Opinion 1951

The inquirer wrote that his law firm wished to hire a non-lawyer lobbyist who has an office in Washington, D.C. The firm would like to compensate this individual with a compensation plan based in part on fees the firm collects from clients referred by this individual.

The committee opined that RPC 5.4 prohibits lawyers from sharing legal fees with non-lawyers. In addition, RPC 7.2 prevents a lawyer form paying referral fees for channeling professional work. Any profit sharing arrangement that includes non-lawyers must be based on the firm’s over-all profits and not on a particular referral.

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.