According to a formal opinion issued by the New York City bar’s ethics committee, an attorney who must subpoena a current client for another client’s lawsuit typically has a conflict of interest requiring that the attorney secure informed written consent from both clients.
In considering the issue, the committee reasoned that testifying or producing documents in response to a subpoena are inconveniences that entail loss of money and time for the client subpoenaed. Such requests advanced through a coerced discovery may affect a client’s loyalty towards his or her lawyer. As such, subpoenaing a client involves representation of “differing interests” under Rule 1.7(a).
To prevent a violation of Rule 1.7, the committee advised attorneys to implement conflict-checking procedures before preparing and serving subpoenas. If a conflict is discovered, attorneys must obtain informed consents from both parties. The committee further advised attorneys to run a conflict check prior to being retained if it is apparent that current clients will be subject to discovery. If a conflict is preemptively discovered, the attorney must obtain informed consent from both parties, limit the scope of the representation to exclude the attorney from obtaining discovery, or decline the representation altogether.
Read the full opinion here
Written Written
