道德意见书306

从事法律工作同时销售保险

*[注:请参阅第306号意见如何因修订D.C. 2007年2月1日生效的《澳博app下载网》

A lawyer who also is a licensed insurance broker may sell insurance products to the general public, provided that the lawyer fully complies with the 职业行为准则 applicable to lawyers acting in non-lawyer capacities. 当澳博app向客户推销保险产品时, she must ensure: (1) her own professional judgment on behalf of the client will not be adversely affected by the transaction; (2) the terms of the transaction are fair and reasonable to the client; (3) the client is advised of the right to seek independent counsel; (4) the client has an opportunity to seek independent counsel; (5) the client is advised of the lawyer’s possible conflict of interests and attendant possible adverse consequences; and (6) the client provides written consent to the transaction.

适用的规则

• 规则1.6(信息保密)
• 规则1.(利益冲突:一般规则)
• 规则1.8(利益冲突:禁止交易)
• 规则8.4(行为)

调查

询问者是一名澳博app，同时持有保险经纪人执照. 最近, 初学的, 哥伦比亚特区澳博app协会的会员, left government service and announced her intention to engage in the private practice of law. The inquirer plans to practice law and sell insurance products to both clients and the general public. 询问者要求我们就《澳博app下载网》是否允许澳博app在同一办公室同时从事法律工作和销售保险提出建议. The inquirer also asked whether it was ethical for her to offer to sell insurance to clients who had retained her for legal services.

讨论

This Committee previously has opined that “[t]he 职业行为准则 erect no bar to a lawyer engaging in another 业务, 与他或她的法律业务分开, so long as the lawyer’s engagement in that 业务 does not result in violations of applicable provisions of the 规则.” D.C. 酒吧Op. No. 226(1992)(引自 e.g., 规则1.3 (duty of zealous representation); 1.7(b)(4) (professional judgment adversely affected by lawyer’s responsibility to third party or lawyer’s own financial interests); 1.8(a)(与客户的交易). 我们还注意到，一名澳博app担任多种专业角色(i.e., 澳博app和经纪人)就单一交易应遵守适用的《澳博app下载网》的规定，无论她在该交易的特定方面戴的是哪一种“帽子”. 看到 D.C. 酒吧Op. No. 226.

当询问者向非客户销售保险时, she is not functioning as a lawyer or dealing with individuals whom she has represented as a lawyer. 相应的, 初学的 must ensure the client understands that she is acting exclusively as an insurance broker and not as a lawyer in the insurance transaction. 作为澳博app协会的成员, 然而, 初学的 must still comply with certain 职业行为准则 even though she is selling insurance instead of practicing law. The relevant 职业行为准则 would be those that apply to lawyers acting in non-lawyer capacities. 看,e.g., 规则8.4 (lawyer may not “[e]ngage in conduct involving dishonesty, 欺诈, 欺骗, 或歪曲”).

进一步, 向非客户销售保险产品时, 初学的 should ensure that an attorney-client relationship is not inadvertently created. 保险产品的潜在购买者可能知道询问者是一名澳博app, 在某种程度上, 因为保险将由澳博app事务所出售. 潜在的购买者也可能有或可能表明一种期望，即询问者在推荐保险产品时会把她的法律判断付诸实践. 在任何情况下, 询问者应告知潜在买家，她并非以澳博app身份行事，也不会代表买家以澳博app身份进行专业判断.

如果询问者向其客户销售保险产品, 她正在与客户进行一笔商业交易. 规则1.8 (a)提供:

(a) A lawyer shall not enter into a 业务 transaction with a client or knowingly acquire an ownership, 占有, 安全, 或其他对客户不利的金钱利益，除非:

(1)澳博app取得权益的交易和条款对委托人是公平合理的，并以委托人可以合理理解的方式充分披露并以书面形式传达给委托人;

(2) The client is given a reasonable opportunity to seek the advice of independent counsel in the transaction; and

(3)委托人以书面形式同意.

相应的, 向她的客户推销保险产品, 初学的 must ensure that the terms of the transaction are fair and reasonable to the client and fully disclosed and transmitted to the client in writing. 询问者还应告知委托人有权寻求独立澳博app. 下一个, 初学的 must give the client an opportunity to seek the advice of an independent attorney concerning the terms of the insurance transaction. 客户有机会寻求独立澳博app建议的事项可能因客户的复杂程度等因素而有所不同, 交易的规模, 以及客户对咨询独立澳博app的必要性的确信. Cf. 评论[19] & [20]改为规则1.7. 然后询问者必须得到客户对交易的书面同意.

除了遵守规则1之外.8(a)，询问者亦须遵守规则1.7(b)(4)向客户销售保险产品时. 规则1.第7(b)条规定“澳博app不得就下列事项代表客户: . . . (4)澳博app代表客户作出的专业判断将受到或合理地可能受到澳博app对第三方的责任或利益或澳博app自身财务状况的不利影响, 业务, 财产, 或者个人兴趣.“然而，规则1.第7(c)条允许澳博app在存在财务或商业利益冲突的情况下代表客户，“如果每个潜在受影响的客户在充分披露可能冲突的存在和性质以及该等代理的可能不利后果后同意该等代理”.”

