All opinions of the Committee on Professional Ethics are available online here. To locate a specific opinion or opinions, enter the opinion number or keyword in the appropriate search box below. Licensed attorneys may also call 877-953-5535 for access to opinions
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Canon:
Opinion #: 590
Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee For the State Bar of Texas
Date: December 2009
Under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, may a law firm seek to enter into an agreement with a member of the firm that would require, if the lawyer later left the firm, that the lawyer would not solicit the firm's clients and would pay to the firm a percentage of any fees collected by the lawyer from the firm's clients for work after the lawyer left the firm?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 589
Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee For the State Bar of Texas
Date: September 2009
Do the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct permit or require a lawyer to report possibly illegal activity by an adverse party or witness when the lawyer acquires information about that activity in the course of representing a client?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 588
Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee For the State Bar of Texas
Date: September 2009
May a lawyer enter into a contingent fee agreement with a client for representation concerning a claim under the Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act where the terms of the fee agreement would in some circumstances permit the client to retain a portion of the amount awarded in the judgment or settlement as statutory attorneys’ fees?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 587
Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee For the State Bar of Texas
Date: May 2009
Before filing a matter with an administrative agency having decision-making authority
over the matter, may a lawyer communicate with the administrative agency concerning the matter?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 586
Cite: The Professional Ethics Committee For the State Bar of Texas
Date: October 2008
Are binding arbitration clauses in lawyer-client engagement agreements permissible under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 585
Cite: THE PROFESSIONAL ETHICS COMMITTEE FOR THE STATE BAR OF TEXAS
Date: September 2008
In a community with only a limited number of lawyers available, may a lawyer counsel his client to retain all of the lawyers in that community for the purpose of denying local representation to the opposing party?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 584
Cite: THE PROFESSIONAL ETHICS COMMITTEE FOR THE STATE BAR OF TEXAS
Date: September 2008
Is it permissible under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct for a lawyer to continue to represent a client in a proceeding after learning that the conduct of the lawyer’s former client may be material to the proceeding?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 583
Cite: THE PROFESSIONAL ETHICS COMMITTEE
Date: September 2008
May a lawyer enter into an arrangement to mediate a divorce settlement between parties who are not represented by legal counsel and prepare the divorce decree and other necessary documents to effectuate an agreed divorce if the mediation results in an agreement?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 582
Cite: THE PROFESSIONAL ETHICS COMMITTEE FOR THE STATE BAR OF TEXAS
Date: April 2008
May a lawyer enter into a fee arrangement in which the lawyer bills for his services and the client agrees that, if payment is not made to the lawyer within 30 days of tender of the invoice, the lawyer may charge the client’s credit card for the amount of the invoice?
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Canon:
Opinion #: 581
Cite: THE PROFESSIONAL ETHICS COMMITTEE FOR THE STATE BAR OF TEXAS
Date: April 2008
May a lawyer entering into an agreement to defend a client in litigation include in the engagement agreement with the client a provision that requires the client to pay defense expenses incurred by the lawyer if the lawyer is later joined as a defendant in the litigation?
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