Arthur J Ciampi

January 26, 2007 | New York Law Journal

Arthur J. Ciampi, the managing member of Ciampi LLC, writes that, whatever the reason, the first quarter of a new year is often departure time for law firm partners, and while departures often result in disputes, most of these disputes are resolved short of litigation or arbitration. In those cases, the parties should and often do negotiate and execute comprehensive departure agreements.

By Arthur J. Ciampi

9 minute read

November 28, 2008 | New York Law Journal

Arthur J. Ciampi, managing member of Ciampi LLC, writes that the case law concerning law firms reported in 2008 does not reflect the financial turmoil of 2008 as the newly hatched and unfortunately inevitable controversies of 2008 have, as yet, not found their way to the courthouse. Nonetheless, this year's decisions of interest do present a broad array of cases which address many aspects of law firm life. These decisions include determinations concerning the personal liability of partners to one another in a limited liability partnership; the valuation of shareholder's interests in professional corporations; and the validity of restrictive covenants in agreements among lawyers.

By Arthur J. Ciampi

10 minute read

August 02, 2011 | New York Law Journal

Arthur J. Ciampi, managing member of Ciampi LLC, writes that recent studies indicate that about half of the large U.S. law firms continue to have mandatory retirement policies, but with some early planning, there are a number of ways of coping with these practices, including changing status, moving to another firm, or if all else fails, filing suit.

By Arthur J. Ciampi

10 minute read

July 28, 2006 | New York Law Journal

Arthur J. Ciampi, managing member of Ciampi LLC, writes: Being a contract partner isn't easy! You have the hassles of an employee combined with the responsibilities of a partner. Firm creditors try to hold you liable for partnership obligations and at the same time you're not entitled to a share of the firm's profits. You are between the proverbial "rock and a hard place," neither "fish nor fowl."

By Arthur J. Ciampi

11 minute read

September 26, 2008 | New York Law Journal

Arthur J. Ciampi, managing member of Ciampi LLC, writes that lawyers throughout New York City and the country are still quaking in reaction to last week's near-death experience of the U.S. financial markets. Will their clients survive? Will new federal regulations designed to make the markets more secure also curtail the ability to make and close future deals? There is certainly no pretty picture out there but, while Wall Street nonetheless painfully gets "bailed out," where does that leave the law firms?

By Arthur J. Ciampi

9 minute read

May 26, 2006 | New York Law Journal

Arthur J. Ciampi, managing member of Ciampi LLC, asks: You may be a partner at a New York law firm, but do you know what law governs your rights and obligations under your firm's partnership agreement? Somewhat surprisingly, he writes, many New York partnerships are governed by the law of another jurisdiction.

By Arthur J. Ciampi

13 minute read

July 24, 2009 | New York Law Journal

Arthur J. Ciampi, managing member of Ciampi LLC, writes that law firm partners, so careful to advise their clients to read every word, will blindly sign a law firm partnership agreement as soon as it's waved under their noses. "You can't change anything so why bother reading it," is their refrain. Then, years later, when disaster strikes and some dispute erupts at the firm, they scramble to find and read it. To their horror, they find they have somehow agreed to confidentially arbitrate all disputes in some distant land, applying rules they have never heard of, before people they simply do not know. So much for being careful....

By Arthur J. Ciampi

11 minute read

March 28, 2008 | New York Law Journal

Arthur J. Ciampi, managing member of Ciampi LLC, writes that tax time brings many a headache, but two headaches a law firm partner would be wise to avoid. First, make sure that you know and understand your Schedule K-1. Second, make sure that, if you disagree with your K-1, you report your objection to the firm or, if necessary, memorialize the inconsistency with the Form 8082.

By Arthur J. Ciampi

8 minute read

March 26, 2010 | New York Law Journal

Arthur J. Ciampi, managing member of Ciampi LLC, reviews the strategies, rights, and duties of law firm partners who seek to depart their current firms and retain their bonus distributions as well as the duties implicated by some law firm practices concerning payments owing to former partners.

By Arthur J. Ciampi

9 minute read

May 27, 2011 | New York Law Journal

In his Law Firm Partnership Law column, Arthur J. Ciampi of Ciampi LLC discusses Jacoby & Meyers' suit seeking to have Rule 5.4 adjudged unconstitutional, writing: As lawyers, our primary obligations are the interests of our clients. However beneficial the capital from investors may be, permitting a law firm to be owned and therefore controlled (even partially) by non-lawyers may erode that single-minded commitment to clients that our profession requires.

By Arthur J. Ciampi

9 minute read