My law partner and I want to name our new transactional firm 'Contract House LLP.' It has no partner names, just describes our practice. Does a trade name like that comply with the Rhode Island firm-name rules?

Plain-English summary

The inquiring attorney intends to form a new firm with a law partner, operating primarily as a "digital" firm focused on transactional matters such as contract drafting, review, and related advisory services. The partners wished to name the firm "Contract House LLP" and asked whether the name comports with the Rules of Professional Conduct. The panel's opinion is that it does.

The panel explained that firm names are governed by Rule 7.5, which bars a firm name that violates Rule 7.1, that implies a connection with a government agency or public or charitable legal services organization, or that is comparative or suggestive of the ability to obtain results, and prohibits names that are misleading as to the identity of the attorneys in the firm. Rule 7.1 in turn prohibits false or misleading communications, including truthful statements that omit a fact necessary to avoid being materially misleading or that would lead a reasonable person to a specific conclusion about the lawyer's services for which there is no reasonable factual foundation.

Drawing on the comment to Rule 7.5, the panel described how a firm name may be permissible or misleading. A firm may use a trade name (such as "ABC Legal Clinic") or a distinctive designation, though an express disclaimer may be required if the name could imply a public legal aid agency, and a firm name may include descriptive language about its practice that is not comparative, suggestive of results, or otherwise misleading. The comment's permitted examples include "Providence Tax Law Associates" and "Smith Real Estate Lawyers," while "Best Tax Lawyers" (comparative) and "Tax Fixers" (suggestive of results) are impermissible. Applying that framework, the panel found "Contract House LLP" is a trade name because it contains no partner names, that it describes the firm's practice area (contract law) and organizational structure (limited liability partnership), and that none of its language is comparative, results-suggestive, or otherwise misleading. The panel therefore concluded the name satisfies Rule 7.5 and, by extension, Rule 7.1. It expressly declined to opine on the name's propriety under other authorities such as Article II, Rule 10 of the Supreme Court Rules or Rhode Island business regulations, noting its brief is confined to attorney ethics.

In practice

Under this opinion, a Rhode Island firm may adopt a descriptive trade name that identifies its practice area and entity form, without any lawyer's surname, so long as the name is not comparative, does not suggest an ability to obtain results, does not imply a government or public legal-aid connection, and is not otherwise misleading. The panel treated "Contract House LLP" as a straightforward application of the Rule 7.5 comment's permitted examples. The panel's approval is limited to the Rules of Professional Conduct and does not clear the name under other bodies of law.

Common questions

Q: Can a Rhode Island firm use a trade name with no partner's name in it?

A: Yes. The panel held that a trade name is permitted under Rule 7.5, and that "Contract House LLP," which contains no partner names, is acceptable because it describes the practice and structure and is not misleading.

Q: What kinds of firm names are not allowed?

A: Per the opinion and the Rule 7.5 comment, names that are comparative (such as "Best Tax Lawyers") or suggestive of the ability to obtain results (such as "Tax Fixers"), or that imply a government or public legal-aid connection, are impermissible.

Q: Does approval of the name under the ethics rules clear it under all law?

A: No. The panel expressly declined to address the name under other authorities, such as Article II, Rule 10 of the Supreme Court Rules or Rhode Island business regulations, limiting its opinion to the Rules of Professional Conduct.

Background and rules framework

The opinion applies Rule 7.5 (firm names and letterheads) and Rule 7.1 (communications concerning a lawyer's services) of the Rhode Island Rules of Professional Conduct, together with the comment to Rule 7.5, which sets out permissible and impermissible firm-name examples including trade names and descriptive practice-area language.

Citations and references

Rules of Professional Conduct:

• MR 7.5 (firm names and letterheads)
• MR 7.1 (communications concerning a lawyer's services)
• RI RPC 7.5, 7.1

Statutes:

• None cited.

Cases:

• None cited.

Other opinions cited:

• RI EAP Op. 2008-01 (Rule 7.1 bars false or misleading firm names and communications)

See also

• RI EAP Op. 2008-01: Firm Name Under Rule 7.1
• RI EAP Op. 2010-02: Firm Names and Letterheads
• RI EAP Op. 90-35: Disclosing an Associate's Non-Admission on Firm Materials

Source

• Landing page: https://www.courts.ri.gov/attorney-resources/Pages/Ethics-Advisory-Panel-default.aspx
• Original PDF: https://www.courts.ri.gov/Opinions/EAP-2026-02.pdf

Original opinion text

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

Rhode Island Supreme Court
Ethics Advisory Panel Op. 2026-02
Issued March 12, 2026

FACTS

The inquiring attorney intends to form a new law firm with a law partner. The firm will operate primarily as a "digital" law firm, with a practice focusing on transactional legal matters—principally, contract drafting and review and related advisory services. The inquiring attorney and his or her law partner wish to name the firm "Contract House LLP," but are unsure whether this name comports with the Rules of Professional Conduct.