为了遵守规则1.7(b), 除非询问者断定她代表客户的专业判断不会因该交易而受到不利影响，否则她不应向客户推荐或与客户进行业务交易. 看到 对规则1的注释[25].7. 询问者必须小心，她从保险销售中获利的能力不会影响她对客户是否真的需要保险的专业判断. 看到 N.H. 酒吧Op. No. 1998-99/14 (2000). 在这方面, 纽约州澳博app协会的结论是，从事遗产规划的澳博app不得向澳博app的遗产规划客户推荐或销售人寿保险产品，如果澳博app在销售特定产品中有经济利益. 纽约州澳博app协会的理由是，在这种情况下，澳博app的经济利益很可能会干扰澳博app在建议客户如何最好地满足他或她在信托和遗产规划方面的财务需求时的独立专业判断. 看到 N.Y. 州澳博app协会. No. 619 (1991).

Even when 初学的 concludes that her professional judgment on behalf of the client will not be adversely affected by the transaction, 谘询人不应在未向客户充分披露其在交易中的利益前，向客户推荐或订立业务协议，以便客户作出充分知情的选择. 该等披露应包括查询人对所提供保险产品的利益的性质及实质(包括澳博app将赚取佣金的事实), 折扣, 或从保险人或任何其他第三方获得的其他利益), 保险服务的替代来源, 询问人的陈述可能造成的不利后果, and sufficient information so that the client understands that the provision of insurance services is not a legal service. 看到 对规则1的注释[25].7. 此披露不必以书面形式或采取任何特定形式. 看到 对规则1的注释[20].7. 然而, A对于较成熟的商业客户而言，足够的披露形式可能不足以让较不成熟的客户提供完全知情的同意.” Id.

In the event that 初学的’s obligation to the insurance underwriter or another party precludes full disclosure to her client, 询问者不能继续进行保险交易. 看到 对规则1的注释[19].7. The inquirer also must obtain the client’s consent 继续进行交易 notwithstanding 初学的’s conflicting interests.

向她的客户推销保险, 询问者还必须注意，由于现有的澳博app-客户关系，在保险交易以外的事项上，她仍然受她对客户的所有义务的约束. 因此, 询问者有, 除其他义务外, 有责任保守客户的秘密和机密. 看到 规则1.6. To the extent that 初学的 knows about the client’s secrets or confidences that are inconsistent with the provision of insurance services, 初学的 cannot reveal that information without the client’s consent unless otherwise authorized by law. 然而, 询问者不能“从事涉及不诚实的行为”, 欺诈, 欺骗, 或歪曲.” 看到 规则8.4. 很可能在某些情况下，询问者有义务向承保其销售的保单的保险公司披露某些信息. In such circumstances, it may not be possible for 初学的 to sell insurance to the client.

The views we express in this Opinion are supported by recent ethics opinions in other jurisdictions. The New Hampshire 乙ics Committee advised that a lawyer who also is a licensed insurance broker may offer insurance products to her estate planning clients, so long as the clients consent in writing after full disclosure and an opportunity to consult with an independent attorney, 交易是公平的, and the lawyer satisfies herself that her professional judgment will not be clouded by her interest in selling the insurance. 看到 N.H. 酒吧Op. 1998-99/14. 类似的, the New York State 酒吧 Association Committee on Professional 乙ics allowed a lawyer licensed as an insurance broker to sell insurance products to clients, provided that the lawyer’s professional judgment as a lawyer would not be impaired and the lawyer makes clear that, 在销售保险方面, 澳博app没有代表当事人行使专业判断. 看到 N.Y. 州澳博app协会. No. 687 (1997). 澳博app还必须征得当事人的同意, 在充分披露澳博app的利益冲突之后, 继续进行交易. Id. 但看到 N.Y. 州澳博app协会. No. 619(遗产规划澳博app不能向客户出售保险产品，因为他的财务利益妨碍了他就信托和遗产事宜向客户提供意见时的独立专业判断). 纽约州澳博app协会允许澳博app向非客户销售保险产品，但须遵守避免欺诈行为的义务和招揽规则. 纽约州澳博app事务所. No. 687; 另请参阅 S.C. 阿德. Op. No. 98-29 (1998) (practicing attorney with insurance license not prohibited from selling life insurance in S.C.); Utah 乙. Op. No. 146A (1995) (lawyer may sell insurance products to existing legal clients after fulfilling the disclosure and consent requirements); Mich. 乙. Op. No. RI-135 (1992) (lawyer/insurance agent may sell insurance to law clients provided that ethics rules regarding 业务 transactions with clients, 保密, and conflicts of interest are observed); Ill. 阿德. Op. No. 90-32 (1991) (lawyer may sell insurance products to legal clients with disclosure and consent). 因此, the weight of authority supports our conclusion that a lawyer may sell insurance products to the general public and her client, 但澳博app必须遵守某些职业行为规则.

调查没有. 00-8-33
通过日期:2001年2月20日