On May 1-2, 2023, partners Craig Singer and Bill Burke spoke on two panels at the Working Group on Legal Opinions (“WGLO”) Spring Seminar in New York. On May 1st, Craig and Bill presented “The Role of Experts and the Use of Opinion Literature in Litigation,” discussing how expert witnesses are used in litigation concerning attorney opinion letters. On May 2nd, Craig and Bill presented “Current Ethics Issues Relating to Opinions,” discussing the ethical duties of lawyers when representing clients in financial distress.

Bill Burke concentrates his practice on complex commercial litigation, professional liability defense, and investigations.  He 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. Bill serves as a member of Williams & Connolly’s Ethics Committee.

Craig Singer is co-chair of W&C’s Law Firm Defense practice group. 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 is 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. Craig is also a member of the D.C. Bar Legal Ethics Committee, which issues formal opinions on questions arising under the D.C. Rules of Professional Conduct.

The WGLO seminars are hosted twice a year and bring together leading representatives from law firms, bar associations, and other attorney groups to discuss current issues confronting the legal opinion bar. Click here to learn more about the Working Group on Legal Opinions.