Bill > HB1895

This bill amends Arkansas law to expand the circumstances under which a corporation or voluntary association can employ in-house attorneys to represent legal matters. Specifically, the bill allows a for-profit corporation or voluntary association to employ attorneys not just for its own immediate affairs and litigation, but also for the affairs and litigation of its affiliates. The bill introduces a new definition of "affiliate," which includes related entities connected through shareholdings, membership interests, partnership interests, or other means of control, such as direct or indirect subsidiaries, parent, or sibling entities. This change provides more flexibility for corporations to use their in-house legal counsel to represent closely related business entities, potentially reducing legal costs and streamlining legal representation across corporate networks. The bill maintains existing exceptions for nonprofit corporations representing indigent persons or government-related entities, and does not fundamentally alter the existing prohibitions against corporations practicing law outside these specific circumstances.

Justice

https://arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Detail?id=hb1895&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R