Case Studies in Business and Management ISSN 2333-3324 2021, Vol. 8, No. 1 36 How Some Lawyers Prioritise Earnings and Not Necessarily the Best Interests of Their Clients Renier Steyn Graduate School of Business Leadership, University of South Africa PO Box 392, Unisa, 0003, South Africa Tel: 27-116-520-254 E-mail: steynr@unisa.ac.za Received: April 12, 2021 Accepted: May 3, 2021 Published: May 7, 2021 doi:10.5296/csbm.v8i1.18615 URL: https://doi.org/10.5296/csbm.v8i1.18615 Abstract This case deals with an employee seeking justice in a labour dispute and who ends up paying a small fortune in legal fees and still fails to find satisfaction. The case provides food for thought for human resource practitioners and particularly lawyers regarding under the circumstances when they should be ethically bound to advise disgruntled employees to cease pursuing a grievance that has little prospect of success. How and when should the human resource practitioner provide professional and independent advice, and when should the ethical (sic) lawyer refuse to approach the courts with a case containing insufficient merit? Keywords: Ethics, Labour disputes, Human resource practitioner, Legal representation, Constructive dismissal, Whistle blower 1. Introduction It is often alleged that money buys justice, and that the more money you spend, the better the quality of that justice will be. In South Africa, from the perspective of the ordinary citizen, this bias is even more relevant, given the fact that half of the population hovers on the breadline, thus leaving many people deprived of justice. When it comes to labour disputes, the regular employee is also at a disadvantage, if the case moves beyond the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA). Experience has shown that government departments and big corporate organisations are more than willing to use mighty legal teams to appeal rulings against them and to escalate grievances to higher courts. The aggrieved employee seldom has the means to endure the lengthy process, or to match their employer’s legal power. This is a David and Goliath