Thomas B. Mason and Hilary P. Gerzhoy co-authored an article for the DC Bar’s Washington Lawyer examining best practices for engagement letters and lawyer withdrawal under the D.C. Rules of Professional Conduct.
Drawing on D.C. Rule 1.5, Rule 1.16, and leading ethics opinions, the authors explain how clear engagement letters and careful withdrawal practices can mitigate the risk of fee disputes, bar complaints, and malpractice claims. They also highlight common pitfalls such as inadequate fee disclosures, overreliance on boilerplate, and improper motions to withdraw that frequently trigger disciplinary scrutiny.
The article emphasizes that engagement letters and lawyer withdrawal are not mere administrative tasks, but critical components of ethical and professional lawyering. Read the full article here.
Tom Mason is the founder of HWG LLP’s Legal Ethics and Malpractice Group and has experience in malpractice and disqualification litigation, disciplinary investigations and prosecutions, partner admissions and departures, and law firm dissolutions. He is a past Chair of the D.C. Bar Legal Ethics and Rules Revisions Committees.
Hilary Gerzhoy is the Vice Chair of HWG LLP’s Legal Ethics and Malpractice Group, the Chair of the D.C. Rules Committee, a member of the ABA’s Standing Committee on Ethics, and she teaches legal ethics at the Georgetown University Law Center.