New York Attorney Practicing in D.C. May Share Fees With Nonlawyer Partner

A New York-licensed lawyer who practices in a District of Columbia law partnership that includes a nonlawyer may perform occasional legal services in New York without running afoul of the state’s rule against sharing legal fees with nonlawyers, according to an opinion issued by the New York State bar’s ethics committee (New York State Bar Association Committee on Professional Ethics, Op. 889).

Although New York’s rules prohibit partnerships with nonlawyers, the committee reasoned that this restriction doesn’t come into play here because the conduct primarily occurs in D.C., whose unique rule on law firm ownership doesn’t block lawyers ...