Opinion
ORDER No. 09-010.
January 29, 2009.
OREGON RULE OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT 1.6(b)
At its public meeting on January 6, 2009, the court considered and approved the amendment of Oregon Rule of Professional Conduct 1.6(b) to add subsection (7) to this rule. The rule is set out as follows (deleted text is in brackets and new text is bold).
Rule 1.6(b) Confidentiality of Information
(a) A lawyer shall not reveal information relating to the representation of a client unless the client gives informed consent, the disclosure is impliedly authorized in order to carry out the representation or the disclosure is permitted by paragraph (b).
(b) A lawyer may reveal information relating to the representation of a client to the extent the lawyer reasonably believes necessary:
(1) to disclose the intention of the lawyer's client to commit a crime and the information necessary to prevent the crime;
(2) to prevent reasonably certain death or substantial bodily harm;
(3) to secure legal advice about the lawyer's compliance with these Rules;
(4) to establish a claim or defense on behalf of the lawyer in a controversy between the lawyer and the client, to establish a defense to a criminal charge or civil claim against the lawyer based upon conduct in which the client was involved, or to respond to allegations in any proceeding concerning the lawyer's representation of the client;
(5) to comply with other law, court order, or as permitted by these Rules; or
(6) to provide the following information in discussions preliminary to the sale of a law practice under Rule 1.17 with respect to each client potentially subject to the transfer: the client's identity; the identities of any adverse parties; the nature and extent of the legal services involved; and fee and payment information. A potential purchasing lawyer shall have the same responsibilities as the selling lawyer to preserve information relating to the representation of such clients whether or not the sale of the practice closes or the client ultimately consents to representation by the purchasing lawyer[.]; or
(7) to comply with the terms of a diversion agreement, probation, conditional reinstatement or conditional admission pursuant to BR 2.10, BR 6.2, BR 8.7 or Rule for Admission Rule 6.15. A lawyer serving as a monitor of another lawyer on diversion, probation, conditional reinstatement or conditional admission shall have the same responsibilities as the monitored lawyer to preserve information relating to the representation of the monitored lawyers clients, except to the extent reasonably necessary to carry out the monitoring lawyers responsibilities under the terms of the diversion, probation, conditional reinstatement or conditional admission and in any proceeding relating thereto.
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Oregon Rule of Professional Conduct 1.6(b) be amended.
Dated this 29th day of January, 2009.