Program Details
2026-05-08 13:00:00
Over 1,000+ webinars
Course Overview
2026-05-08 13:00:00
1h CLE Credits
Intermediate
1
1:00 pm - 1:05 pm ESTExplores conflicts between ethical rules governing lawyers practicing across jurisdictions, focusing on how differing professional standards create uncertainty, risk, and strategic challenges, requiring careful navigation to maintain compliance, protect clients, and avoid disciplinary exposure in cross-border representations in modern practice.
Francesca Giannoni-Crystal 1:05 pm - 1:15 pm ESTExamines the concept of “double deontology” where lawyers face simultaneous duties under multiple ethical systems, exposing them to inconsistent obligations and potential liability, and highlighting the tension between competing professional standards in transnational legal practice contexts and global enforcement environments.
Francesca Giannoni-Crystal 1:15 pm - 1:25 pm ESTAnalyzes the “inequality of arms” that arises when opposing counsel operate under different ethical constraints, affecting litigation strategy, fairness, and advocacy limits, and raising concerns about procedural balance and the integrity of adversarial proceedings across jurisdictions in cross border settings.
Francesca Giannoni-Crystal 1:25 pm - 1:35 pm ESTAddresses divergences in key areas including witness preparation, client communications and confidentiality, and relations among counsel, illustrating how varying ethical rules shape permissible conduct, strategic choices, and professional responsibilities in cross-border disputes and multi-jurisdictional representations in complex international practice environments.
Francesca Giannoni-Crystal 1:35 pm - 1:45 pm ESTExplores approaches to determining applicable ethical rules, including home-state and host-state frameworks, as well as conflict-of-law analyses under Model Rule 8.5, emphasizing practical considerations for resolving uncertainty and managing cross-border professional responsibility issues effectively in diverse legal systems and contexts.
Francesca Giannoni-Crystal 1:45 pm - 1:55 pm ESTUses international arbitration as a case study, examining how ethical conflicts play out in practice within a transnational forum, where differing rules and expectations intersect, creating challenges for counsel navigating procedural fairness and professional obligations across jurisdictions and arbitral frameworks.
Francesca Giannoni-Crystal 1:55 pm - 2:00 pm ESTIntroduces the contractarian approach, which allows parties and tribunals to define applicable ethical standards by agreement, and examines its practical implications for predictability, party autonomy, and harmonization of professional conduct in international legal proceedings while addressing enforceability concerns and limitations.
Francesca Giannoni-CrystalFrancesca Giannoni-Crystal is a dually qualified U.S. and Italian attorney whose practice bridges Civil Law and Common Law systems, with over two decades of experience advising multinational corporations, law firms, and financial institutions. She focuses on cross-border ethics, international professional responsibility, and multijurisdictional practice issues, often serving as a “lawyer for lawyers” on complex matters involving conflicts of interest, privilege, and professional-conduct compliance. As co-founder of Crystal & Giannoni-Crystal, LLC, she provides guidance on navigating overlapping legal regimes, particularly in international transactions and cross-border representation. She also contributes to advancing education in this field through her work with Technethics, an initiative dedicated to ethics, technology, and global legal compliance.
Francesca Giannoni-Crystal is a dually qualified U.S. and Italian attorney whose practice bridges Civil Law and Common Law systems, with over two decades of experience advising multinational corporations, law firms, and financial institutions. She focuses on cross-border ethics, international professional responsibility, and multijurisdictional practice issues, often serving as a “lawyer for lawyers” on complex matters involving conflicts of interest, privilege, and professional-conduct compliance. As co-founder of Crystal & Giannoni-Crystal, LLC, she provides guidance on navigating overlapping legal regimes, particularly in international transactions and cross-border representation. She also contributes to advancing education in this field through her work with Technethics, an initiative dedicated to ethics, technology, and global legal compliance.
Requirements
The Alabama State Bar MCLE Commission requires attorneys to complete 12 credits, including 1 ethics, by December 31 of each year. All credits must be reported by February 15 of the following year. A maximum of 12 credits, including 1 ethics credit, may be carried over for 1 year only.
Formats
