Law Practice,
Law Office Management,
California Supreme Court
Mar. 29, 2018
Clients are not law firm property, and neither are lawyers
The California Supreme Court recently held that a dissolved law firm has no property interest in fees generated after dissolution for hourly matters that were in progress when the firm dissolved.
Daniel O'Rielly
Partner
O'Rielly & Roche LLP
Partner Departure Law
Email: djo@oriellyroche.com
Daniel focuses his practice on Partner Departure Law, providing counsel for law firms and attorneys navigating partner departures, Law Firm Advice and Planning, and Legal Ethics Counsel, advising law firms and attorneys regarding ethics issues and compliance. The firm publishes the California Partner Departure Law blog (www.partnerdeparturelaw.com) and the California Attorney Ethics blog (wwww.attorneyethics.com).
Dena Roche
Partner
O'Rielly & Roche, LLP
Partner Departure Law
Email: dena@oriellyroche.com
Dena focuses her practice on Partner Departure Law, providing counsel for law firms and attorneys navigating partner departures, Law Firm Advice and Planning, and Legal Ethics Counsel, advising law firms and attorneys regarding ethics issues and compliance. The firm publishes the California Partner Departure Law blog (www.partnerdeparturelaw.com) and the California Attorney Ethics blog (wwww.attorneyethics.com).
PARTNER DEPARTURE LAW
The California Supreme Court recently issued its long-awaited decision in Heller Ehrman v. Davis Wright Tremain, holding that a dissolved law firm has no property interest in fees generated after dissolution for hourly matters that were in progress when the firm dissolved. 2018 DJDAR 2052 (March 5, 2018). In a narrow sense, this means that a lawyer who leaves a dissolved law firm and takes clie...
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