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January 30th, 2014
Business Arrangements with Non-Legal Entities
In the current legal and economic climate, some lawyers are considering business arrangements with non-legal entities. A new ethics opinion by the Committee on Professional Ethics of the New York City Bar Association discusses important ethical issues raised by such business ventures. According to the opinion, lawyers should ask themselves several questions before entering into a relationship with a non-legal business, including:
- Does the arrangement constitute improper fee-splitting?
- Does the non-legal business entity engage in the unauthorized practice of law?
- Does the payment structure amount to payment of an impermissible referral fee?
The ABA/BNA Lawyers' Manual on Professional Conduct covered the development on page 1 of its current issue. We hope you find the article and the opinion helpful.
Nicole Hyland, a partner in the Frankfurt Kurnit Legal Ethics & Professional Responsibility Group, chairs the New York City Bar Association's Committee on Professional Ethics.
If you have any questions about business arrangements with non-legal businesses, or any other legal ethics matters, please contact Nicole Hyland at (212) 826 5552 or nhyland@fkks.com, Ron Minkoff at (212) 705 4837 or rminkoff@fkks.com or any other member of the Frankfurt Kurnit Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Group.
Other Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Alerts
For New York Lawyers: Recent Changes to the Biennial Reporting Requirements
New York recently made changes to its biennial reporting requirements. The notice linked here from the NYS Unified Court System explains those changes, which go into effect on Dec. 1, 2024. Here's a summary of what New York lawyers need to know. Read more.
November 21 2024
Third Annual Litigation Ethics Summit
On November 13, 2020, Frankfurt Kurnit held its Third Annual Litigation Ethics Summit, consisting of three hour-long panels, earning the attendees three ethics CLE credits in New York and California. Read more.
November 19 2020
A Primer On New York’s COVID-19 Executive Orders and What They Mean for Your Practice
This past week, New York has taken a number of steps to restrict movement in and around the State in an effort to contain the COVID-19 crisis. Governor Andrew Cuomo has issued executive orders and the chief judges of the state and federal courts have issued administrative orders that have had a sweeping impact on the legal industry as well as the business community at large. Read more.
March 22 2020