ISSUE PRESENTED

Does the proposed law firm's name comport with the Rules of Professional Conduct?

OPINION

It is the Panel's opinion that the proposed law firm's name does comport with the Rules of Professional Conduct.

REASONING

Firm names are governed by Rule 7.5:

(a) A lawyer shall not use a firm name, letterhead or other professional designation that violates Rule 7.1. A firm name used by a lawyer in private practice shall not imply a connection with a government agency or with a public or charitable legal services organization, shall not be comparative, or suggestive of the ability to obtain results, and shall not otherwise violate Rule 7.1. Law firm names that are misleading as to the identity of the attorney or attorneys practicing law with the firm are prohibited.

(b) Identification of the lawyers in a law firm shall indicate the jurisdictional limitations on those not licensed to practice in Rhode Island.

(c) The name of any lawyer who assumes a full-time judicial, legislative, executive or administrative office shall not be continued in the law firm name during any significant period in which he or she is not actively and regularly practicing with the firm; nor shall the name of any attorney whose employment, membership, or partnership has been terminated be continued in the name of the law firm except as provided herein. The name of a lawyer who is disbarred or suspended from the practice of law for a period of at least six (6) months, shall not be used in the name of a law firm or in communication on its behalf.

(d) Lawyers may state or imply that they practice in a partnership or other organization only when that is the fact. Use of additional identifying language such as "Group" or "and Associates," and the like, may be included in a law firm name only when such language is accurate and descriptive of the law firm.

"Rule 7.1 of the Rules of Professional Conduct prohibits firm names, letterhead, and all communications about a lawyer's services from being false or misleading." Rhode Island Supreme Court Ethics Advisory Panel Op. 2008-01. A communication is false or misleading if it:

(a) contains a material misrepresentation of fact or law, or omits a fact necessary to make the statement considered as a whole not materially misleading;

(b) contains any testimonial about, or endorsement of, the lawyer without identifying the fact that it is a testimonial or endorsement, and if payment for the testimonial or endorsement has been made, that fact must also be disclosed. If the testimonial or endorsement is not made by an actual client that fact must also be identified. If the testimonial or endorsement appears in a televised advertisement, the foregoing disclosures and identifications must appear continuously throughout the advertisement; [or]

(c) contains a dramatization or simulated description of the lawyer, partners or associates, offices or facilities, or services without identifying the fact that the description is a simulation or dramatization. If the dramatization or simulated description appears in a televised advertisement, the fact that it is a dramatization or simulated description must appear continuously throughout the advertisement.

Rule 7.1. "Truthful statements that are misleading are also prohibited . . . ." Rule 7.1, Comment [2]. "A truthful statement is misleading if it omits a fact necessary to make the lawyer's communication considered as a whole not materially misleading," or "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." Id.

In the firm name context, a designation may be misleading in several ways. First, while it may contain "the names of all or some of its members . . . the names of deceased or retired attorneys, or . . . the names of deceased or retired members, where there has been a continuing succession in the firm's identity," it cannot "use the name of a lawyer not associated with the firm or a predecessor of the firm, or the name of a nonlawyer." Rule 7.5, Comment [1]. Second, it may "utilize a trade name such as 'ABC Legal Clinic'" or "'Kent County Legal Clinic,'" or be "designated by a distinctive website address or comparable professional designation." Id. However, in such cases "an express disclaimer that it is not a public legal aid agency may be required to avoid a misleading implication." Id. Third, a firm name may "include descriptive language about the firm's legal practice that is not comparative, suggestive of the ability to obtain results, or otherwise misleading." Id. Examples of permissible names include "'Providence Tax Law Associates,'" "'Providence Personal Injury Group,'" "'Smith Real Estate Lawyers,'" and "'Smith Criminal Defense Firm.'" Id. By contrast, examples of impermissible names include "'Best Tax Lawyers'" and "'Tax Fixers'" because "the former [is] comparative [while] the latter [is] suggestive of the ability to obtain results." Id.

Here, the inquiring attorney and his or her law partner wish to name their proposed new firm "Contract House LLP." This designation is a trade name because it does not contain the names of any partners—current, former, retired, deceased, or otherwise. It also describes the firm's practice area—contract law—as well as its organizational structure—limited liability partnership. These characteristics are all expressly permitted under Rule 7.5. See Rule 7.5, Comment [1]. Moreover, none of this language is "comparative, suggestive of the ability to obtain results, or otherwise misleading." Id. Accordingly, the Panel finds that the proposed name satisfies Rule 7.5 and, by extension, Rule 7.1.

In reaching this conclusion, the Panel does not address or opine on the proposed name's propriety vis-à-vis other potentially applicable authorities such as Article II, Rule 10 of the Supreme Court Rules or Rhode Island business regulations, as its brief is confined to the realm of attorney ethics under the Rules of Professional Conduct. See Rule 2(g) of the Rules of the Rhode Island Supreme Court Ethics Advisory Panel.