Blog - New York City Bar Insurance

The Importance of Key-Man and Buy-Sell Insurance for Law Firms

Note: This article is written in collaboration with Synchronize Insurance Services, powered by Lockton Affinity. In 2022, Lockton Affinity formed Synchronize, combining the specialized expertise of Lockton Affinity, SBG Inc., Blueprint Insurance Services and Freedom Partners to provide one, all-encompassing business solution for clients in the financial professionals industry. Synchronize leads the industry in its specialty, making it more efficient, affordable and accessible to do business.

Running a law firm involves more than just managing cases and clients — it requires protecting the firm’s financial stability and ensuring its longevity. Two critical types of insurance that law firms should consider are Key-Man Insurance and Buy-Sell Insurance. These policies safeguard against unexpected disruptions caused by the loss or disability of a vital team member or partner, helping firms maintain continuity and […]

June 27th, 2025|

Cyber Coverages Explained

Cyber insurance has dramatically evolved since the first coverages were added to other policy forms in the 1990s. Traditionally, cyber coverages were only considered necessary in the technology industry — or for those providing technology-related professional services.

It was the dawn of the digital age and growing cyber risk exposures across all industry classes that led to the evolution of cyber as a stand-alone insurance product. Today, purchasing cyber insurance is considered essential by business leaders in nearly every sector, including law.

At first look, cyber coverages can be confusing for a small business such as a law firm. A broad spectrum of exposures are possible, with the top insurers offering a variety of products to protect against them, often bundled into unique package solutions with different levels of coverage. Here’s […]

May 13th, 2025|

7 Conflict Checks Tips to Reduce Malpractice Risks

Lawyers often look forward to their next client and their next case. It’s exciting to meet new people and learn about their legal needs. However, in the rush to entertain a new business opportunity, proper conflict checks are sometimes neglected.

Neglecting conflict checks can lead to an adverse outcome for both a client and their lawyer. Here are seven conflict checks tips for reducing your chance of a malpractice claim.

1. Know the Risks of Overlooking a Client Conflict

Especially in today’s high-stakes litigation, a missed conflict of interest can be costly. In 2022, a global law firm lost its appeal to a $32 million malpractice verdict based on a claimed conflict of interest.¹

The client, whose laser tech is used to make jeans appear faded, […]

February 11th, 2025|

Policy Limit Demands: Could Leaving a Voicemail Lead to a Malpractice Claim?

A claimant’s policy limit demand may set an attorney up to fail in hopes of a larger payday. Small mistakes could constitute a rejection, which opens an attorney up to a malpractice claim.

Prior claims can help offer insight into what to do and what not to do. Here’s what to know about policy limit demands, the most common pitfalls to watch out for and the best practices to minimize risk when engaging with clients.

How a Call Can Turn into a Claim

Imagine you leave the office a bit early on the Friday before a holiday weekend. You return to find a certified letter from the counsel representing a personal injury claimant. Enclosed is a standard procedural demand for payment by your client’s insurer for their policy’s full limit of liability. […]

November 14th, 2024|

All Things Digital: Best Practice Tips for Your Firm’s Digital Presence

Email, texting, social media, websites, billing systems — the digital connections you use to do your job every day can present a risk, particularly as a lawyer obligated to professional ethical standards.

Implement these six tips for your firm’s digital presence.

Prioritize Password Security to Minimize Data Risks

Lawyers need to strike a balance between easy access to their digital files and securing the firm’s confidential data. Ethical guidelines require lawyers to stay on top of evolving technology and protect sensitive client data, and password security is a good start.

Password security helps protect confidential emails, text messages, case files, client documents, billing information, financial records and other sensitive data.
Hackers can crack simple passwords instantly with modern software, while a lot of users are using compromised or easily guessed passwords.
A […]

November 1st, 2023|

Cybercrime Terminology to Know

Not knowing or understanding the cybercrime risks your law firm faces puts you at a disadvantage against cyber criminals who know exactly what they’re doing. But wrapping your head around the lingo used to talk about the topic can be tricky.

Cybercrime terminology is complex and it’s constantly changing and evolving. Knowing the meanings behind key terms can make cybercrime easier to understand and prevent.

Key Cybercrime Terms

The following are some of the biggest threats currently facing professional businesses such as your firm:

Phishing – Phishing is a common type of online fraud through email. The term is pronounced like fishing and that comparison can be helpful for understanding how the scam works.

Just as a fisherman casts a line near a group of fish and waits for a single bite, a cybercriminal rolls […]

July 1st, 2023|

8 Nontraditional Legal Malpractice Risks

Most malpractice claims involve a client suing their lawyer, but that’s not always the case. Nontraditional legal malpractice claims can also go far beyond the usual allegations of a missed statute of limitations deadline, failure to correctly interpret the law or breach of contract.

Other risks exist that can put your future in jeopardy, particularly because many attorneys will look at a nontraditional allegation as lacking standing to file. It’s important to take the following nontraditional legal malpractice risks seriously, avoiding the situation where possible and responding quickly when faced with a potential claim.

1. Attorney-Client Adjacent Risk

It’s common for there to be a number of individuals in the same environment as the attorney and their client. Examples include the client’s family, friends, business partners, employees and more. Such individuals may […]

March 1st, 2023|

12 Low-Cost Ways to Help Prevent Cyber Attacks

One way to mitigate the increased risk of cyber attacks is to look to low-cost and no-cost solutions that can offer an immediate risk management benefit without added expense or complexity. NYC Bar Insurance and CyberLock Defense have prepared this list of 12 low-cost and no-cost ways to help legal professionals prevent cyber attacks.

1. Identify Key Accounts and Systems

Every firm has key accounts and systems they need to run. An inventory of your vulnerabilities can help illuminate opportunities to protect them.

Think through all the key accounts and systems vital to your firm. Ask yourself if you could continue to operate without issue if something were to happen to them. Jotting down a few notes about protecting these key vulnerabilities is a great place […]

March 14th, 2022|

Withdrawing from a Case

Through the right client intake procedures, most incompatible clients can be avoided. However, on occasion, irreconcilable differences can pop up and with irreconcilable differences come risks of withdrawing from a case.

If you need to withdraw from a case, it is critical to attempt to minimize the possible adverse effect on the rights of the client and the possibility of prejudice to the client. The manner and means of terminating a relationship can affect the likelihood a malpractice claim will be filed.

Considerations when Withdrawing from a Case

Even when a withdrawal is justifiable, a lawyer should:

Give due notice of withdrawal
Suggest engaging other counsel
Deliver all papers and property to which the client is entitled
Cooperate with counsel subsequently employed
Attempt to minimize the possibility of harm to the client

[…]

May 25th, 2021|

Tips for Texting Clients

Traditionally, law firm communications have been limited to meetings, letters, phone calls and emails. But like most people, you probably prefer a quick text to a more disruptive call. Research says 32% of people prefer a text to a call, and you may have already made a habit of texting with clients for quicker communication.

Texting offers lawyers a way to save time during the day, get quick answers from busy clients and impress on clients the fact that you are friendly, accessible and committed to a great representation.

Texting is a great medium for scheduling, reminders and other quick communications. However, improper text communications pose a substantial risk exposure for lawyers and law firms. So if you text your clients, follow these best practice tips for texting clients.

1. Set […]

February 24th, 2021|