What must attorneys avoid to prevent conflict of interest?

To prevent conflicts of interest, attorneys must be particularly cautious about representing clients with incompatible interests. This requirement is fundamental to maintaining a lawyer's duty of loyalty to each client and ensuring that the attorney can provide undivided loyalty and independent judgment.

When clients have contradictory interests—such as opposing legal positions or differing objectives within the same matter—the attorney may struggle to advocate for both clients effectively. This situation could lead to divided loyalties, where the attorney might inadvertently favor one client over another or fail to provide adequate representation to either party. This type of conflict can damage the attorney-client relationship and undermine the legal process.

While representing multiple clients can sometimes lead to conflicts, it depends significantly on whether their interests align or diverge. Attorneys often represent multiple clients as long as they manage the representation properly and ensure there are no conflicting interests. Similarly, merely taking on clients from the same industry is not inherently a conflict unless their interests are conflicting. Discussing cases with outside parties can also raise concerns about confidentiality, but it is not a direct cause of conflicting interests in terms of representation.

Thus, focusing on the incompatibility of interests is crucial for attorneys seeking to navigate their ethical obligations effectively.