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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#467886" vlink="#96607D" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Having just written an ethics article that discussed both the Model Rules and then some equivalent state law provisions, many state ethics rules are more lawyer-friendly (and practical) than the ABA’s version.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Mike Steger<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>From:</span></b><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> E-trademarks <e-trademarks-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Emil Ali via E-trademarks<br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, May 8, 2024 2:19 PM<br><b>To:</b> For trademark practitioners. This is not for laypersons to seek legal advice. <e-trademarks@oppedahl-lists.com><br><b>Cc:</b> Emil Ali <emil@mccabeali.com><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [E-trademarks] ABA ethics opinion on case hypotheticals on listservs<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Thanks for sharing. To be clear the “digest” which is pasted below, does not really do it justice. The opinion doesn’t prohibit using listservs for client matter, but rather reminds us not to do anything that could violate our 1.6 obligations.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>More appropriate would be this quote from page 5:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><i>Not all inquiries to a listserv designed to elicit information helpful to a representation will disclose information relating to the representation. In some situations, because of the nature of the lawyer’s practice, the relevant client or the situation involved will never become known, and therefore the lawyer’s anonymized inquiry cannot be identified with a specific client or matter. In other cases, the question may be so abstract and broadly applicable that it cannot be associated with a particular client even if others know the inquiring lawyer’s clientele. In circumstances such as these, a lawyer may post general questions or hypotheticals because there is no reasonable possibility that any listserv member, or anyone else with whom the post may be shared, could identify the specific client or matter.<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><o:p> </o:p></i></p><div><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%'><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:1.5pt'><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#9DC435'>Emil J. Ali<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:15.0pt;line-height:15.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#121212'>PARTNER<br></span><b><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#9DC435'>P:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#121212'> 310.596.1234 | </span><b><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#9DC435'>C:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#121212'> 202.556.3645 | </span><b><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#9DC435'>F:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#121212'> 310.649.7890<br><a href="mailto:emil@mccabeali.com">emil@mccabeali.com</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:2.25pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:blue'><img border=0 width=180 height=32 style='width:1.875in;height:.3333in' id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.jpg@01DAA153.1C3D5530" alt="McCabe & Ali, LLP"></span><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#121212'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:15.0pt;line-height:15.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#121212'>13337 South Street, Suite 555, Cerritos, CA 90703<br></span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#9DC435'>O:</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#121212'> 877.633.4097 | mccabeali.com <o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div id=mail-editor-reference-message-container><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>From: </span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>E-trademarks <<a href="mailto:e-trademarks-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com">e-trademarks-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com</a>> on behalf of Katherine Markert via E-trademarks <<a href="mailto:e-trademarks@oppedahl-lists.com">e-trademarks@oppedahl-lists.com</a>><br><b>Date: </b>Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at 11:14</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>AM<br><b>To: </b><a href="mailto:e-trademarks@oppedahl-lists.com">e-trademarks@oppedahl-lists.com</a> <<a href="mailto:e-trademarks@oppedahl-lists.com">e-trademarks@oppedahl-lists.com</a>><br><b>Cc: </b>Katherine Markert <<a href="mailto:km@markertcominolli.com">km@markertcominolli.com</a>><br><b>Subject: </b>[E-trademarks] ABA ethics opinion on case hypotheticals on listservs<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>I received the below from another listservs I am on and thought it worth sharing to this group.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“The ABA's opinions are only advisory, but since the latest ethics opinion is directly on point re: sharing hypothetical case information in listservs figured it was worth sharing. <a href="https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/professional_responsibility/ethics-opinions/aba-formal-opinion-511.pdf">Opinion 511</a> was handed down today.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Here's the conclusion:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rule 1.6 prohibits a lawyer from posting questions or comments relating to a representation to a listserv, even in hypothetical or abstract form, without the client’s informed consent if there is a reasonable likelihood that the lawyer’s questions or comments will disclose information relating to the representation that would allow a reader then or later to infer the identity of the lawyer’s client or the situation involved. A lawyer may, however, participate in listserv discussions such as those related to legal news, recent decisions, or changes in the law, without a client’s informed consent if the lawyer’s contributions will not disclose, or be reasonably likely to lead to the disclosure of, information relating to a client representation.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#385623'>Katie Markert</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt'>Partner</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:4.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#385623'>Markert & Cominolli PLLC</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#385623'>Phone:</span></b><span style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#385623'> </span><span style='font-size:8.0pt'>585-504-2507 </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#385623'>Email:</span></b><span style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#385623'> </span><span style='font-size:8.0pt'><a href="mailto:km@markertcominolli.com"><span style='color:#0563C1'>km@markertcominolli.com</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#385623'>Web:</span></b><span style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#385623'> </span><span style='font-size:8.0pt'><a href="http://www.markertcominolli.com/"><span style='color:#0563C1'>www.markertcominolli.com</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.0pt'>75 S. Clinton Ave., Suite 510, Rochester, NY 14604</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div></div></body></html>