Title BPC — California Bus. & Prof. Code

Any advertisement that is created or disseminated by a lawyer referral service shall disclose whether the attorneys on the organization’s referral list, panel, or system, paid any consideration, other than a proportional share of actual cost, to be included on that list, panel, o…

(a) All advertisements published, distributed, or broadcasted by or on behalf of a licensee seeking professional employment for the licensee in providing services relating to immigration or naturalization shall include a statement that he or she is an active licensee of the State…

In advertising by electronic media, to comply with Sections 61571.1 and 6157.2, the message as a whole may not be false, misleading, or deceptive, and the message as a whole must be factually substantiated. The message means the effect in combination of the spoken word, sound, ba…

There shall be a rebuttable presumption affecting the burden of producing evidence that the following messages are false, misleading, or deceptive within the meaning of Section 6158: (a) A message as to the ultimate result of a specific case or cases presented out of context with…

The following information shall be presumed to be in compliance with this article for purposes of advertising by electronic media, provided the message as a whole is not false, misleading, or deceptive: (a) Name, including name of law firm, names of professional associates, addre…

In addition to any disclosure required by Section 6157.2, Section 6157.3, and the Rules of Professional Conduct, the following disclosure shall appear in advertising by electronic media. Use of the following disclosure alone may not rebut any presumption created in Section 6158.1…

(a) Any person claiming a violation of Section 6157.2, 6158, 6158.1, or 6158.3 may file a complaint with the State Bar that states the name of the advertiser, a description of the advertisement claimed to violate these sections, and that specifically identifies the alleged violat…

(a) This article applies to all lawyers, licensees, law partnerships, law corporations, entities subject to regulation under Section 6155, advertising collectives, cooperatives, or other individuals, including nonlawyers, or groups advertising the availability of legal services. …

A violation of Section 6157.1, subdivision (a) or (b) of Section 6157.2, or Section 6157.3, 6158, 6158.1, or 6158.3 by a licensee shall be cause for discipline by the State Bar. In addition to the existing grounds for initiating a disciplinary proceeding set forth in a statute or…

The court shall report the name, address, and professional license number of any person found in violation of this article to the appropriate professional licensing agency for review and possible disciplinary action.

A true and correct copy of any advertisement made by a person or licensee shall be retained for one year by the person or licensee who pays for an advertisement soliciting employment of legal services.

(a) Nothing in this article shall be deemed to limit or preclude enforcement of any other provision of law, or of any court rule, or of the State Bar Rules of Professional Conduct. (b) Nothing in this article shall limit the right of advertising protected under the Constitution o…

The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following: (a) Legal aid programs provide a valuable service to the public by providing free legal services to the poor. (b) Private, for-profit organizations that have no lawyers have been using the name “legal aid” in order t…

For purposes of this article, “legal aid organization” means a nonprofit organization that provides civil legal services for the poor without charge.

It is unlawful for any person or organization to use the term “legal aid,” “legal aide,” or any confusingly similar name in any firm name, trade name, fictitious business name, or any other designation, or on any advertisement, letterhead, business card, or sign, unless the perso…

(a) Any consumer injured by a violation of Section 6159.52 may file a complaint and seek injunctive relief, restitution, and damages in the superior court of any county in which the defendant maintains an office, advertises, or is listed in a telephone directory. (b) A person who…

A law corporation is a corporation which is registered with the State Bar of California and has a currently effective certificate of registration from the State Bar pursuant to the Professional Corporation Act, as contained in Part 4 (commencing with Section 13400) of Division 3 …

An applicant for registration as a law corporation shall supply to the State Bar all necessary and pertinent documents and information requested by the State Bar concerning the applicant’s plan of operation, including, but not limited to, a copy of its articles of incorporation, …

Each law corporation shall renew its certificate of registration annually at a time to be fixed by the State Bar and shall pay a fee therefor which shall be fixed by the State Bar in accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 6163.

All fees for registration and renewal paid pursuant to Sections 6161 and 6161.1 shall be paid into the treasury of the State Bar and shall be used for its regulatory and disciplinary purposes.

Within such time as the State Bar may by rule provide, the law corporation shall report in writing to the State Bar any change in directors, officers, employees performing professional services and share ownership, and amendments to its articles of incorporation and bylaws.

(a) Each law corporation shall file with the State Bar annually and at such other times as the State Bar may require a report containing such information pertaining to qualification and compliance with the statutes, rules, and regulations referred to in Section 6127.5 as the Stat…

Except as provided in Sections 13403 and 13406 of the Corporations Code, each director, shareholder, and each officer of a law corporation shall be a licensed person as defined in the Professional Corporation Act, or a person licensed to render the same professional services in t…

The income of a law corporation attributable to professional services rendered while a shareholder is a disqualified person (as defined in the Professional Corporation Act) shall not in any manner accrue to the benefit of such shareholder or his shares in the law corporation.

