Section 10C: Acts of law firm and its members

10C. Acts of law firm and its members (1) Subject to subsection (2), a law firm— (a) may perform any function that a law practitioner can lawfully perform; and (b) shall do everything that a law practitioner is lawfully required to do. (2) A law firm shall not perform any of the functions, under subsection (1), of a barrister, an attorney or a notary, unless the law firm comprises at least one member who is a barrister, an attorney or a notary, as the case may be. (3) A barrister shall, notwithstanding that he is a member of a law firm, retain his right of audience before any Court. (4) (a) A law firm shall, in its relationship with its clients, have the same rights and be subject to the same fiduciary, confidential and ethical obligations as a law practitioner has or is subject to. (b) The law practitioner-client privilege shall exist between a law firm and its clients in the same manner as it exists between a law practitioner and his clients and extends to every law practitioner who is a partner, director or employee of the law firm. (5) Law practitioners belonging to the same law firm shall not appear for different parties in respect of any litigation where there is a conflict or significant risk of conflict between the interests of those parties. [S. 10C inserted by s. 6 of Act 8 of 2008 w.e.f. 15 December 2008.] continued on page L8 (cid:177)(cid:3)(cid:28) [Issue 9] L8 – 8 (4) Revised Laws of Mauritius