The New York State Bar Association (“NYSBA”) Committee on Professional Ethics has issued an advisory opinion stating that all of New York’s Rules of Professional Conduct apply to any non-legal service provided by a New York attorney when those services are indistinct from the attorney’s own legal services.
An attorney, who was also a Certified Public Accountant, inquired as to whether he could offer his accounting services to persons or entities with whom he lacked any prior personal or professional relationship. The services proposed were services that could be offered by either an accountant or a lawyer.
The advisory opinion applied the Rule 5.7(a)(1) factors to determine whether a “substantial congruence” exists between the proposed non-legal and legal services. The factors include:
- Who the service provider is,
- The substance of the service to be provided,
- The proposed recipient of the service, and
- The manner or means [by] which the lawyer offers the service.
Given that a lawyer or an accountant could offer the proposed non-legal accounting services the Committee concluded that there was a substantial congruence. The advisory opinion concluded that where a substantial congruence exists, all of New York’s Rules of Professional Conduct apply.
To read the full opinion, click here.
