Ezel / Ethics Opinions / OHBPC
OHBPC June 5, 2026

Must an Ohio law firm's separately registered trade name or DBA include LLC, LLP, or another entity designation every time it appears?

Short answer: No. The trade name may appear without the entity designation in marketing and public-facing communications if the same medium also visibly discloses the firm's full legal entity name with the required designation.

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This page answers the general question as of 2026. Ezel answers yours: whether it's allowed on your facts, under the current Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct, with citations.

Disclaimer: Advisory only. Not binding precedent.
About this page: The plain-English summary, reader guidance, and Q&A below were written by Ezel based on the official ethics opinion. The original opinion (linked on this page as a PDF) is the authoritative source for any reliance.
View original ethics opinion (PDF)

Plain-English summary

The opinion addresses an Ohio law firm organized as an LLC, LLP, professional association, or other permissible entity that also registers a separate trade name or fictitious name for marketing. Prof.Cond.R. 7.5 and Gov.Bar R. III require the firm's formal legal name to contain the corporate legend or descriptive entity designation required for its organizational form.

The Board distinguishes that formal legal name from a separately registered DBA used as a secondary marketing name. The DBA may appear without the entity designation in marketing, advertising, signage, and public-facing communications if the full legal entity name, including its designation, is disclosed elsewhere within the same medium.

The opinion applies this rule to common uses. A website may place the DBA in its header or logo and the full legal name in a visible footer. Letterhead, advertisements, and business cards may display the DBA prominently if they show the full legal entity name elsewhere. An article or blog post should use the full legal name on first reference and may use the DBA afterward. Signage may show the DBA without the designation.

In practice

Under this opinion, the separately registered trade name does not need LLC, LLP, Co., LPA, or another entity designation attached to every appearance. The same communication medium must visibly disclose the law firm's full legal entity name with the designation required by Gov.Bar R. III.

The opinion treats a DBA as a secondary marketing name. If the firm adopts a trade name as its formal legal name, Advisory Opinion 2020-11 still requires that formal name to include the appropriate corporate legend or descriptive designation.

Common questions

Q: Can an Ohio law firm's website logo use only its DBA?

A: Yes. The opinion permits the DBA in the header, logo, or another prominent location without the entity designation if the full legal entity name with its designation appears in the footer or another visible place on the website.

Q: Must LLC or LLP appear next to the DBA on every business card or advertisement?

A: No. The DBA may be the primary identifier, but the same card or advertisement must also show the full legal entity name with the required designation.

Q: Can a firm's sign display only the trade name?

A: Yes. The opinion concludes that exterior or interior signage may display the trade name without the entity designation because of space and design limits.

Q: Is the rule different when the trade name is the firm's formal legal name?

A: Yes. The opinion distinguishes a separately registered DBA from the formal legal entity name. Advisory Opinion 2020-11 requires a trade name used as the formal legal name to include the appropriate corporate legend or descriptive designation.

Background and rules framework

Ohio Prof.Cond.R. 7.5 allows a lawyer or law firm to practice under a trade name if it otherwise complies with the Rules of Professional Conduct and the Rules for the Government of the Bar. The rule requires the formal name of a professional association, legal clinic, LLC, or LLP to contain the symbols required by Gov.Bar R. III.

Gov.Bar R. III(2) requires a legal professional association or legal clinic name to end with Co., LPA and requires corporations, LLCs, and LLPs to use the designation required by Ohio Rev. Code §§ 1701.05(A), 1706.07, or 1776.82. The opinion applies those requirements to the formal legal name while permitting a secondary DBA to appear without the designation when the full legal name is disclosed in the same medium.

Citations and references

Rules of Professional Conduct:

  • Model Rule 7.5 / Ohio Prof.Cond.R. 7.5 (firm names and trade names)
  • Ohio Gov.Bar R. III(2) (entity names and designations)

Statutes:

  • Ohio Rev. Code § 1701.05(A) (corporation names)
  • Ohio Rev. Code § 1706.07 (limited liability company names)
  • Ohio Rev. Code § 1776.82 (limited liability partnership names)

Other opinions cited:

  • Ohio Advisory Opinion 2020-11: a trade name used as the firm's formal legal name must contain the required entity designation
  • Ohio Board Staff Opinion Letter (June 19, 2015): abbreviated names and logos in marketing communications

See also

Source

Original opinion text

Reproduced from the official source for research purposes. The linked source is authoritative.

OPINION 2026-02
Issued June 5, 2026

      Use of a Separately Registered Trade Name or DBA by a Law Firm

SYLLABUS: An Ohio law firm organized as a limited liability company, limited liability
partnership, or other permissible legal entity may use a separately registered trade name
or fictitious name (DBA) in marketing, advertising, signage, and public-facing
communications without appending the required entity designation to every instance of
the trade name, provided that the full legal entity name, including the entity designation,
is disclosed within the same medium in which the trade name appears, such as in the
footer of letterhead, websites, and printed advertisements.

This nonbinding advisory opinion is issued by the Ohio Board of Professional Conduct
in response to a prospective or hypothetical question regarding the application of
ethics rules applicable to Ohio judges and lawyers. The Ohio Board of Professional
Conduct is solely responsible for the content of this advisory opinion, and the advice
contained in this opinion does not reflect and should not be construed as reflecting the
opinion of the Supreme Court of Ohio. Questions regarding this advisory opinion
should be directed to the staff of the Ohio Board of Professional Conduct.

