Category: LAWPRO Magazine
Outsourcing your law firm’s cybersecurity
According to a survey¹ of UK law firms, a quarter of them have been the victims of cyberattacks, as have almost a third of US firms according to the ABA Legal Technology Survey Report. While there has not been a similar survey done of Canadian firms, the numbers are probably similar. And the high-publicity hacks… Read More »
Categories: 2017 August Managing Change, Articles, Cyber dangers, Firm Management, Legal Technology, Tech TipsRetirement, identity, and mental health: It’s an adjustment
Lawyers often pay lip service to looking forward to retirement. However, when pressed on the subject, many admit that their true feelings are mixed. Those who equivocate may have good reason: for many professionals, the adjustment to retirement can be psychologically challenging. A 2013 study¹ showed that retirement increased the risk of clinical depression in… Read More »
Categories: 2017 August Managing Change, Articles, Content Type, LAWPRO Magazine, LAWPRO Magazine Article Type, Legal Careers, Succession Planning, Topics, Wellness, WellnessBook review – The Lawyer’s Guide to Succession Planning
No one likes to think about getting older, and lawyers may tend to put off thinking about the day they have to retire from the profession they love and the firms they have spent a lifetime building. However, the fact is that there is a wave of Boomers hitting retirement age (90 million in North… Read More »
Categories: 2017 August Managing Change, Articles, Book Review, Content Type, Firm Management, Legal Careers, Solo and Small Firm, Succession PlanningWeaving solutions to complex problems
Each thread in a fabric makes the others stronger and in the fabric that is LawPRO, each employee is a vital strand that strengthens the weave. Our customer service department guides underwriting and applications, our claims department works to contain the standard of care and defend our insureds, our information services protect your data, and… Read More »
Categories: 2017 May - 2016 Annual Review, Articles, EditorialsFinancial results explained
Net premiums: $115.8 million LawPRO net earned premiums in 2016 were $115.8 million. Premiums from the mandatory insurance program were lower than in 2015, though still higher than budgeted. The E&O Fund did not make a premium contribution to LawPRO in 2016 as it did in 2015. And although the number of practising lawyer full-time-equivalents… Read More »
Categories: 2017 May - 2016 Annual Review, Articles, Year in ReviewE&O Program: Claims report
Administrative dismissal of actions: Was 2016 the calm before the storm? Claims trends in 2016 seemed to follow now-familiar patterns – certain types of claims increased, others abated, and overall claims costs continue to hover around the $100 million mark. However, in the final months of the year, LawPRO claims personnel saw an increase in… Read More »
Categories: 2017 May - 2016 Annual Review, Articles, Year in ReviewCoverage: Premium remains stable in 2016
The year 2016 marked the sixth year in which most insured lawyers paid a base premium of $3,350 for their professional indemnity insurance. As rents and property values continue to climb, and as technology becomes obsolete at an ever-increasing rate, we were proud to be among the few practice expenses NOT growing in 2016. LawPRO… Read More »
Categories: 2017 May - 2016 Annual Review, Articles, Errors & Omissions, Year in ReviewAnswering your complex coverage questions
LawPRO’s Underwriting & Customer Service (UCS) Department handles applications and renewals for the primary professional indemnity insurance program, which provided coverage to over 26,000 lawyers in 2016. New accounts are established as lawyers are first licensed, existing accounts are amended as lawyers change practice setting or type, and all accounts are renewed each fall. For… Read More »
Categories: 2017 May - 2016 Annual Review, Articles, Errors & OmissionsRepairing errors to head off claims
Timely efforts by LawPRO to “repair” errors committed by lawyers save the Ontario bar millions of dollars every year. To preserve these repair opportunities, lawyers should contact us as soon as it becomes clear that a mistake may have been made on a file. LawPRO successfully argues for rectification of a will provision A multi-million… Read More »
Categories: 2017 May - 2016 Annual Review, Articles, Civil Litigation, Errors & Omissions, Wills & Estates, Year in ReviewStanding up for lawyers
The great majority of claims reported to LawPRO are either abandoned, settled, or resolved through mediation or arbitration. But if we hope to preserve reasonable and fair limits on the scope of lawyers’ responsibilities, we must occasionally go to court. Our litigation track record is proof of our sound judgment about when to go to… Read More »
Categories: 2017 May - 2016 Annual Review, Articles, Year in Review