A law corporation shall not do or fail to do any act the doing of which or the failure to do which would constitute a cause for discipline of a licensee of the State Bar, under any statute, rule, or regulation now or hereafter in effect. In the conduct of its business, it shall o…

(a) The State Bar may conduct an investigation of the conduct of the business of a law corporation. (b) Upon that investigation, the Board of Trustees, or a committee authorized by it, shall have power to issue subpoenas, administer oaths, examine witnesses, and compel the produc…

(a) When there is reason to believe that a law corporation has violated or is about to violate any of the provisions of this article or the Professional Corporation Act or of any other pertinent statute, rule, or regulation, the State Bar may issue a notice directing the corporat…

Any action of the State Bar or the Board of Trustees or a committee of the State Bar, or the chief executive officer of the State Bar or the designee of the chief executive officer, provided for in this article, may be reviewed by the Supreme Court by petition for review pursuant…

With the approval of the Supreme Court, the State Bar may formulate and enforce rules and regulations to carry out the purposes and objectives of this article, including rules and regulations requiring all of the following: (a) That the articles of incorporation or bylaws of a la…

Six months and one day following the death of a sole shareholder of a law corporation, the certificate of registration of the law corporation shall be deemed canceled by operation of this section. However, the certificate may be sooner canceled by receipt in the State Bar office …

Nothing in this article shall be construed as affecting or impairing the disciplinary powers and authority of the Supreme Court or of the State Bar in respect of conduct of licensees of the State Bar nor modifying the statutes and rules governing such conduct, except as expressly…

(a) (1) The State Bar shall create a program to certify alternative dispute resolution firms, providers, or practitioners. (2) A program created pursuant to paragraph (1) shall not require a firm, provider, or practitioner to be a licensee of the State Bar in order to be certifie…

Pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 16953 of the Corporations Code, a limited liability partnership providing legal services shall comply with all administrative or filing requirements of the State Bar, including, but not limited to, the payment of fees, and all rules and regu…

At the time of filing an Application for Issuance of a Certificate of Registration as a Limited Liability Partnership pursuant to the Rules of the State Bar, an applicant for registration shall also file with the State Bar a separate form stating that the limited liability partne…

As used in this article, the following definitions apply: (a) “Lawyer” means a licensee of the State Bar or a person who is admitted and in good standing and eligible to practice before the bar of any United States court or the highest court of the District of Columbia or any sta…

A lawyer, while acting as a fiduciary, may sell financial products to a client who is an elder or dependent adult with whom the lawyer has or has had, within the preceding three years, an attorney-client relationship, if the transaction or acquisition and its terms are fair and r…

(a) A client who suffers any damage as the result of a violation of this article by any lawyer may bring an action against that person to recover or obtain one or more of the following remedies: (1) Actual damages, but in no case shall the total award of damages in a class action…

A violation of this article by a licensee shall be cause for discipline by the State Bar.

The court shall report the name, address, and professional license number of any person found in violation of this article to the appropriate professional licensing agencies for review and possible disciplinary action.

Nothing in this article shall be deemed to limit, reduce, or preclude enforcement of any obligation, statute, State Bar Rule of Professional Conduct, or court rule, including, but not limited to, those relating to the lawyer’s fiduciary duties, that are otherwise applicable to an…

The State Bar shall include in its Annual Discipline Report information on the number of complaints filed against California attorneys alleging a violation of this article. The report shall also include the type of charges made in each complaint, the number of resulting investiga…

When an attorney engaged in law practice in this state dies, resigns, becomes an inactive licensee of the State Bar, is disbarred, or is suspended from the active practice of law and is required by the order of suspension to give notice of the suspension, notice of cessation of l…

The notice shall contain any information that may be required by any order of disbarment, suspension, or of acceptance of the attorneys’ resignation, by any rule of the Supreme Court, Judicial Council, or the State Bar, and by any order of a court of the state having jurisdiction…

Persons examining the files and records of the law practice of the affected attorney pursuant to this article shall observe the lawyer-client privilege and shall make disclosure only to the extent necessary to carry out the purposes of this article. Such disclosure is a disclosur…

No person or entity shall incur any liability by reason of the institution or maintenance of the proceeding. No person shall incur any liability for any act done or omitted to be done pursuant to order of the court under this article. No person or entity shall be liable for failu…

A licensee of the State Bar appointed pursuant to Section 6180.5 shall serve without compensation. However, the licensee may be paid reasonable compensation by the State Bar in cases where the State Bar has determined that the licensee has devoted extraordinary time and services …

An order made pursuant to this article is nonappealable, and shall not be stayed by petition for a writ except as ordered by the superior court or the appellate court.

As used in this article, “attorney” means a licensee or former licensee of the State Bar; “law practice” means (a) a law practice conducted by an individual; (b) a law practice conducted by a partnership, if Section 6180 applies to all partners; and (c) a law practice conducted b…

Notwithstanding the giving of notice pursuant to Section 6180.1, the superior court on its own motion, or a client of the attorney, the State Bar, or an interested person or entity may make application to the superior court for the county where the attorney maintains or more rece…

The application shall be verified, and shall state facts supporting the occurrence of one or more of the events stated in Section 6180 and either of the following: (a) Belief that supervision of the court is warranted because the attorney has left an unfinished client matter for …