A lawyer whose last name rhymed with win may use an advertisement that proclaims “Win with [insert attorney’s rhyming last name].” Winning
Rhode Island Supreme Court’s Ethics Advisory Panel (“The Panel”) Opinion 2015-03 held that the slogan is not misleading, and a reasonable person would not be hoodwinked into believing the lawyer will always succeed; however, it should be noted that the inquiring attorney indicated the advertisement would include the disclaimer “Prior results do not guarantee similar outcome.” Moreover, the attorney plans to include similar language in his retainer agreement where a client will initial that statement.
The Panel framed the issue as “whether there is a substantial likelihood that the proposed rhyming slogan…would lead a reasonable person to form an unjustified expectation about the results that the inquiring attorney would achieve.” The Panel found that the slogan would not be misleading and based its decision on Rhode Island’s Rule 7.1: Communications Concerning A Lawyer’s Services and the 2007 amendments to the rule.
In 2007, Rule 7.1 was amended, and new comments explaining misleading statements added the qualifiers “substantial likelihood” and “reasonable person” to Comments [2] and [3] of the rule.
Comment [2] states:
A truthful statement is misleading if it omits a fact necessary to make the lawyer’s communication considered as a whole not materially misleading. A truthful statement is also misleading if there is a substantial likelihood that it will lead a reasonable person to formulate a specific conclusion about the lawyer or the lawyer’s services for which there is no reasonable factual foundation.
Comment [3] states:
An advertisement that truthfully reports a lawyer’s achievements on behalf of clients or former clients may be misleading if presented so as to lead a reasonable person to form an unjustified expectation that the same results could be obtained for other clients in similar matters without reference to the specific factual and legal circumstances of each client’s case . . .
The Panel explained that in today’s world, advertising is found everywhere—billboards, print, television, radio, and the Internet. Thus, “reasonableness” is the standard used to determine whether an advertisement is misleading. The Panel found the attorney’s advertisement that cleverly rhymes his last name with “win” to be reasonable in light of his disclaimers and the public’s constant exposure to all manner of advertising in today’s digital world.
For more information on the advisory opinion click here.
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