A medical malpractice lawsuit can threaten to derail your career, leaving your reputation tarnished. If you want to avoid that outcome, then you need to develop a strong defense strategy. One key aspect of your defense is how you utilize and attack expert witness testimony. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at how Alaska’s courts determine the admissibility of expert testimony in medical malpractice cases. The Daubert standard in Alaska’s medical malpractice cases When it comes to testimony that relies on scientific principles, a court will analyze several factors to determine if it ..read more

Being an attorney is a difficult, stressful job. You made a mistake that caused you to be disbarred. However, does this prevent you from practicing law in Alaska forever? Bar reinstatement in Alaska If you have been disbarred in Alaska, you cannot continue to practice law unless you are reinstated by the court. To be reinstated, first you must file a petition with the court. In the petition, you should state that you met the terms and conditions of your disbarment. You must provide the names and addresses of anyone you have been employed with since disbarment, as well as provide a description ..read more

In one sense, medical malpractice is a deeply personal subject, involving a patient’s health and the care they receive from medical professionals. In another sense, it’s a politically and legally charged subject that attracts a great deal of attention of state legislators, lobbyists and judges. In a recent case, the Alaska Supreme Court threw out some of our state’s limits on medical malpractice awards. The case involved a woman who says she was injured due to medical malpractice during surgery on her gallbladder. She won in her lawsuit seeking compensation for her damages, but her award was r ..read more

When we talk about ethics violations among lawyers, we often talk about fraud and other intentional misconduct. It’s important to remember that some types of ethics violations are not intentional. For instance, it’s relatively common for a well-meaning attorney to become overloaded with work and fail to provide a client with the proper amount of time their case deserves. In some cases, this type of oversight can prompt an ethics complaint. Technological mistakes Likewise, an otherwise competent and caring lawyer can sometimes make a serious mistake that arises from a failure to understand some ..read more

As an employer, there are a lot of laws and regulations that you have to abide by. If you don’t, then you could end up facing fines and lawsuits filed by your employees and former employees. You certainly want to avoid those outcomes, which is why it’s imperative that you know the basics of employments law and how it applies to you and your business. One area that often creates confusion for employers is meal and rest breaks. Are you required to provide them? Alaska’s laws on meal and rest breaks The laws pertaining to rest and meal breaks depend on a number of factors. For example, if you emp ..read more

In Alaska, attorneys work hard to get their law degree. Part of becoming an attorney and maintaining good standing to retain a law license is understanding ethical concepts like attorney-client privilege. People who hire an attorney might think they know the law regarding this requirement from hearing about and reading about it. If they have a problem in their case or think the attorney did something wrong, they might claim that an attorney violated it. When there are accusations of type of violation, even attorneys need to have professional help to defend themselves and fight the case. Key po ..read more

There’s a lot of money on the line with any real estate transaction in Alaska. When anything goes wrong with a real estate deal, various parties will start looking for someone to blame, and hopefully to win back some of the money they lost. Sometimes this means one party will file an ethics complaint against a real estate professional. This is very costly, and can ultimately ruin a professional’s career, Realtor ethics The National Association of Realtors is one of the nation’s largest groups of real estate professionals and claims to have one of the nation’s oldest professional codes of ethic ..read more

Nobody wants to be sued. And if you’re a medical professional, you know that mere allegations of wrongdoing can negatively impact your reputation and your practice. That means a medical malpractice claim made against you can have long-lasting implications for your career and your financial well-being. But as you navigate such a case, you might be left wondering if it’s worth it to take your case to trial. After all, there’s a lot at stake, and resolving your case through negotiation may be one way to reduce publicity, costs and stress. But you also don’t want to pay a former patient if you can ..read more

The word equity is heard a lot in today’s world. As an employer, you have probably heard about the importance of having an equitable working environment. Equity in your workplace is important for many different reasons. It not only results in happier and more productive employees but it decreases your risk of a lawsuit based on claims of discrimination or wage and hour disputes. Equity v. equality Most people think equity is the same as equality, but this is not true. Equality is treating everyone the same, no matter what. Equity involves creating a workplace environment that allows everyone t ..read more

As an employer in Alaska, you want to make sure that you have the best staff possible to meet your company’s goals. Terminating employees that do not meet these criteria may be essential to ensuring the success of your business. Getting fired from a job can be devastating to an employee, both financially and emotionally. As a result, they may take their sadness and frustration out on your company by filing a wrongful termination claim against you. However, just because an employee does not agree with the termination does not mean it was illegal in any way. Preventing wrongful termination There ..read more