Opinion 65-4
FLORIDA BAR ETHICS OPINION
OPINION 65-4
February 17, 1965
Advisory ethics opinions are not binding.
It would be improper for a lawyer to form a partnership with a nonlawyer for the purpose of
representing clients before certain state and federal agencies, notwithstanding that the other
person is authorized to practice before those agencies, unless the lawyer completely withdraws
from the practice of law and limits his activities to those that can be performed by nonlawyers.
Canons:
Opinions:
27, 33, 34
ABA 57, 225, 233, 234, 257, 269, 272, 297, 305
Chairman Smith stated the opinion of the committee:
A member of The Florida Bar inquires whether it would be ethically proper
for him to form a partnership with a person who is not a lawyer and is not
admitted to The Florida Bar for the purpose of practicing before the Interstate
Commerce Commission and the Florida Public Utilities Commission. The
proposed partner is a Class B practitioner, admitted to practice before both of the
agencies mentioned. He proposes to establish a partnership which would be
limited strictly to performing services as transportation consultants and to practice
before the regulatory bodies mentioned. The proposed partnership would in no
way engage in the general practice of law but the lawyer would continue to
practice law in a separate office located several miles from the office of the
proposed partnership.
He also inquires whether it would be proper for him and his proposed partner
to form a corporation, and act as the principals of that corporation, for the purpose
of preparing transportation tariffs, transportation reports and doing research
regarding transportation matters for attorneys who practice before both federal
and state agencies which regulate transportation. The staff would be neither
attorneys nor persons otherwise permitted to practice before the agencies
concerned. Also, the attorney asks whether it would be proper under such
circumstances for the corporation to solicit business from attorneys engaged in the
general practice of law and from attorneys who are admitted to practice before the
regulatory agencies. The letterhead of the corporation would carry only the
corporate name and there would be no reference to the fact that either of the
principals are attorneys or are persons admitted to practice before transportation
agencies.
It is the unanimous view of this Committee that it would be improper to form the
partnership mentioned above, and the Committee therefore answers the first inquiry in the
negative. Opinions 57, 225, 233, 234, 257, 269, 272, 297, and 305 of the Professional Ethics
Committee of the American Bar Association are pertinent to the inquiry. Especially pertinent are
ABA Opinions 257 and 269 where, in each instance, that Committee disapproved a partnership
between a lawyer and a layman admitted to practice before a federal regulatory agency. It was
the view of the American Bar Committee, and it is our view, that such partnerships are improper
unless the lawyer ceases entirely to offer his services as a lawyer and confines his activities
strictly to those opened to persons who are not admitted to practice law. Canons 33 and 34 are
involved.
Regarding the second inquiry, the Committee expresses some doubt as to whether it has
sufficient information to formulate a final judgment. The plan set forth in the second inquiry
supposedly might involve unauthorized practice of law, but this Committee has no jurisdiction
over such matters. Assuming unauthorized practice is not involved, and assuming further that the
lawyer member of the organization ceased the practice of law, there would be no ethical
objection to the plan. If, however, the lawyer member did not cease the practice of law the
arrangement could well offend the provisions of Canon 27, particularly if the corporation’s
activities resulted in legal work being forwarded to the lawyer member of the corporation.
Further, if the data accumulated and sold by the corporation is of such nature that the lawyer’s
association with the corporation would add to the reliance which purchasers place upon the data,
or if the data in any way involved the interpretation or construction of laws or regulatory rules,
then the lawyer’s association with such corporation would, in our opinion, be improper.