Can a Washington firm list an out-of-state lawyer as an 'associated office' on its letterhead?
Apply this to your situation
This page answers the general question as of 1986. Ask about yours and see what the current Washington Rules of Professional Conduct say for your facts, with citations.
Plain-English summary
The inquiry asked whether a Washington law firm could use stationery listing an Oregon lawyer as "associated offices." The committee was of the opinion that RPC 7.5 permitted it.
The committee concluded that, so long as the Oregon lawyer's Oregon address was shown, that would be sufficient to designate the lawyer's restriction to practice in Oregon. The committee further concluded that the Washington firm could permit the Oregon lawyer to list the firm on the Oregon lawyer's stationery, provided that doing so complied with the Oregon rules.
Currency note
This opinion was issued in 1986, before the 2006 revisions to the Washington Rules of Professional Conduct. Subsequent rule amendments or later opinions may have changed the analysis. Treat this page as historical context, not current guidance. Verify against current rules before relying on any specific rule, deadline, or requirement mentioned here.
Common questions
Q: Can a Washington firm show an out-of-state lawyer on its letterhead?
A: Under this 1986 opinion, yes. The committee concluded RPC 7.5 allowed a Washington firm to list an Oregon lawyer as "associated offices."
Q: What had to appear so the listing was not misleading?
A: The Oregon lawyer's Oregon address. The committee said showing that address was sufficient to designate the lawyer's restriction to practice.
Q: Could the Washington firm also appear on the Oregon lawyer's letterhead?
A: Yes, the committee concluded, provided that doing so complied with the Oregon rules.
Background and rules framework
RPC 7.5 (Washington's version of ABA Model Rule 7.5) governs firm names and letterheads, including identifying lawyers and offices in multiple jurisdictions and stating any jurisdictional limitations on a listed lawyer's practice. The committee applied RPC 7.5 to a Washington firm listing an Oregon lawyer as an associated office and made the cross-listing on the Oregon lawyer's stationery turn on compliance with Oregon's rules.
Citations and references
Rules of Professional Conduct:
- ABA Model Rule 7.5 (firm names and letterheads)
- Washington RPC 7.5
See also
- WA Ethics Op. 1005: Including a Non-Partner in the Firm Name
- ABA Formal Op. 01-423: Partnering With Foreign Lawyers
- CA Op. 2004-167: Firm Trade Names and Government Titles
Source
- Landing page: https://ao.wsba.org/print.aspx?ID=126
Original opinion text
Reproduced from the official source for research purposes. The linked source is authoritative.
The Committee was of the opinion that a Washington law firm could use stationery listing an Oregon lawyer as "associated offices" pursuant to RPC 7.5. The Committee was of the opinion that, so long as the Oregon lawyer's Oregon address were shown, that would be sufficient to designate that lawyer's restriction to practice. The Committee was further of the opinion that the Washington law firm could permit the Oregon lawyer to list the law firm on the Oregon lawyer's stationery provided that such conduct complied with the Oregon rules.
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