Lawyers and Non-Lawyers as Sports Agents: Ethical Considerations Arising from Multi-Disciplinary Practice in California

By Robert S. Gerber is a partner of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP*   Many lawyers are forming sports agencies with non-lawyers. These "multi-disciplinary practices," or MDPs, provide services that are both legal and non-legal in nature to the athletes/clients. The concept is that the lawyer's clients may have a need for non-legal services related to the client's legal needs (e.g., accounting, finance, investments advice), and the provision of both kinds of services to the client m