“LawHQ” Sues 9 State Bars Over Ban On Trade Names

A Salt Lake City-based law firm called LawHQ has sued state bars in 19 states regarding rules that forbid the use of trade names for law firms. The lawsuit contends the prohibition serves no valid purpose and is a violation of the First Amendment. “Nobody,” the firm argues, “could claim that consumers would be better protected if trade names were prohibited in other industries – if the law required Facebook, for example, to be called Mark Zuckerberg & Associates or Apple to be called Jobs & Wozniak.” LawHQ is a consumer-plaintiff firm that says on its website that it uses technology and automation “to make the experience for our clients as simple and easy as possible” and to improve the speed and efficiency of its own services, which include tracking down offenders and their assets. The website offers a free app that allows users to report spam messages and phone calls, which the firm says it will then pursue, splitting any award 50-50. LawHQ says it’s now operating in a number of states and expects to be in all 50 states in the near future.