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ETHICS OPINION 550-1966 ADVERTISING
NUMBER550
QUESTION.
John Jones attorney, has a client who is in the pen business. The attorney is contemplating sending as a gift to various persons who Know he is a lawyer, a pent on which there would be inscribed “John Jones Esq., 120 Broadway, New York, N.Y. Telephone No. 111-1111.”
The attorney would appreciate the Committee’s answer to the following:
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Is he free of any violations if he distributes the pens as he would business cards?
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Is he free of any violation In distributing the pens if he obliterates the designation “Esq.”
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If the answer to the foregoing is in the negative, may he distribute pens with such an inscription to clients who visit him at his office?
ANSWER.
The above questions indicate the attorney’s desire to keep his name before clients and to notify others who are not clients of his desire to represent them in legal matters.
In the opinion of the Committee, any of the above courses of conduct would be in violation of Canon 27. See opinions of the Committee on Professional Ethics of the Association of the Bar No. 318 and No. 762, and opinion of this Committee No, 297; said opinions appearing respectively at pages 168, 460 and 700 of the “Opinions on Professional Ethics”.
October 14, 1966