ORDER AMENDING INDIANA RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT v. << (2020)

Under the authority vested in this Court pursuant to Article 7, Section 4 of the Indiana Constitution providing for the admission and discipline of attorneys in this state, the Indiana Rule of Professional Conduct 7.5(a), Firm Names and Letterheads is amended to read as follows (deletions shown by striking and new text show by underlining):

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Rule 7.5 Firm Names and Letterheads

(a) Firm names, letterheads, and other professional designations are subject to the following requirements:

(1) A lawyer shall not use a firm name, letterhead or other professional designation that violates Rule 7.1.

(2) The name of a professional corporation, professional association, limited liability partnership, or limited liability company may contain, “P.C.”, “P.A.,” “LLP,” or “LLC” or similar symbols indicating the nature of the organization.

(3) If otherwise lawful a firm may use as, or continue to include in, its name, the name or names of one or more deceased or retired members of the firm or of a predecessor firm in a continuing line of succession. See Admission & Discipline Rule 27.

(4) A trade name may be used by a lawyer in private practice subject to the following requirements:

(i) the name shall not imply a connection with a government agency or with a public or charitable legal services organization and shall not otherwise violate Rule 7.1.

(ii) the name shall include the name of a lawyer (or the name of a deceased or retired member of the firm, or of a predecessor firm in a manner that complies with subparagraph (2) above).

(iii) the name shall not include words other than words that comply with clause (ii) above and words that:

(A) identify the field of law in which the firm concentrates its work, or

(B) describe the geographic location of its offices, or

(C) indicate a language fluency.

A lawyer shall not use a firm name, letterhead or other professional designation that violates Rule 7.1. A trade name may be used by a lawyer in private practice if it does not imply a connection with a government agency or with a public or charitable legal services organization and is not otherwise in violation of Rule 7.1.

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This amendment shall take effect January 1, 2021.

All Justices concur.