Contact: John Hartgen
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(703) 739-0800
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href='mailto:jhartgen@abiworld.org'>
color='#0000ff' size='3'>jhartgen@abiworld.org
RESPONDENTS
CLOSELY DIVIDED ON WHETHER A BANKRUPTCY ATTORNEY VIOLATES PROFESSIONAL
CONDUCT RULES BY PAYING A FEE TO A BANKRUPTCY-HELP WEB SITE THAT DIRECTS
CONSUMERS ONLY TO THE SERVICES OF THOSE PAYING
PROFESSIONALS
size='3'>January 12, 2010, Alexandria, Va.
size='3'>— Respondents were closely divided in a recent ABI Quick
Poll on whether a bankruptcy attorney violates the rules of professional
conduct by paying a fee to a Web site that directs consumers in need of
bankruptcy services exclusively to professionals paying for access to
the site. Forty-seven percent thought that attorneys paying a fee to
such a site were in violation of the rules of professional conduct,
while 45 percent disagreed.
Of those respondents that
agreed that an attorney paying a fee to such a Web
size='3'>site is in violation of the rules of professional
conduct, 34 percent “strongly agreed”
while 13 percent “somewhat agreed.” Conversely, 29 percent
of respondents “strongly disagreed” that an attorney
violates professional conduct rules for paying a fee to such a Web site,
and 16 percent “disagreed somewhat.” Five percent of
respondents did not know about the issue or had now
opinion.
ABI members and members of the
public were welcome to submit their response to the statement: “A
bankruptcy attorney’s payment of a fee to a Web site that directs
consumers in need of bankruptcy services exclusively to those paying the
fee violates the rules of professional conduct.”
ABI’s Quick Poll is
posted on ABI’s home page,
href='http://www.abiworld.org/'>
size='3'>www.abiworld.org
size='3'>. ABI members and the public are invited to respond to a
question on a timely bankruptcy or insolvency issue. Visit
href='http://www.abiworld.net/quickpoll/'>
color='#0000ff'
size='3'>http://www.abiworld.net/quickpoll/to access the results of previous ABI Quick
Polls.
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ABI is the largest multi-disciplinary, nonpartisan organization
dedicated to research and education on matters related to insolvency.
ABI was founded in 1982 to provide Congress and the public with unbiased
analysis of bankruptcy issues. The ABI membership includes nearly 12,400
attorneys, accountants, bankers, judges, professors, lenders, turnaround
specialists and other bankruptcy professionals, providing a forum for
the exchange of ideas and information. For additional information on
ABI, visit www.abiworld.org. For additional conference information,
visit
face='Times New Roman'
color='#0000ff'>http://www.abiworld.org/conferences.html.