Can lawyers who only share office space list all their names together on a shared door sign and letterhead?

Plain-English summary

The committee considered a proposed door sign for lawyers sharing office space that listed their names in a vertical list with lines between each name. It concluded that the door sign in that format would be permissible.

The committee reached the opposite result for a letterhead in the same format. It said that format on a letterhead would violate RPC 7.5(d) because it would continue to imply that the lawyers were partners and would therefore constitute a misrepresentation. The committee added that if the lawyers were acting as sole practitioners, they should have individual letterhead.

Currency note

This opinion was issued in 1985, 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 Treat this page as historical context, not current guidance.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 office-sharing lawyers put all their names on one door sign?

A: Yes. The committee said a door sign listing the lawyers' names in a vertical list with lines between each name would be permissible.

Q: Can they use that same format on a shared letterhead?

A: No. The committee said that on a letterhead the format would violate RPC 7.5(d) because it would imply the lawyers were partners, which would be a misrepresentation.

Q: What letterhead should office-sharing sole practitioners use?

A: The committee said that if the lawyers were acting as sole practitioners, they should have individual letterhead.

Background and rules framework

The opinion applies RPC 7.5(d), Washington's rule on firm names and letterheads (the analog of Model Rule 7.5), which bars lawyers from stating or implying that they practice in a partnership when they do not. The committee distinguished a door sign, which it allowed in the listed format, from a shared letterhead, which it said would misrepresent the office-sharing lawyers as partners.

Citations and references

Rules of Professional Conduct:

• Model Rule 7.5 (firm names and letterheads)
• Washington RPC 7.5(d) (implying a partnership that does not exist)

See also

• WSBA Ethics Op. 907: listing nonlawyers on office signs and letterhead
• WSBA Ethics Op. 901: advertising an out-of-state affiliation; "attorneys at law"

Source

• Landing page: https://ao.wsba.org/print.aspx?ID=24

Original opinion text

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

Advisory Opinion: 913
Year Issued: 1985
RPC(s): RPC 7.5 (d)
Subject: Signage and letterhead of lawyers sharing office space

The Committee was of the opinion that your proposed change in your door sign, listing the names of the lawyers sharing office space in a vertical list, with lines between each name, would be permissible. However, the Committee was of the opinion that that format on a letterhead would violate RPC 7.5 (d) because it would continue to imply that the lawyers were partners and thus would constitute a misrepresentation. The Committee was of the opinion that if the lawyers were acting as sole practitioners, they should have individual letterhead.