Page 2

                          THOMAS J. MOYER OHIO JUDICIAL CENTER
                65 SOUTH FRONT STREET, 5TH FLOOR, COLUMBUS, OH 43215-3431
                                       614.387.9370
                                    www.bpc.ohio.gov




                                 OPINION 2026-02
                                 Issued June 5, 2026

      Use of a Separately Registered Trade Name or DBA by a Law Firm

SYLLABUS: An Ohio law firm organized as a limited liability company, limited liability
partnership, or other permissible legal entity may use a separately registered trade name
or fictitious name (DBA) in marketing, advertising, signage, and public-facing
communications without appending the required entity designation to every instance of
the trade name, provided that the full legal entity name, including the entity designation,
is disclosed within the same medium in which the trade name appears, such as in the
footer of letterhead, websites, and printed advertisements.

APPLICABLE RULES: Prof.Cond.R. 7.5

QUESTION PRESENTED:

  Whether a law firm organized as a limited liability company or other designated
  entity that has registered a trade name or fictitious name (DBA) with the Ohio
  Secretary of State must append the entity designation (e.g., “LLC”) to every public
  use of that trade name in marketing, advertising, and public-facing
  communications.

ANALYSIS:

Background

  Ohio law firms may be organized under a formal legal entity name that includes

a corporate legend or descriptive designation (entity designation) as required by
Prof.Cond.R. 7.5 and Gov.Bar R. III. Law firms may also register a separate DBA or trade
name with the Ohio Secretary of State for use in firm marketing and on websites,
letterhead, printed advertisements, business cards, and signage.

Page 3

Op. 2026-02 2

Prof.Cond.R. 7.5 and the 2020 Rule Amendment

   Prior to June 17, 2020, Prof.Cond.R. 7.5 prohibited lawyers or law firms from

practicing under a trade name. The Supreme Court of Ohio amended Prof.Cond.R. 7.5,
effective June 17, 2020, which removed the prohibition. As a consequence, a lawyer or
law firm may permissibly practice under a trade name in lieu of a traditional firm name
that includes the name or surnames of a lawyer or lawyers in the firm, as long as the trade
name complies with the Rules of Professional Conduct and the Rules for the Government
of the Bar. See Adv. Op. 2020-11.

   Prof.Cond.R. 7.5 requires that the name of a professional corporation or

association, legal clinic, limited liability company, or limited liability partnership
“contain symbols indicating the nature of the organization as required by Gov.Bar R. III.”
Gov.Bar R. III(2) requires that the name of a legal professional association or legal clinic
end with the legend “Co., LPA” and that the name of a corporation, limited liability
company, or limited liability partnership include a descriptive designation as required
by R.C. 1701.05(A), 1706.07, or 1776.82, respectively.

Advisory Opinion 2020-11

   Adv. Op. 2020-11 addressed a law firm that “intends to be formally identified by

the use of a trade name.” The opinion defined a trade name as “a name, style, or symbol
used to distinguish a company, partnership, or business (as opposed to a product or
service); the name under which a business operates.” Citing Black’s Law Dictionary (11th
Ed., 2019.) The Board held that a firm using a trade name as its formal legal name must
include a corporate legend or descriptive designation. For instance, if a law firm decides
to operate as a limited partnership and wishes to use the trade name “The Polaris Firm,”
it must ensure the proper entity designation is included. In this case, the full legal entity
name should read “The Polaris Law Firm Co., LPA.” The 2020 advisory opinion did not
expressly address the question presented here in which a law firm uses a separately
registered trade name or DBA as a secondary marketing name.

   Prior to the Supreme Court’s 2020 amendment of Prof.Cond.R. 7.5, Board staff

provided written guidance in a staff opinion letter on the application of Prof.Cond.R.
7.5(a) and Gov.Bar R. III to law firm logos and abbreviated firm names in marketing
communications. (Board Staff Letter 6/19/2015). Staff advised that a unique firm logo,
using only letters, graphics, or a shortened name of the firm may forgo the entity-

Page 4

Op. 2026-02 3

designation requirement, so long as the letterhead, website, advertisement or marketing
material using the logo visibly displays in another location the full name of the firm with
the corporate legend or descriptive designation. The staff letter’s guidance is directly
relevant to the question at issue because it addresses the practice of law firms using a
name other than their formal legal entity name in marketing and communications.

   Based on the foregoing, the Board concludes that a law firm may use a separately

registered trade name or DBA in marketing, advertising, signage, and public-facing
communications without appending the entity designation to every instance of the trade
name, provided that the full legal entity name, including the required entity designation,
is disclosed within the same medium in which the trade name appears, such as in the
footer of letterhead, websites, and printed advertisements. Below are usage examples and
guidance to help ensure compliance with Prof.Cond.R. 7.5 and Gov.Bar R. III.

   Websites. The trade name may appear in the header, logo, or other prominent
   location without the corporate legend or description designation appended. The
   full legal entity name with the required entity designation should appear in the
   footer or another visible location on the website.

   Letterhead. The trade name may appear as the prominent firm identifier on
   letterhead. The full legal entity name with entity designation should appear
   elsewhere on the letterhead, such as in the address block or footer.

   Printed Advertisements. The trade name may be used as the advertised firm
   name. The full legal entity name with the entity designation should appear in the
   footer or another visible location within the same advertisement.

   Business Cards. The trade name may appear as the primary firm identifier on
   business cards. The full legal entity name with the entity designation should
   appear somewhere on the card, most likely in the address or contact information.

   Articles, Blog Posts, and Web Content. The first reference to the firm in any
   article, blog post, or web content should use the full legal entity name with the
   entity designation. All subsequent references in the same piece may use the trade
   name alone.

   Signage. Given space and design limitations, a law firm’s exterior or interior
   signage may display the trade name without entity designation.

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