LEO: Law Firm — Representing Adverse Party of, LE Op. 947

 

    Law Firm — Representing Adverse Party of Client in Unrelated Matter.

 

    June 25, 1987

 

    An attorney has been requested to represent the relatives of a recently deceased woman who wish to contest the woman's will. The adverse party in the will dispute is the apparent spouse of the decedent. The attorney's partner represents the adverse party in an unrelated matter. It is improper, given the above situation, for the attorney to represent the relatives of the decedent while his firm is involved, even in the smallest way, with representing the surviving spouse, even though the two matters are not similar or substantially related. The committee opines that it is improper for a firm or individual attorney to represent a client at the same time they are suing that client regardless of whether or not the matters are the same or substantially related. [Canon 4, Canon 9; DR:5-105(D) and (E); LE Op. 933].

 

    Committee Opinion June 25, 1987

 

LEO: Law Firm - Representing Adverse Party of, LE Op. 947 (1987)