Sarah Sweeney and Thomas Wilkinson published an article to The Legal Intelligencer discussing when a client terminates, without cause, its legal representation in a contingent fee matter and subsequently retains new counsel from a different firm, the Rules of Professional Conduct related to the division and disbursement of fees impose certain requirements on the successor attorney. The American Bar Association recently issued Formal Opinion 487—ABA Formal Opinion 487 (Fee Division with Client’s Prior Counsel), June 18, 2019—to identify the applicable rules, and to clarify the duties owed to the client by the successor attorney. The article outlines the different sections of the rules and explains how each applies to different situations.
To read the full article, click here.