Opinion ID: 1176246
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: the alley brothers partnership

Text: Between 1979 and 1982, the accused represented Edgar Ronald Alley and his brother, Jack Alley, in various matters. In 1982, he advised the brothers in connection with the dissolution of a farming partnership between them. The Bar charged that his conduct violated DR 5-105(A) and (B), governing the representation of conflicting interests. [10] The accused maintained that the brothers came to him with a plan of dissolution already worked out, that he told them they would need separate lawyers if any hint of conflict between them developed, and that, in effect, he acted as a scrivener and not as a legal counselor to them. The documents prepared by the accused included an agreement dividing assets and liabilities, some bills of sale, and various property and credit instruments. The Trial Panel concluded that the interests of Edgar Ronald Alley and Jack Alley were adverse, and that it was not obvious (DR 5-105(C)) that the accused could adequately represent both brothers. In fact, a disagreement between them concerning the value of certain equipment arose during the negotiation of the dissolution agreement. The Trial Panel therefore found that the accused violated DR 5-105(A) and 5-105(B). The accused stated that he told the Alleys that he was reluctant to get involved in any dispute between them and that he would refer them to separate lawyers at any hint of conflict. He maintains that he only agreed to prepare documents to carry out a prearranged agreement between the brothers, that he did not represent one against the other but sought to serve the partners' joint interest. We do not find clear and convincing evidence that the accused violated DR 5-105(A) in initially accepting the proffered employment, but he violated DR 5-105(B) by continuing the employment when it became clear that more than professional preparation of standard documents for an agreed transaction was required in order to safeguard the partners' separate interests.