Only in DC: Ethics Rule Permits Non-lawyers to Own Law Firms

Mar. 19, 2014 (Mimesis Law) — Mike McDevitt, CEO for Tandem Legal Group, is not a lawyer, but thanks to an obscure rule in Washington, D.C.’s code of ethics for lawyers he is able to have an ownership interest in the law firm he runs. But that doesn’t mean he’s advising clients on legal matters. “My level of knowledge on law is not that high, so I’m not going to get involved in legal decisions for our organization,” he tells Lee Pacchia. “My job as CEO is to help our organization run an efficient and effective firm.”

McDevitt also talks about Tandem’s willingness to take equity stakes in its clients as payment for services. “You’d be amazed at what that little small percentage of holdings does for an attorney as he’s sitting at his desk there wondering [if he] should he bill that extra quarter hour.”

Main image via Mark Fischer