December 16, 2019
Ethics Committee Seeks Comments on Proposed LEO and Rule Changes
The Standing Committee on Legal Ethics seeks comments on proposed amendments to Rule 1.8, a proposed new legal ethics opinion, and amendments to existing LEO 1850.
The proposed amendments to Rule 1.8, which concerns conflicts of interest, would add a new paragraph and comments to establish a bright-line rule prohibiting sexual relations with a current client unless the relationship predated the lawyer-client relationship.
Proposed LEO 1878 concerns a successor lawyer’s duties to include in a written engagement agreement provisions relating to predecessor counsel’s quantum meruit legal fee claim in a contingent fee matter.
And proposed revisions to LEO 1850, which pertains to the outsourcing of legal services, simplify and streamline the scenarios and analysis in the opinion – and clarify what a lawyer must disclose to a client when outsourcing services.
The deadline for comment on all three proposals has been extended to March 20, 2020. Follow the links above to view the full proposed amendments, commentary, and information on how to submit comments. Updated: Jan 07, 2020