20030055 | Office of Legal Ethics Counsel & Advisory Committee of the Supreme Court of Missouri

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Informal Opinion Number: 20030055

Rules: 4–5.5; 4–7.5

Law Firms and Associations

Unauthorized Practice of Law; Multijurisdictional Practice of Law
Firm Names and Letterheads

QUESTION: Attorney’s firm is hiring an attorney licensed in the State of Florida, who will apply to take the Missouri Bar exam in February 2004. How should the law firm list the Florida attorney on the firm’s letterhead, in the telephone directory, on the lobby register of their office building, and in Martindale-Hubbell?
ANSWER: The Florida attorney should be carried on the letterhead as a nonlawyer in MO, unless the Florida attorney has obtained a temporary license in MO. If the attorney has a temporary license in MO, the attorney may be designated in the same way as any other licensed attorney. However, if the attorney does not pass the exam or otherwise loses temporary licensure status, Attorney would need to correct the letterhead immediately. The same answer holds for the other questions. In terms of the telephone directory and Martindale-Hubbell, Attorney would need to accomplish the correction as soon as possible.

Informal Opinions are ethics advisory opinions issued by the Office of Legal Ethics Counsel to members of the Bar about Rule 4 (Rules of Professional Conduct), Rule 5 (Complaints and Proceedings Thereon), and Rule 6 (Fees to Practice Law) pursuant to Missouri Supreme Court Rule 5.30(c). Written summaries of select Informal Opinions are published for informational purposes as determined by the Advisory Committee of the Supreme Court of Missouri pursuant to Rule 5.30(c). Informal opinion summaries are advisory in nature and are not binding. These opinions are published as an educational service and do not constitute legal advice.

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