With the articles about a law firm owning a pharmacy where their workers’ compensation patients are sent by doctors, where does Pennsylvania stand on a law firm also doing business in nonrelated law areas?
To evaluate the issue, one has to get away from the news articles and stories. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court, a few years ago, added Rule of Professional Conduct 5.7 that talks about when a law firm is involved in a nonlaw-related business. This rule is an important rule, particularly because it discusses when a lawyer in a nonrelated business is going to be bound by the Rules of Professional Conduct and when the lawyer would not be. That’s an important aspect because if the competitors are not bound by the Rules of Professional Conduct, the business may not be as competitive.
