The Oklahoma Bar Journal December 2022

Lawyers should be fully aware of the specific rules in ORPC 1.8 in order to avoid the consequences of violating the rules or failing to cure a curable conflict.

OTHER SPECIFIC RULES

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lawyers are prohibited from acquiring a proprietary interest in the subject matter of the litigation except for a lien to secure fees and expenses or a reasonable contin gent fee in a civil case. 8 Lawyers are also prohibited from sexual relationships with clients unless that consensual sexual relationship existed when the lawyer-client rela tionship began, and the relation ship does not violate ORPC 1.7 (a) (2). 9 The prohibitions of paragraphs (a) through (i) are imputed to all members of a firm. 10 THE TAKEAWAY Lawyers should be fully aware of the specific rules in ORPC 1.8 in order to avoid the consequences of violating the rules or failing to cure a curable conflict.

Richard Stevens has served as OBA ethics counsel since September 2019. Previously, he was a solo practitioner

following his retirement from the District 21 District Attorney’s Office after 33 years as a prosecutor. Mr. Stevens is a member of the OBA Criminal Law Section and the Rules of Professional Conduct Committee. He served as the 2018 OBA vice president, on the Board of Governors from 2013 to 2015 and as a member of the Professional Responsibility Commission.

ENDNOTES

1. ORPC 1.8(c). 2. ORPC 1.8(d). 3. ORPC 1.8(e). 4. ORPC 1.8(f). 5. ORPC 1.8(a). 6. ORPC 1.8(h)(1). 7. ORPC 1.8(h)(2). 8. ORPC 1.8(i). 9. ORPC 1.8( j). 10. ORPC 1.8(k).

30 | DECEMBER 2022

THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL