Question

The Times article notes that three days after the ACP awarded a $158 million contract to the Spanish firm that manufactures the tugboats, the son of the canal administrator joined the law firm representing the tug- boat manufacturer. Discuss whether such a relation- ship presents any potential conflicts of interest.

Answer 1

This would indeed present a conflict of interest. A conflict of interest occurs when a person or an organization is involved in various commitments, obligations or tasks, and where serving one interest could involve working against the other. In this case, the law firm that represents the tug boat manufacturer has as its goal the maintenance of objectivity and the pursuit of justice. However, if the son of the canal administrator joins the firm, this could be put at jeopardy, as he would have a vested interest in a particular outcome.