Law Firm Ownership of Ancillary Businesses in Ohio - A New Era?

The seeds of controversy about ancillary businesses were planted in 1983 when the American Bar Association\u27s House of Delegates approved Model Rule 5.4 prohibiting non-lawyer participation in law firm businesses. Ohio has adopted the ABA Code of Professional Responsibility, not the Model Rules, but the Model Rules may nevertheless have an impact on the interpretation and development of ethical guidelines in Ohio and other Code states. In order to determine the status of ancillary businesses in Ohio today, analysis must proceed in this dual context