A Trend Toward More State Focus On Lawyer Mobility?

Virginia's recent adoption of a new ethics rule will provide guidance on a common issue to lawyers and law firms managing lawyer departures. For years, lawyers and law firms have handled difficult and sometimes contentious departures guided only by a patchwork of ethics opinions and commentator advice. However, the recent codification of Virginia's new Rule 5.8, which goes into effect on May 1, 2015, sets forth specific procedures for client notification prior to a lawyer's departure. The new rule may also signal a trend toward state bar regulators' increased attention to the rules governing lateral mobility and the need for clear guidance on how to effectively comply with the bedrock duty of client communication in the midst of a lateral transition. By passing Rule 5.8, Virginia joins Florida, which was previously the only other state that had passed such a rule.

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