Professional Ethics Committee for the State Bar of Texas
Topic: “Is it permissible under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct for three law firms with different names to advertise cooperatively using the name of one of the law firms followed by the word ‘Group’?”
Even though Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct Rule 7.04(o) “permits lawyers to advertise as part of an advertising cooperative or venture of two or more lawyers not in the same firm so long as the requirements set out in the Rule are met”, the lawyers name followed by the word “Group” is a “trade name since the name would be understood by the public as a name adopted to designate the business conducted by the lawyers advertising their services under this name” therefore, the arrangement is not permissible under Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct Rule 7.01(a).
Conclusion of the Committee:
“It is not permissible under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct for three law firms with different names to advertise cooperatively using the name of one of the three law firms followed by the word ‘Group.'”
Rules:
Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct Rule 7.04(o)
Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct Rule 7.01(a)
The full text is available at http://www.legalethicstexas.com…