All opinions of the Committee on Professional Ethics are available online here. To locate a specific opinion or opinions, enter the opinion number or keyword in the appropriate search box below. Licensed attorneys may also call 877-953-5535 for access to opinions
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Canon:
Opinion #: 534
Cite: Tex. Comm. on Professional Ethics, Op. 534, V. 63 Tex. B.J. 8 (2000)
Date: September 2000
Does an attorney who represents a non-employee spouse in a divorce proceeding violate the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct (the Rules) if the attorney prepares a materially defective Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) and does not correct the defects after being informed of the defects by an attorney reviewing the proposed QDRO for the employer concerned? If such conduct by the divorce attorney constitutes a violation of the Rules, is the employer’s attorney who notifies the divorce attorney of the defects in the proposed QDRO required to report such a violation to the appropriate disciplinary authority?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 533
Cite: Tex. Comm. on Professional Ethics, Op. 533, V. 63 Tex. B.J. 8 (2000)
Date: September 2000
May a lawyer, who is retained by an insurance company to defend its insured, ethically comply with litigation/billing guidelines which place certain restrictions on how the lawyer should conduct the defense of the insured?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 532
Cite: Tex. Comm. on Professional Ethics, Op. 532, V. 63 Tex. B.J. 8 (2000)
Date: September 2000
Without the informed consent of the client, may a lawyer, who is retained by an insurance company to defend its insured, be required by the insurance company to submit fee statements to a third-party auditor describing legal services rendered by the lawyer on behalf of the client?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 531
Cite: Tex. Comm. on Professional Ethics, Op. 531, V. 62 Tex. B.J. 1123 (1999)
Date: December 1999
May a corporation charge wholly-owned or partially-owned subsidiaries “market-based” fees for legal services rendered by the corporate legal staff? If not, may a corporation initially charge its subsidiaries “market-based” fees for legal services if the amounts of fees in excess of “costs” to the corporation are annually rebated to the subsidiaries?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 530
Cite: Tex. Comm. on Professional Ethics, Op. 530, V. 62 Tex. B.J. 904 (1999)
Date: October 1999
Is it a conflict of interest for an Attorney (“Attorney”) who is an elected county commissioner of Dallas County to practice law in the justice, statutory county, and district courts in Dallas County? If Attorney has a conflict of interest is it imputed to all members of his or her law firm?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 529
Cite: Tex. Comm. on Professional Ethics. Op. 529, V. 62 Tex. B.J. 4 (1999)
Date: April 1999
May a lawyer practice law under a trade name that includes words in addition to the names of one or more lawyers who practice with (or previously practiced with) the firm? For example, may a lawyer practice under firm names such as “The Legal Clinic of John Doe,” “Jane Doe Trial Lawyers,” “Discount Legal Services of Jones and Doe” and “Doe and Jones Lawmart? ”
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Canon:
Opinion #: 528
Cite: Tex. Comm. on Professional Ethics. Op. 528, V. 62 Tex. B.J. 4 (1999)
Date: April 1999
1. Is it a violation of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct for a law firm to represent a client against a defendant corporation in a lawsuit where an attorney in the law firm is related by marriage to an employee of the defendant?
2. Is the employee’s status or position in the defendant’s organization relevant?
3. If the foregoing results in a conflict of interest, can the conflict be remedied by informed consent?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 527
Cite: Tex. Comm. on Professional Ethics. Op. 527, V. 62 Tex. B.J. 4 (1999)
Date: April 1999
May a law firm composed of former members of another law firm that represented and now represents one party to litigation represent an opposing party in that litigation?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 526
Cite: Tex. Comm. on Professional Ethics. Op. 526, V. 61 Tex. B.J. 463 (1998)
Date: May 1998
May a law firm, which has received court-awarded attorneys’ fees for representing several members of a plaintiff class in a successful attempt to modify the terms of a class-action settlement agreement, distribute to the represented members of the class a portion of the fee awarded?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 525
Cite: Tex. Comm. on Professional Ethics, Op. 525, V. 61 Tex. B.J. 460 (1998)
Date: May 1998
May an attorney who prepares loan documents for a real estate purchaser at the request of the attorney' s lender-client prepare a deed to be used in the transaction if he is not requested to do so by the seller and without submitting a dual representation disclosure?
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