Advisory Opinion: 1231

Year Issued: 1988

RPC(s): RPC 7.5(d)

Subject: Firm name; partnership; partnership purchased by one partner

The Committee was of the opinion that you could not continue to use your partnership name where you had bought the partnership and your former partner was now an employed associate of your law firm. However, the Committee was of the opinion that if you organized the law firm as a professional service corporation, and your former partner was a shareholder, albeit a minor one, he would continue to be a co-owner and therefore the continued use of the partnership name would be permissible.

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.