I serve as the chair of the Committee on Professional Ethics for the New York City Bar Association. The committee recently issued a formal opinion concerning the use of virtual law offices by New York attorneys. We concluded that it is permissible for New York lawyers to use the street address of a virtual law office as the “principal law office address” under Rule 7.1(h) of the New York Rules of Professional Conduct, as well as on business cards, letterhead and law firm websites.
By “virtual law office,” the committee means “a physical location that offers business services and facilities, such as private or semi-private work spaces, conference rooms, telephones, printers, photocopy machines, and mail drop services to lawyers.”
