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                                         115 N.J.L.J. 613
                                        May 23, 1985

ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON PROFESSIONAL ETHICS

Appointed by the New Jersey Supreme Court


OPINION 558

Letterhead - Interstate Partnership
Listing All Members and Associates of Firm

    The inquirer submits two versions of a letterhead to be used by a law firm with offices in more than one jurisdiction. The first one is presently in use, which utilizes the firm name and designates those lawyers of the firm who are admitted to practice in New Jersey, with a proper asterisk, and further states that the other attorneys are not admitted in New Jersey. The second letterhead proposes to shorten the letterhead by omitting the listing of the various partners of the firms, and merely using the firm name, (none of the named firm partners are admitted to practice in the State of New Jersey). The various jurisdictions where their offices are maintained are listed on the shortened form, with a listing on the right hand side, that one of their partners is the New Jersey resident partner.
    The inquirer asks if it is permissible to use the short form letterhead since the resulting growth of the firm would suggest to the inquirer that the short form letterhead might be sufficient.
    Inquirer recites RPC 7.5(b), which permits law firms with offices in more than one jurisdiction to use the same name of each jurisdiction. The pertinent portion of RPC 7.5(b) is as follows:

        (b)    A law firm with offices in more than one jurisdiction may use the same name in each jurisdiction. In New Jersey identification of all lawyers of the firm, in advertisements, on letterheads, or anywhere else that the firm name is used, shall indicate the jurisdictional limitations on those not licensed to practice in New Jersey. (Emphasis added).

    In our opinion, RPC 7.5 would prohibit the proposed use of the short letterhead since it does not comply with the requirements of the above quoted section of the Rules of Professional Conduct.

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