Ethics Governance
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http://www.wsba.org/media/publications/barnews/archives/2000/aug-00-multidisciplinary.htm Multidisciplinary Practice: Will We Vote Ourselves Out of the Competition? by Caryn L. Abramowitz As Bar News was going to press, the ABA issued the following statement: The American Bar Association today (July 11, 2000) voted to maintain its position that lawyers not be permitted to share fees with nonlawyers, and that nonlawyers not be permitted to own or control entities that practice law, effectively rejecting the concept of multidisciplinary practice, which has been under review by lawyers and legal organizations for at least the last two years. Despite being highly competitive by nature, lawyers may be putting themselves at a distinct competitive disadvantage in the legal marketplace. While bar associations debate the merits and evils of multidisciplinary practices (MDPs), the large accounting firms are developing and expanding their already flourishing MDPs. From a marketing perspective, it looks like law firms need to jump on this bus. Indeed, it looks like law firms may be in danger of missing the bus altogether. But like any good legal issue, there are two sides to the story. Those not in favor of lawyers participating in MDPs cite codes of professional ethics, tradition, and the "core values of the legal profession."1 But isn't there a way to compete in the marketplace as it exists today while still maintaining these "core values"? Traditionalists should not forget that law firms are businesses, and that sometimes they have to act like businesses. Staunchly defending ethical barriers to participating in MDPs, rather than trying to craft more current and flexible ethical canons that allow lawyers to join in the competition, simply does not make sense for the profession. Full Article: http://www.wsba.org/media/publ...0/aug-00-multidisciplinary.htm |
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2006 Ethics-Governance.com |
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