Conclusion
This committee is unanimous in concluding that the rules of this jurisdiction that bar sharing of legal fees between lawyers and members of other professions should be substantially relaxed. The committee also believes that no basis or need exists to limit multidisciplinary practice to organizations controlled by lawyers. Consistent with its conclusion, the committee has appended a proposed revision of D.C. Rule of Professional Conduct 5.4 and the Comment to the proposed Rule, which we recommend that the Board of Governors submit to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals for its consideration and adoption. We also propose that an additional phrase be added to Rule 1.7(b)(4) to alert lawyers that financial interests that may give rise to a conflict include a lawyer’s financial interest in the non-legal practice of either a separate organization affiliated with the lawyer’s law firm or the non-legal services provided by a multidisciplinary practice organization in which the lawyer is a participant. We respectfully submit this Report to the Board of Governors for its consideration.