Supreme Judicial Court Appoints Attorney Patrick Sharkey
to Standing Advisory Committee on the Rules of Professional Conduct

            The Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court recently announced the appointment of Attorney Patrick J. Sharkey of Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. to the Standing Advisory Committee on the Rules of Professional Conduct for a three-year term. The Justices also reappointed Attorney Henry C. Dinger of Goodwin Procter LLP, and Harvard Law School Professor Andrew L. Kaufman to the Committee.

            The Standing Advisory Committee on the Rules of Professional Conduct is responsible for reviewing the Massachusetts Rules of Professional Conduct and making recommendations to the Rules Committee of the Supreme Judicial Court. Before making its recommendations for rule changes, the Committee publishes its recommendations, invites public comment, and carefully reviews the comments received. The Committee is composed of the Commonwealth’s Bar Counsel, attorneys who work in a wide variety of settings and practice areas, and law professors with expertise in professional ethics.

            Mr. Sharkey, a trial attorney at Mintz Levin, concentrates on matters pertaining to the fiduciary duty of officers and directors, securities law issues, and representation of financial services professionals. He is the firm’s advisor on Ethics and Professional Responsibility matters, and is a long-term member of the Boston Bar Association Committee on Professional Ethics where he served as chair for several years. He is currently chairman of the Joint Bar Committee on Judicial Nominations. Mr. Sharkey holds a J.D. degree from Northeastern University and a B.S. degree from the University of Massachusetts.

            Mr. Dinger, a partner in the Litigation Department at Goodwin Procter LLP, practices primarily in the intellectual property area. He is chair of the law firm’s Ethics Advisory Committee and serves as the Risk Management Partner. He advises his colleagues and other firms regarding matters of professional conduct, conflict of interest statutes, and laws governing the conduct of lobbyists. He is past chair of the Standing Committee on the Rules of Professional Conduct. Mr. Dinger received his J.D. degree, magna cum laude, from Harvard University, his M.A. degree from Boston University, and his B.A. degree, summa cum laude, from Williams College.

            Professor Kaufman is Vice-Dean for Academic Programming at Harvard Law School. He began teaching at Harvard Law School in 1965, and was appointed professor of law in 1966. His research interests focus on professional ethics and constitutional law. Before holding his present administrative position, he served as associate dean from 1986 until 1989. A Charles Stebbins Fairchild Professor of Law, Professor Kaufman has written extensively on professional conduct issues. He is a graduate of Harvard University and Harvard Law School.

 

Members of the Standing Committee on the Rules of Professional Conduct:

John L. Whitlock, Esq. (Chair)

Henry C. Dinger, Esq.

Eric K. Higgins, Esq.

Mitchell H. Kaplan, Esq.

Professor Andrew L. Kaufman

Elizabeth Mulvey, Esq.

James B. Re, Esq.

Denise M. Regan, Esq.

Professor Constance Rudnick

Marilynne R. Ryan, Esq.

Patrick J. Sharkey, Esq.

Constance V. Vecchione, Esq.