Ethics Question of the Week: Can I represent the president of a client organization in a separate matter?

Q. I serve as in-house counsel for an organization and its President wants me to represent him in a small personal matter. Can I?

A. RPC 1.13 provides that a lawyer representing an organization may also represent any of its directors, officers, employees, members, shareholders or other constituents subject to the provisions of Rule 1.7 (Conflict of Interest).

ISBA members can browse past ISBA Ethics Opinions, access our Ethics Hotline, and other resources on the ISBA Ethics Page.

[Disclaimer.  These questions are representative of calls received on the ISBA’s ethics hotline.  The information provided below is meant as an educational tool to highlight potentially applicable Illinois RPC or other ethics resources that might help the lawyer answer the question posed.  The information provided isn’t legal advice.  Because every situation is different, often complex, and the law is constantly evolving, you shouldn’t rely upon this general information without conducting your own research.]