Avoiding Conflicts With A Joint Defense Member Who Flips

December 13, 2023  |  New York Law Journal

Joint defense agreements often are among a criminal defense lawyer’s most valuable tools. One recurrent question is whether to take the trouble to put such agreements in writing. A recent decision in the Southern District of Florida, United States v. Vuteff, which disqualified a lawyer whose former client was in an oral joint defense agreement with an individual who later “flipped,” illustrates a benefit of utilizing a properly tailored written joint defense agreement. In their latest article for the New York Law Journal, “Avoiding Conflicts with a Joint Defense Member Who Flips,” Robert J. Anello and Richard F. Albert examine the legal basis for how conflicts can arise from joint defense agreements and steps counsel can take to avoid them. 

Avoiding Conflicts With A Joint Defense Member Who Flips (pdf | 129.80 KB)