Attorney Relationship With Client In Ohio
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Ohio Revised Code § 2317.02 states that an attorney may not testify concerning communications made to the attorney by the client, except under specific circumstances. The statute covers mostly testimonial disclosures and anything not covered by the statute is governed by the common-law privilege.
RULE 7.1: COMMUNICATIONS CONCERNING A LAWYER'S SERVICES A lawyer shall not make or use a false, misleading, or nonverifiable communication about the lawyer or the lawyer's services.
Ohio Revised Code § 2317.02 states that an attorney may not testify concerning communications made to the attorney by the client, except under specific circumstances. The statute covers mostly testimonial disclosures and anything not covered by the statute is governed by the common-law privilege.
Under Ohio law, a privilege log must at least "state that communications were made between attorney and client for the purpose of procuring legal advice or representation." Cargotec, Inc. v. Westchester Fire Ins. Co., 155 Ohio App.
This situation would breach Rule 1.9, which prohibits a lawyer from representing a client in a matter substantially related to one in which they had previously represented another client. In this case, the attorney would possess confidential information from the prior representation that could harm the current client.
Rule 8.3 requires a lawyer to report "unprivileged knowledge of a violation of the Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct that raises a question as to any lawyer's honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness as a lawyer in other respects." Thus, there are two triggers to a lawyer's reporting duty under Rule 8.3.
Rule 3.7 - Lawyer As Witness (a) A lawyer shall not act as an advocate at a trial in which the lawyer is likely to be a necessary witness unless one or more of the following applies: (1) the testimony relates to an uncontested issue; (2) the testimony relates to the nature and value of legal services rendered in the ...
8. Rule 8 - Pretrial conference and procedure (A)Pretrial conference; Case management conference. In ance with Civil Rule 16, the court may, on its own motion or at the request of a party, fix a date and place for a formal pretrial conference and one or more informal pretrial status conferences.