Source: https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/supreme-court-rules/chapter-3-attorneys-practice-law/article-5-nebraska-rules-professional-conduct/%C2%A7%C2%A7-3-5011-3-50118-client-lawyer-relationship/%C2%A7-3-5019-duties-former-clients
Timestamp: 2019-01-17 07:04:45
Document Index: 40223089

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 3', '§ 3', '§ 3', '§ 3', '§ 3', '§ 3']

§ 3-501.9. Duties to former clients. | Nebraska Judicial Branch
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§ 3-501.9. Duties to former clients.
(d) A lawyer shall not knowingly allow a support person to participate or assist in the representation of a current client in the same or a substantially related matter in which another lawyer or firm with which the support person formerly was associated had previously represented a client:
(1) whose interests are materially adverse to the current client; and
(2) about whom the support person has acquired confidential information that is material to the matter, unless the former client gives informed consent, confirmed in writing.
(e) If a support person, who has worked on a matter, is personally prohibited from working on a particular matter under Rule 1.9(d), the lawyer or firm with which that person is presently associated will not be prohibited from representing the current client in that matter if:
(1) the former client gives informed consent, confirmed in writing, or
(2) the support person is screened from any personal participation in the matter to avoid communication to others in the firm of confidential information that both the support person and the firm have a legal duty to protect.
(f) For purposes of Rules 1.9(d) and (e), a support person shall mean any person, other than a lawyer, who is associated with a lawyer or a law firm and shall include but is not necessarily limited to the following: law clerks, paralegals, legal assistants, secretaries, messengers and other support personnel employed by the law firm. Whether one is a support person is to be determined by the status of the person at the time of the participation in the representation of the client.
[5] Paragraph (b) operates to disqualify the lawyer only when the lawyer involved has actual knowledge of information protected by Rules 1.6 and paragraph (c). Thus, if a lawyer while with one firm acquired no knowledge or information relating to a particular client of the firm, and that lawyer later joined another firm, neither the lawyer individually nor the second firm is disqualified from representing another client in the same or a related matter even though the interests of the two clients conflict. See Rule 1.10(b) for the restrictions on a firm once a lawyer has terminated association with the firm.
[6] Application of paragraph (b) depends on a situation's particular facts, aided by inferences, deductions or working presumptions that reasonably may be made about the way in which lawyers work together. A lawyer may have general access to files of all clients of a law firm and may regularly participate in discussions of their affairs; it should be inferred that such a lawyer in fact is privy to all information about all the firm's clients. In contrast, another lawyer may have access to the files of only a limited number of clients and participate in discussions of the affairs of no other clients; in the absence of information to the contrary, it should be inferred that such a lawyer in fact is privy to information about the clients actually served but not those of other clients. In such an inquiry, the burden of proof should rest upon the firm whose disqualification is sought. As to the application of paragraph (d), the support person shall be considered to have acquired confidential information that is material to the matter unless the support person demonstrates otherwise.
[7] Independent of the question of disqualification of a firm, a lawyer changing professional association has a continuing duty to preserve confidentiality of information about a client formerly represented. See Rules 1.6 and paragraph (c).
‹ § 3-501.8. Conflict of interest; current clients; specific rules. up § 3-501.10. Imputation of conflicts of interest; general rule. ›