I am in-house counsel working with an insurance company and want to save money. To do so, I would utilize paralegals and in-house office attorneys with a company that is located in other states to prepare documents, pleadings and strategy. Then outside counsel would be hired to review the documents and then appear in the local court. Is this ethical?

The starting point to answer this question is the specialized conflict of interest of rule, Rule 1.8 of the Rules of Professional Conduct. Rule 1.8(f) states as follows: “A lawyer shall not accept compensation for representing a client from one other than the client unless the client gives informed consent; there is no interference with the lawyer’s independence or professional judgment or with the attorney-client relationship; and information relating to the representation of the client is protected as required by Rule 1.6 (that is the confidentiality rule).”

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