Corporate Shareholders and Officers Defending
Lawsuits Against Dissolved Corporation.

A non-lawyer may not represent the interest of another before a tribunal. A corporation (other than a duly registered law corporation) does not have the same right of appearance before a tribunal as an individual and may not be represented before a tribunal by its officers, employees or agents who are not authorized or licensed to practice law in Virginia. Except as permitted by specific statutory provisions, corporate officers or full-time bona fide corporate employees may not represent the corporation in Virginia general district court, and no corollary provisions permit those individuals to represent the corporation in circuit courts of Virginia.

Non-lawyer corporate shareholders and officers may not appear to defend a corporation, which has ceased to do business and has been dissolved by the stockholders and directors, against lawsuits which have been brought against it.

[UPR l-l0l(A); UPC l-3; Va. Code §§l3.l-755, l6.l-88.03; UPL Ops. 54, 58, l44, l54]

Committee Opinion
June 7, l993