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Advertising and Solicitation to Attorney-Client Relationship



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Advertising and Solicitation
Associations, Foundations and Unions
Attorney-Client Relationship


Advertising and Solicitation

Accepting
    Employment from class members contacted to obtain joinder 71-22
    Employment from heir hunting service     77-8, 97-3
    Employment from tax advisory company to represent taxpayers seeking tax reductions     64-29
ACLU not provider of group legal services 70-48
Ad in newspaper urging support of equal rights amendment 75-15
After representing husband, advising wife she has newly created cause of action for same matter 71-46
Announcements
    Areas of practice listed 88-9
    Availability to consult or associate on certain cases     70-59, 70-61
    Change of firm name     67-8
    Departure from law firm     93-4
    Former positions listed     88-9
    Leaving military service     70-59
    Merger with another firm     67-35
    Nonlegal degrees listed     88-9
    Opening of office     67-35
Areas of practice listed 88-9
Associate notifying clients of departure from law firm 93-4
Association urging members to employ particular lawyer for litigation 74-25
Barter exchange membership 84-2
Books
    Biographical sketch in CLE manuals 64-30
    Publicity     71-61
Brochures
    Describing lawyer referral service distributed in hospitals 75-30
    Published by The Florida Bar provided by law firm to bank for distribution     64-32
Business cards left with bank officer for referrals 62-69
Candidate-attorney passing out cards 63-35
Chat rooms A-00-1 (Revised)
Checks identifying lawyer as attorney at law 65-14
Contacting prospective clients when friend of lawyer asks lawyer to prepare wills for him and colleagues 65-20
Corporate director's law firm identified in annual report 75-11
Degrees listed 88-2, 88-9
Donation of legal service for auction by charity 86-9
Dual professions 78-14, 79-3, 88-15, 94-6, 02-8
Educational programs open to public 67-42
Endorsement of political candidate by lawyer 62-45
Faculty members listing J.D.'s in university publication 69-5
Former judge's use of title "judge" A-09-1
Former positions 88-9
Generally 88-9
Heir hunting, referrals from 77-8, 97-3
Informational newsletters A-99-1
Internet chat rooms & bulletin boards A-00-1 (Revised)
"Jesus is Lord" included in advertisement 82-1
"Juris Doctor" used in ad 88-2
Law firm establishing so-called hotline to make referrals only to that firm 88-13
Lawyer who issues title insurance policies advising purchasers of real estate that the owner's coverage is available 69-25
Marketing director, permissible activities 89-4
Mediation practice 94-6
Minister/attorney displaying ordination certificate in office 69-38
Misrepresentation 88-13
Newsletters A-99-1
Newspaper columns and articles 61-40, 62-14, 64-79, 70-30, 71-31, 75-16
Nonlawyer employees, solicitations by 89-4
Nonlegal degrees 88-9
Notary public/lawyer advertising self as "notario" 73-37
Notification to clients when attorney leaves law firm 69-1, 93-4
Notification to testators of changes in law or circumstances affecting wills 64-60, 64-61
Obsolete opinions withdrawn 86-7
Postage meter bearing slogan 68-1
"Practice limited to" used in ads and announcements 88-9
Prospective clients, newsletters sent to A-99-1
Referral service making referrals to single law firm 88-13
Referrals from Requesting that title insurance company permit attorney to examine its work product for a fee 75-27
Second opinions, lawyer should not solicit the person seeking opinion 02-5
Seminars for nonlawyers 62-20, 67-48
Serving as corporate director and permitting identification of law firm in corporate reports 75-11
Signs
    Indicating lawyer is also real estate broker 79-3
    On office door, indicating member of firm is legislator     68-29
    Outdoors     78-13
Solicitation and referrals by
    Heir-hunting service 77-8
    Public adjusters     92-3
    Securities arbitration company     95-2
Specialization advertised 88-9
Store-front referral schemes 88-13
Teaching college course and accepting employment by association of which student is a member 75-10
Television programs 62-52, 64-9
Types of information allowed 88-9
Yellow Pages
    Generally 76-6, 78-10
    Listing under both patent lawyer and attorney headings     69-8
    Listings in multiple counties for members of firm having offices in multiple counties     76-6
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Associations, Foundations and Unions

