Conflict of Interest
Definition
A genuine or perceived incompatibility between two competing interests, which generally arises when a person's primary interest is unduly influenced by a secondary interest (for example, a conflict between a person's employment duties and the person's personal financial interests). The main types of conflict of interest are familial/intimate relationships, financial, and confidential information. In the legal-ethics context, in the event of a conflict between the interests of two of a lawyer's clients—including former clients—the lawyer cannot represent one client in a matter that could be adverse to the other client's interests without the prior, informed consent of both clients.