I
have
previously
written
about
how
lawyers
should
be
respectful
to
adversaries
since
they
can
make
good
references
and
provide
other
advantages
to
practicing
attorneys. In
addition
to
these
benefits,
having
a
good
working
relationship
with
adversaries
can
make
it
easier
to
achieve
positive
results
for
clients.
In
some
instances,
adversaries
can
also
make
solid
referral
sources
for
lawyers,
but
attorneys
should
keep
a
few
things
in
mind
to
ensure
that
accepting
referrals
does
not
impact
an
ongoing
representation.
Earlier
in
my
career,
I
handled
a
very
heated
matter
with
an
adversary
that
needlessly
escalated
the
matter
at
every
turn. This
adversary
made
threats,
exaggerated
claims,
and
employed
other
tactics
that
were
not
pleasant
to
me
and
the
other
stakeholders
to
the
matter
we
handled. I
did
not
have
the
best
relationship
with
this
adversary. Although
I
try
to
maintain
solid
connections
with
adversaries
since
it
is
the
right
thing
to
do
and
can
make
my
job
easier,
the
escalations
undertaken
by
this
adversary
took
a
toll
on
our
working
relationship.
To
my
surprise,
toward
the
end
of
my
representation,
the
adversary
reached
out
to
me
and
inquired
if
I
knew
a
lawyer
in
a
different
jurisdiction
that
could
handle
a
given
matter. I
related
that
I
was
familiar
with
these
types
of
cases,
and
I
was
licensed
in
the
given
jurisdiction,
and
after
the
instant
matter
fully
concluded,
I
could
take
a
look
at
the
case
for
which
this
other
lawyer
needed
to
refer.
Once
the
prior
representation
ended,
I
researched
this
new
matter,
and
I
handled
that
matter
for
a
few
years. With
the
client’s
permission,
I
reported
updates
back
to
the
lawyer
who
referred
the
matter
to
me,
and
this
contact
definitely
improved
our
relationship. To
this
day,
years
later,
I
receive
holiday
emails
and
the
like
from
this
adversary,
and
I
would
definitely
consider
him
if
I
had
a
matter
in
his
area
of
expertise.
To
a
certain
extent,
it
makes
sense
that
adversaries
would
be
solid
referral
sources. Adversaries
know
the
abilities
and
temperament
of
lawyers
much
better
than
other
stakeholders
to
the
legal
profession,
since
they
can
evaluate
the
abilities
of
a
lawyer
as
it
relates
to
an
actual
representation. Also,
even
though
lawyers
usually
know
tons
of
other
attorneys,
lawyers
might
not
keep
in
regular
contact
with
other
practitioners,
so
adversaries
might
be
readily
available
attorneys
who
might
be
accessible
for
a
referral.
Of
course,
there
can
be
ethical
issues
with
accepting
referrals
from
an
adversary.
Perhaps
most
importantly,
a
lawyer
cannot
allow
a
referral
to
interfere
with
their
work
on
an
existing
representation. Lawyers
might
reasonably
believe
that
they
cannot
advance
a
client’s
interests
against
an
adversary
who
is
doing
them
a
favor
by
providing
a
referral. As
a
result,
it
is
best
to
wait
until
a
representation
ends
before
accepting
a
referral
from
an
adversary. In
a
best-case
scenario,
such
a
referral
from
an
adversary
would
come
months
or
years
after
the
representation
that
involved
the
adversary
concluded.
In
any
case,
lawyers
should
be
cognizant
that
attorneys
have
long
memories,
and
adversaries
might
remember
them
if
they
need
to
refer
a
matter
to
a
different
lawyer. This
is
yet
another
reason
why
lawyers
should
practice
in
a
civil
manner
and
should
attempt
to
maintain
connections
to
other
stakeholders
legal
matters.
Jordan
Rothman
is
a
partner
of The
Rothman
Law
Firm,
a
full-service
New
York
and
New
Jersey
law
firm.
He
is
also
the
founder
of Student
Debt
Diaries,
a
website
discussing
how
he
paid
off
his
student
loans.
You
can
reach
Jordan
through
email
at jordan@rothman.law.