May 2000

Philadelphia Bar Approves Multidisciplinary Practice

By Danielle D'Angelo

The Philadelphia Bar Association board of governors recently approved a proposal that would permit a multidisciplinary practice (MDP) provided that attorneys own at least 51 percent of the entity and adhere to their rules of professional conduct.

The Legal Intelligencer reported that the board's 16­8 vote resulted from a lively debate, including rejecting a request made by the probate and trust section to table the proposal.

MDP, where attorneys partner or share fees with accountants and other professionals, has received increasing attention from bar associations and other groups following a June 1999 report from an American Bar Association commission that recommended approving such practices. Although the ABA board of governors rejected the commission's proposal last summer, the group will examine the issue again at its annual meeting in July. The NYSSCPA created a special team to study the impact of MDPs on the accounting profession. (See related article on this page.)

"The issue continues to gain steam," NYSSCPA Counsel James A. Woehlke said. "The New York City Bar issued a statement last year that was open to the MDP concept so long as the legal profession's core values are maintained. The state bar has yet to take such action."