New York ethics opinion: a government lawyer's conflict is not automatically shared by colleagues in the same office
New York's state bar ethics committee said Nov. 2 (Opinion 1308) that a government agency lawyer is generally not barred from a case just because a colleague once represented the case's alleged victim in an earlier commitment matter. Under New York's Rule 1.11, as amended effective July 7, 2025, a colleague's former-client conflict is not imputed to the rest of the office. But a lawyer who knows the former client's relevant confidential information needs that client's informed consent. Public law offices should note it when screening new matters.
Source: nysba.org (opens in a new tab)