ACLU not provider of group legal services 70-48
Assistant city attorney representing interests of employee union before city officials 64-57
Association urging members to employ particular lawyer for litigation 74-25
Foundation's attorney preparing wills for constituents and guests of foundation as part of duties 61-26
Government lawyer joining employee union 64-57, 77-15, 77-15 BOG
Labor union's attorney representing individual members of union 67-23
Lawyer who represented cooperative later representing member attacking bylaws change 68-16
Organizing association of bank attorneys 63-32
Practicing attorney employed as executive director of association 71-4
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Attorney-Client Relationship

Accepting employment by real estate broker to prepare deed with no contact with either party to real estate transaction 67-14
Agreement to pay fees and costs assessed to client 96-3
Agreement to unconditionally be responsible for client's litigation costs 96-1
Allowing client to send out form letters on law firm's letterhead 70-27, 71-23, 75-4
Assistant state attorney advising crime victims of existence of civil restitution lien does not necessarily trigger 94-2
Assisting client in illegal conduct 73-32
Bank's attorney permitting lay representative of bank to conduct deposition of judgment debtor 67-27
Breach of fee agreement by client 88-1, 90-2, 95-3
Client's right to choose attorney 66-39, 69-1, 70-18,93-4, 95-2
Client's rights, statement of, in contingent fee cases 88-10
Commencement of representation, when deemed to occur 78-4, 90-4, 02-3, 02-5
Consent of client necessary for representation by certified intern 80-6
Court-appointed defense attorney's duty when appeal seems frivolous 81-9
Creditors of client
    Advised by attorney that he holds funds due client 60-34
    Interpleader action instituted by lawyer when client withdraws authorization to pay medical bills     67-36, 02-4
Drafting legal document for client when uncertain as to legality 76-35
Duty to Entry of judgment not presumed to dissolve relationship 77-5
Funding companies, advice to client 00-3
Indemnifying bond company for losses client fails to reimburse 70-8
Initial interviews conducted by nonlawyer assistant 88-6
Insurance - See Insurance Cases
Internet
    Internet bulletin boards & chat rooms A-00-1 (Revised)
    Provision of legal services     00-4
Lawyer defending self against charge of incompetence or misconduct 70-40, 71-60
Mentally disabled client 73-25, 85-4
Necessity of direct relationship 61-1, 67-14, 67-15, 95-2
Notarizing client's execution of pleadings 67-19
Notice of worthless check sent on behalf of client 85-3
Notification when attorney leaves firm 69-1, 93-4
Opposing party contacted for information about counsel's conduct 88-4
Permitting nonlawyer representative of client to take judgment debtor's deposition 67-27
Pleadings prepared but not signed by lawyer 79-7, 79-7Rec
Privilege, decision to assert 65-7, 70-40, 74-7, 92-5, 93-3
Prospective client 07-3, 02-3
Referral fee paid to attorney by business to which client is referred 60-26, 63-14, 67-25, 70-13, 02-8
Referring clients to business in which lawyer has interest 72-26, 73-1, 02-8
Relationship not automatically terminated by entry of judgment 65-3, 77-5
Reporting delinquent former client to credit reporting service 90-2
Representation, when deemed to commence 78-4, 90-4,02-3
Representing
    Client who has discharged prior attorney where client has fee contract with prior attorney 70-18
    Client's business competitor despite client's objections     68-10
    Clients in controversy involving dispute with their previous lawyer     66-39
    Clients solicited by lay company or persons     77-8, 92-3, 95-2, 97-3
Second opinions 02-5
Signing affidavits for clients on formal or procedural matters 64-36
Statement of client rights 88-10
Subordinating right to enforce fee award to needs of client 65-8, 88-1
Suing client to recover fee 61-33, 84-4, 88-1
Wills
    Memorandum concerning effects of changed circumstances 64-60
    Notification regarding changes in law     64-61
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[Revised: 08-24-2011]