Virginia Is For Business

From the web page of the Virginia State Bar:

The Virginia State Bar’s Standing Committee on Legal Ethics is seeking public comment on proposed amendments to rule 5.4 of the Rules of Professional Conduct.

Comments should be submitted in writing to Karen A. Gould, Executive Director, Virginia State Bar, 707 E. Main Street, Suite 1500, Richmond, VA 23219 or publiccomment@vsb.org, no later than the end of the business day on April 19, 2013.

view proposed rule (PDF)

This proposed rule amendment is intended to bring Rule 5.4, Professional Independence of a Lawyer, into alignment with Va. Code §54.1-3902(B)(1), which permits a nonlawyer to serve as the secretary, treasurer, office manager, or business manager of a professional entity that is authorized to practice law, notwithstanding the rule’s prohibition against a lawyer practicing in a law firm in which a nonlawyer serves as a corporate officer.

(Mike Frisch)