Click here for a full recap of the Inman Agent Reboot Social Media Conference.



Boston Globe reporter Jenifer McKim read my blog post, Four Toed Salamanders And SLAPP Suits, and decided that it would be a great topic to write about. Her superb article, How A Salamander Raised A Rights Issue, was published today, and I was fortunate enough to be quoted:

BOSTON, MA — As more lawyers create personal Facebook pages, the decision about whether to include clients as “friends” is just a click away.

Many younger, social media-loving lawyers advocate friending as many people as possible to grow your online presence. They see nothing wrong with including clients on a personal Facebook page.

Richard Vetstein, a real estate lawyer in Framingham, Mass., counts up to 30 of his clients as Facebook friends.

“Most of my clients I consider my friends. I don’t see a big issue with it,” said Vetstein.

But pre-GenX attorneys, some of whom may still be wondering when “friend” became a verb, are more cautious about mixing their professional and personal lives.

Traci Capistrant, a family law attorney at Capistrant & Wong in Minneapolis, Minn., declines friend requests from clients on her personal page.

“The reality is I don’t necessarily want them to see all my personal information, nor do I want to see theirs,” she said.

For lawyers like Capistrant, the networking benefits are outweighed by various ethical issues, including security and overly-personal interaction with others, such as opposing counsel.

A Florida ethics opinion recently advised judges to “de-friend” attorneys who appeared before them because it gave the appearance of bias.

Getting friendly…

Showing clients a glimpse of your personal life can make them more comfortable with you and expand your network to draw in potential new clients.

David Barrett, a practicing litigator in Boston who also coaches lawyers on using social media, encourages lawyers to use Facebook strictly as a networking tool.

Solos and small firms with few marketing dollars have used Facebook to level the playing field against larger competitors.

Vetstein, for example, has generated business from Facebook “friends”: one whose sister had a dispute over a purchase and sale agreement and another who became a client after striking up a conversation about the Boston Celtics.

However, just as you may cement your rapport with clients on Facebook by finding common interests, you may just as easily turn them off.

“On Facebook you are more likely to reveal your personal ideologies because of information-sharing, discussions or joining certain groups. It can ruffle a client’s feathers,” said Barrett.

Even if your clients overlook your political associations, they are less likely to forgive fraternizing with opposing counsel if they can see that you are “friends” with the other side’s attorney.

“If my client can see that I’m chummy with the other side, he or she may think, ‘Can you really be tough when you’re clearly buddies with the other attorney?’” said Capistrant.

One option is to categorize friends into those who can see your personal information and those who can’t.

Capistrant chose to use another method. She built a page for her firm in addition to her personal Facebook page so that she could keep clients separate from her family and friends.

“When a client tries to friend me on my personal page, I decline and then invite them to my firm page,” she said.

However, there are some downsides to creating a Facebook page for your firm.

Because Facebook prohibits duplicate pages for the same person, a lawyer who wants to have a business presence must create a separate entity page, which arguably defeats the purpose of showing your personal side.

You are also not able to connect with new people whom you do not already know, because you cannot invite friends to visit your business page through the Facebook platform; instead you must send an e-mail to invite someone to become a “fan.”

An advantage to having clients as Facebook friends is monitoring how they are using the site.

Barrett once noticed on Facebook that a client he was representing in a custody case was a member of a Bob Marley fan club that had a marijuana leaf as its logo.

“I’m like, ‘You [have to] take those off your Facebook page.’ It could have been used as evidence at least by giving the appearance of drug use. So clients can benefit [from friending their lawyers,] too,” said Barrett.

…But not too friendly

Even Facebook enthusiasts who friend their clients say they would never, ever communicate with clients through Facebook.

When Vetstein gets a message on Facebook from a client, he tells him or her to contact him through e-mail or by phone.

“I just don’t trust the security,” said Vetstein.

Weak security is just one risk. In addition, Facebook communications are not your property and arguably no longer privileged.

“You don’t own the platform. Facebook owns the content that’s on there. Do you want Facebook to own your attorney-client communications?” asked Gina Rubel, a former trial attorney and owner of Furia Rubel Communications, which advises lawyers on public relations.

Lawyers should also be careful about the content they post to their Facebook page.

For example, publishing a big win in a case violates some state ethics rules, because clients who see the posting can be misled into thinking that a win implies future performance, Rubel noted.

Another thing that could mislead a client straight to the ethics board is if he sees his lawyer spending more time on Facebook than on his case.

“You can see when other friends are on Facebook, so if you have clients who feel you’re not attending to their matters quickly enough … it would hurt your argument that you don’t have time for their legal case,” said Barrett.

Although there is an option to appear “offline,” many lawyers are not paying attention to their settings, said Barrett, who should know, as his 3,500 Facebook friends include about 3,200 lawyers.

Lawyers may also not be aware that certain games on Facebook, like the popular Mafia Wars and Farmville, make automatic postings on your wall and in your news feed.

For a lawyer trying to maintain a professional image, it can look ridiculous to ask friends to join your Mafia group or to announce that you’ve completed some advanced level on Farmville, said Barrett.

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., Nov. 27 (PRNewswire) — Only four months old, the Massachusetts Real Estate Law Blog created by Metrowest Massachusetts real estate attorney Richard D. Vetstein has quickly become the highest ranking legal blog in Massachusetts according to Avvo.com and Alexa.com rankings. The blog has proven very popular to home buyers, sellers, consumers, realtors and lenders due to its easy to read articles on timely topics affecting Massachusetts and national real estate law.

