liability defense, Bill has defended major law firms in malpractice actions, grand jury investigations, and SEC investigations, has represented individual lawyers in ethics proceedings, and has defended state court judges in lawsuits asserting federal civil rights claims. He also serves as a member of Williams & Connolly’s Ethics Committee. In addition to his litigation practice, Bill represents public companies, boards of directors, and audit committees in internal investigations regarding accounting issues, whistleblower complaints, insider trading, and alleged violations of the securities laws, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and the False Claims Act.