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Christopher R. Blazejewski quoted in Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly

Christopher R. Blazejewski, partner in the firm’s Litigation and Employment Departments, was quoted in Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly’s article, “Ethics panel: attorneys should abide by client’s decision not to file claim,” on March 8, 2018.

From the article: 

According to Sherin & Lodgen’s Christopher R. Blazejewski, the panel “perfectly” applied one of the core tenets of the attorney-client relationship: “lawyers advise, but clients decide.”

As for how that dynamic plays out in the Rules of Professional Conduct, the Providence attorney said the opinion serves as a helpful reminder that Rule 1.2 preserves the client’s ultimate decision-making authority in the attorneyclient relationship, while Rule 1.4 enshrines the attorney’s role in communicating with clients to help them make informed decisions.

Blazejewski added that the panel also highlights an attorney’s obligation to maintain client confidences under Rule 1.6, subject to certain exceptions, even when the lawyer thinks the client is headed in the wrong direction. “The opinion is also instructive on the attorney’s options when the client is ignoring good advice and making bad decisions, namely terminating representation under Rule 1.16,” he said.