Thank you for visiting our Legal Notices page. The terms below apply to all visitors to our website, except the New York Statement of Client’s Rights and Responsibilities only applicable to those in the State of New York.
Our Privacy Policy is found on a separate page, with two privacy notices:
- If you are visiting us from outside the European Union or U.K., please read the ‘Privacy Notice (non-EU/ EEA)’.
- If you are in the European Union or U.K., please read the ‘Privacy Notice (GDPR)’.
No Legal Advice
The materials made available in this website are provided for informational purposes only. They do not constitute legal advice. Though we update the content of the website periodically, some of the information may be outdated. No recipient of this website is authorized to treat any of the information or material contained herein as legal advice. No recipient should respond, act, or delay action on the basis of any content included in this site without first seeking the advice of an attorney qualified in the relevant subject matter and jurisdiction. McAllister Olivarius expressly disclaims all liability with respect to actions taken in reliance on any content of this website.
No Attorney-Client Relationship
Access to or use of this website is not intended to, and does not, constitute or create an attorney-client relationship with McAllister Olivarius. We are under no obligation to keep confidential any communication received through this website, and such communication will not invoke any attorney client privilege.
Further, any communication made through this website cannot be guaranteed to be securely transmitted and the Firm expressly disclaims all responsibility for the loss of confidentiality of any information so delivered. Confidential information should not be communicated to us through this website.
Attorney Advertising
We intend to fully comply with all legal and ethical requirements related to this website. McAllister Olivarius does not seek to be engaged by any individual or business entity which communicates with us as a result of this website and is from a jurisdiction where the website fails to comply with all laws and ethical rules of that jurisdiction. This website may contain attorney advertising pursuant to the laws of certain jurisdictions. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Regulatory Matters
McAllister Olivarius is a general partnership. In the U.K., McAllister Olivarius operates as a multi-national partnership in which our partners are solicitors or registered foreign lawyers. In the U.K., the Firm, with registered number 498087, is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. All solicitors and registered foreign lawyers are subject to the Standards and Regulations of the Solicitors Regulation Authority which can be accessed at https://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/standards-regulations/. The Law Society is a designated professional body for the purposes of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 but responsibility for regulation and complaints handling has been separated from the Law Society’s representative functions. The Solicitors Regulation Authority is the independent regulatory body of the Law Society and the Legal Ombudsman is the independent complaints handling body.
McAllister Olivarius is registered for VAT purposes with VAT registration number 8726844 84.
We also do business as a U.S. general partnership regulated by the courts and licensing authorities of the States in the United States in which our attorneys are licensed.
Jurisdictional Issues
McAllister Olivarius engages in client matters in a number of locations, and no individual attorney is admitted to practice in all the locations where the Firm does business. Reference is made to the individual attorney biographies on this website which indicate the particular jurisdictions in which individual attorneys are licensed to practice. If the rules in the relevant jurisdiction require us to designate a principal office and/or an attorney responsible for the website, the Firm designates its office in New York as its principal office and designates Dr. Ann Olivarius (licensed in New York, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Virginia,District of Columbia and Idaho and a registered solicitor in England and Wales) and Dr. Jef McAllister (licensed in New York and Connecticut and a Registered Foreign Lawyer in England and Wales) as the attorneys responsible for the website.
Circular 230 Disclosure: Pursuant to U.S. Treasury Department regulations, we are required to advise you that, unless otherwise expressly indicated, any federal tax advice contained in this website is not intended or written to be used, and may not be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding tax-related penalties under the Internal Revenue Code, or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any tax-related matters addressed herein.
Miscellaneous
The Firm does not endorse, and is not responsible for, any third-party content that may be included in this website.
This website may include images containing individuals who are not attorneys and/or employees of McAllister Olivarius. Depictions of events are dramatizations only.
Statement of Client’s Rights and Responsibilities
(State of New York)
Statement of Client’s Rights
- You are entitled to be treated with courtesy and consideration at all times by your lawyer and the other lawyers and nonlawyer personnel in your lawyer’s office.
- You are entitled to have your attorney handle your legal matter competently and diligently, in accordance with the highest standards of the profession. If you are not satisfied with how your matter is being handled, you have the right to discharge your attorney and terminate the attorney-client relationship at any time. (Court approval may be required in some matters, and your attorney may have a claim against you for the value of services rendered to you up to the point of discharge.)
- You are entitled to your lawyer’s independent professional judgment and undivided loyalty uncompromised by conflicts of interest.
- You are entitled to be charged reasonable fees and expenses and to have your lawyer explain before or within a reasonable time after commencement of the representation how the fees and expenses will be computed and the manner and frequency of billing. You are entitled to request and receive a written itemized bill from your attorney at reasonable intervals. You may refuse to enter into any arrangement for fees and expenses that you find unsatisfactory. In the event of a fee dispute, you may have the right to seek arbitration; your attorney will provide you with the necessary information regarding arbitration in the event of a fee dispute, or upon your request.
- You are entitled to have your questions and concerns addressed promptly and to receive a prompt reply to your letters, telephone calls, emails, faxes, and other communications.
- You are entitled to be kept reasonably informed as to the status of your matter and are entitled to have your attorney promptly comply with your reasonable requests for information, including your requests for copies of papers relevant to the matter. You are entitled to sufficient information to allow you to participate meaningfully in the development of your matter and make informed decisions regarding the representation.
- You are entitled to have your legitimate objectives respected by your attorney. In particular, the decision of whether to settle your matter is yours and not your lawyer’s. (Court approval of a settlement is required in some matters.)
- You have the right to privacy in your communications with your lawyer and to have your confidential information preserved by your lawyer to the extent required by law.
- You are entitled to have your attorney conduct himself or herself ethically in accordance with the New York Rules of Professional Conduct.
- You may not be refused representation on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin or disability.
Statement of Client’s Responsibilities
Reciprocal trust, courtesy and respect are the hallmarks of the attorney-client relationship. Within that relationship, the client looks to the attorney for expertise, education, sound judgment, protection, advocacy and representation. These expectations can be achieved only if the client fulfills the following responsibilities:
- The client is expected to treat the lawyer and the lawyer’s staff with courtesy and consideration.
- The client’s relationship with the lawyer must be one of complete candor and the lawyer must be apprised of all facts or circumstances of the matter being handled by the lawyer even if the client believes that those facts may be detrimental to the client’s cause or unflattering to the client.
- The client must honor the fee arrangement as agreed to with the lawyer, in accordance with law.
- All bills for services rendered which are tendered to the client pursuant to the agreed upon fee arrangement should be paid promptly.
- The client may withdraw from the attorney-client relationship, subject to financial commitments under the agreed to fee arrangement, and, in certain circumstances, subject to court approval.
- Although the client should expect that his or her correspondence, telephone calls and other communications will be answered within a reasonable time frame, the client should recognize that the lawyer has other clients equally demanding of the lawyer’s time and attention.
- The client should maintain contact with the lawyer, promptly notify the lawyer of any change in telephone number or address and respond promptly to a request by the lawyer for information and cooperation.
- The client must realize that the lawyer need respect only legitimate objectives of the client and that the lawyer will not advocate or propose positions which are unprofessional or contrary to law or the Lawyer’s Code of Professional Responsibility.
- The lawyer may be unable to accept a case if the lawyer has previous professional commitments which will result in inadequate time being available for the proper representation of a new client.
- A lawyer is under no obligation to accept a client if the lawyer determines that the cause of the client is without merit, a conflict of interest would exist or that a suitable working relationship with the client is not likely.