Lawyers Must Navigate Client Privacy Before Suits See Public Eye

Lawyers would be wise to lay out the potential for bad publicity when clients embark on a lawsuit, despite the lack of formal ethical or legal obligations to inform prospective plaintiffs of privacy concerns, attorneys say.

The defamation case involving actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard has transfixed viewers and spotlighted the possible pitfalls associated with bringing suit, said Pat Lundvall, a partner at McDonald Carano LLP in Las Vegas and Reno, Nev. Whether celebrities or not, clients need to be made aware of the impact a case might have on their life and livelihood.

“It’s within the scope ...