News, Articles, and Practice Tips

Before you disburse funds, spot and stop fraud that steals from your law firm and your clients. Fraud schemes targeting lawyers are evolving — from business email compromise to AI-generated deepfakes. Criminals exploit the trust inherent in the lawyer–client relationship to pressure lawyers into disbursing funds quickly or to redirect client payments through deceptive communications. […]

Effective March 1, 2026, professionals involved in residential real estate closings will be required to file a Real Estate Report for certain real estate transfers.   Which real estate transfers require the filing of a Residential Real Estate Report?  The Anti-Money Laundering Regulations for Residential Real Estate Transfer final rule issued by The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) requires the report for transfers in […]

When refiling a new action, how is a year calculated under the Savings Statute and relevant Revised Code sections? The Ohio Supreme Court recently issued its decision in Sauter v. Integrity Cycles, L.L.C., Slip Opinion No. 2026-Ohio-88, clarifying when filing a claim under the savings statute of R.C. 2305.19, the claim must be filed within one year of the date that it […]

Applying client funds from one matter to another can trigger trust-account and ethics issues. Read on to learn why the practice of cross-matter setoff is risky and how to avoid pitfalls. This piece is part of a series discussing Fee Agreements. In prior articles, we covered fee types, retainers, alternative fee models, and fee agreement upgrades. This week we dive […]

Fee Agreement Upgrades That Reduce Friction and Protect Revenue This piece is part of a series discussing Fee Agreements. In prior articles, we covered fee types, retainers, and alternative fee models. Below, we discuss what makes those models work day-to-day: fee agreement terms that support predictable billing, cleaner collection, and fewer payment disputes. In upcoming articles, we’ll cover other elements to include in […]

Season’s Greetings from OBLIC! As we turn the page into a new year, we’d like to share a few reflections and highlight some of the new and expanded services available to you at OBLIC. Throughout 2025, we remained steadfast in our commitment to providing industry-leading customer service across all departments—Claims & Loss Prevention, Underwriting, and […]

Ethical and Risk Management Considerations of Dual Calendaring in a Digital Age: Competence and Diligence Still Govern Attorneys occasionally ask whether they are still expected to maintain both a digital and a paper version of their calendars. With modern platforms like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace offering cloud-based syncing and redundancy, the idea of a […]

As the legal marketplace evolves, so do billing expectations. Many attorneys are experimenting with subscription or “maintenance” models, flat-rate projects, and AI-assisted billing systems. Advancements in AI-driven efficiencies are expected to bring increased value and quality to legal representation, contributing to the importance of reevaluating ethical alternative fee models. Earlier this month, our article “Getting […]

When it comes to legal billing, few topics cause more confusion than retainers and flat fees. Between “classic” retainers, advance fee deposits, and “earned upon receipt” flat fees, even experienced attorneys can find themselves unsure what belongs in the IOLTA and what belongs in the operating account. The distinction matters: mishandling client funds remains one […]

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, which is a great time to remind law firms of the very real risk of phishing, email compromise, and other cyberattacks.  At OBLIC, we help Ohio lawyers safeguard client information and implement plans to stabilize your practice if a breach occurs. This article covers three tips to help reduce your […]