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10 June 2020 / John Gould
Issue: 7890 / Categories: Opinion , Profession
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Doing the right thing in strange times

As we begin to adapt to the new normal, John Gould asks whether it’s time to adopt a new approach to ethics

It’s easy in prosperous times to do the right thing, but it’s a lot harder when the financial pressure is on. Character is barely tested when behaving properly is easy, but most people have a moral breaking point if the circumstances are extreme. No two people are likely to feel pressure in exactly the same way and intolerable pressure for one may be an exciting challenge for another.

The epidemic is changing the rules of behaviour in ways which are as yet uncertain. For law firms, the larger the economic threat, the more their values and beliefs will be tested. The foundations of well-worn expressions of people priorities may begin to crumble. For some who have enjoyed a benign prosperity, a new and unfamiliar balance may have to be struck between their money and their values. It may be that there is a gap between the lowest acceptable standards

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

DAC Beachcroft—Clare Dewar

DAC Beachcroft—Clare Dewar

DAC Beachcroft strengthens Scottish real estate capabilitywith partner appointment

Womble Bond Dickinson—Brendan Ryan

Womble Bond Dickinson—Brendan Ryan

Womble Bond Dickinson appoints Brendan Ryan as partner in Public Law Projects team

Parklane Plowden Chambers—five appointments

Parklane Plowden Chambers—five appointments

Parklane Plowden Chambers welcomes five new barristers

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