Advisory Opinion: 1902

Year Issued: 2000

RPC(s):

Subject: Lawyer operating two offices, one using trade name

The inquiring lawyer asked if it is ethical for a lawyer to have two offices, one doing business as the named lawyer, such as, "John Doe, Attorney at Law" and another office doing business as a trade name.

The committee opined that there is nothing to prohibit a lawyer having a law office and another business office. However, in the conduct of both the law office and the other business, there is significant potential for conflicts of interest with and in violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct. The committee expresses no opinion regarding how the conduct and operation of the law office and the other business might conflict with or violate those provisions.

Advisory Opinions are provided for the education of the Bar and reflect the opinion of the Committee on Professional Ethics (CPE) or its predecessors. Advisory Opinions are provided pursuant to the authorization granted by the Board of Governors, but are not individually approved by the Board and do not reflect the official position of the Bar association. Laws other than the Washington State Rules of Professional Conduct may apply to the inquiry. The Committee's answer does not include or opine about any other applicable law other than the meaning of the Rules of Professional Conduct.