Can a lawyer accept gift coupons from a vendor's bonus program for buying the vendor's products?
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This page answers the general question as of 1986. Ezel answers yours: whether it's allowed on your facts, under the current rules of professional conduct in your state, with citations.
Plain-English summary
A company that produced corporate kits ran a bonus incentive program in which purchasers received coupons redeemable for gifts. The question was whether a lawyer who bought the company's products and took part in that program ran afoul of RPC 1.18(f).
The committee concluded that the bonus incentive coupons offered to lawyers who purchased the products did not constitute "compensation." On that basis, the committee was of the opinion that lawyers who took part in the program would not violate RPC 1.18(f).
Currency note
This opinion was issued in 1986, before the 2006 revisions to the Washington Rules of Professional Conduct. Subsequent rule amendments or later opinions may have changed the analysis. Treat this page as historical context, not current guidance. Verify against current rules before relying on any specific rule, deadline, or requirement mentioned here.
Common questions
Q: Can a lawyer take part in a vendor's bonus program that gives gift coupons for buying its products?
A: Under this opinion, yes. The committee concluded that the bonus incentive coupons did not constitute "compensation," so participating lawyers would not violate RPC 1.18(f).
Q: Why did the committee treat the coupons as outside RPC 1.18(f)?
A: The committee's stated reason was that the coupons did not constitute "compensation" within the meaning of the rule.
Background and rules framework
The opinion interprets Washington RPC 1.18(f) as it stood in 1986, turning on whether the corporate-kit vendor's bonus coupons amounted to "compensation" within the rule. The committee concluded they did not, so participation in the program fell outside the rule's prohibition.
Citations and references
Rules of Professional Conduct:
- Washington RPC 1.18(f) (as it stood in 1986).
See also
- CA Bar Ethics Op. 2011-180: when a gift from a client violates the rule against soliciting gifts
- NYSBA Ethics Op. 981: accepting a referral fee from a non-lawyer business
Source
- Landing page: https://ao.wsba.org/print.aspx?ID=104
Original opinion text
Reproduced from the official source for research purposes. The linked source is authoritative.
Advisory Opinion: 993
Year Issued: 1986
RPC(s): RPC 1.18(f)
Subject: Gifts to lawyers who purchased corporate kits
[A company that produced corporate kits had a bonus incentive program in which purchasers would receive coupons redeemable for gifts.] The Committee was of the opinion that the bonus incentive coupons offered by [the company] to lawyers who purchased their products does not constitute "compensation" and that, therefore, lawyers who took part in this program would not violate RPC 1.18(f).
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