Attorney Richard D. Vetstein, a Framingham, Massachusetts based real estate lawyer and founder of the Vetstein Law Group, P.C., set out to launch the first ever legal blog dedicated solely to Massachusetts real estate law. Through the blog, Attorney Vetstein offers timely legal commentary, updates and checklists to help consumers navigate the intricacies of Massachusetts real estate law. Recent popular posts include:

Much thanks to all of our readers!

Richard D. Vetstein

Much thanks to all of our readers!

Richard D. Vetstein

With Over 600 Facebook Fans, The Vetstein Law Group Is A Facebook Marketing Leader

Massachusetts Suburban Law Firm Featured For Its Successful Use Of Web 2.0 Social Media Site

FRAMINGHAM, MA, September 8, 2009/PR Newswire/- The Vetstein Law Group, P.C. of Framingham, Massachusetts maybe small in stature, but with the help of Facebook, the firm has recruited one of the largest law firm Facebook followings in the United States, with over 600 subscribing fans on its Facebook Fan page. With a following that large, the leading law firm marketing site, JD Supra, recently featured the firm for its successful Facebook marketing campaign. The firm’s Facebook Fan page can be found at http://www.facebook.com/vetsteinlawgroup.

The Vetstein Law Group’s successful use of Facebook for business development and marketing follows a greater trend of attorneys using the leading Web 2.0 site as a key component to their social media marketing strategies. “Facebook has been a wonderfully cost effective tool for a small law firm such as mine to build a brand, attract new clients and referral sources, and stay in touch with existing clients and referral sources,” said Richard D. Vetstein, the Founding Partner of the Vetstein Law Group, P.C. “I’ve been using Facebook personally for years and when I formed my new firm and started the Massachusetts Real Estate Law Blog, I found that a Facebook Fan Page could enable my firm to build an even greater following and attract more business,” commented Mr. Vetstein.

“I use the Facebook Fan page a number of different ways – I feed my blog content into the Fan Page via RSS which helps immensely with search engine optimization (SEO). I post articles and other information on our Wall regarding hot topics in Massachusetts real estate law. And I network with “fans” who I don’t yet know,” said Richard Vetstein. “Facebook fits nicely into our overall Web 2.0 strategy with our blog and Twitter use, and of course, it doesn’t cost anything.”

The Vetstein Law Group also established a Facebook advertisement to promote the firm and the Fan Page. “The Facebook ad has been running for a short while, but it’s definitely driven traffic to our website. We’ll see if it results in any new business,” said Richard Vetstein.

About Richard D. Vetstein and the Vetstein Law Group, P.C.

The Vetstein Law Group, P.C. (http://vetsteinlawgroup.com) is a law firm based in Framingham, MA, practicing in business, real estate, construction, condominium, zoning, banking and financial services, employment, and personal injury law. The firm publishes the Massachusetts Real Estate Law Blog (http://massrealestatelawblog.com). Richard D. Vetstein, Esq. is a Massachusetts attorney and  contributing blogger on the Real Estate Now Blog of Boston.com.  (http://www.boston.com/realestate/news/blogs/renow/). He is a proponent of Web 2.0 technology for business development and marketing.

Richard D. Vetstein, Esq. and the Vetstein Law Group were recently profiled on JD Supra, a leading law firm marketing site, for its innovative and successful use of Facebook.  To view the article click on JD Supra Facebook Article. The Vetstein Law Group has over 550 fans on its Facebook Fan Site. Click below to become a Facebook Fan of the Vetstein Law Group!

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., Aug. 3 /PRNewswire/ — Joining the growing number of attorneys successfully blogging on the Internet, Attorney Richard D. Vetstein of the Vetstein Law Group, P.C. was recently selected as a contributing blogger for Boston.com’s Real Estate Now Blog (http://www.boston.com/realestate/news/blogs/renow/).

Richard D. Vetstein, the creator of the Massachusetts Real Estate Law Blog (http://massrealestatelawblog.com), will be blogging weekly for Boston.com about hot topics in Massachusetts real estate law, including landlord-tenant, home improvement contracts, buying and selling real estate, and condominiums. Mr. Vetstein’s selection as a legal blogger reflects a greater trend of attorneys using blogs as a key component to their business development and marketing efforts.

“I’m very excited to join the discussion on Boston.com and provide knowledgeable legal commentary about Boston’s other spectator sport-real estate,” said Richard Vetstein, Founding Partner of the Vetstein Law Group, P.C. “For attorneys, blogging is a win-win for businesses and the public. People get access to legal information (for free) and good lawyers further enhance their reputations and hone their writing and analytical skills. As an attorney, blogging is a natural extension of what most lawyers do very well–write, analyze, and explain complicated legal problems in plain English.”

The Real Estate Now Blog of Boston.com, the internet arm of the Boston Globe newspaper, provides daily commentary about the Massachusetts and Greater Boston real estate market. Popular categories include brokers, building and repairing, city living, investment and development, suburbs, legal issues, mortgages and rentals. The principal authors of the blog are Scott Van Voorhis, a free lance writer specializing in real estate and business, and Rona Fischman, a real estate buyer’s broker. The blog attracts frequent and lively comments from Boston.com readers on the real estate issue of the day.

Boston.com’s Real Estate Blog.

Richard Vetstein will be answering questions on timely topics affecting Massachusetts real estate law, including home improvement projects, condominiums, landlord-tenant issues, and more.  I am thrilled for the opportunity.  Stay tuned for more.

Richard D. Vetstein