Section 10-8A-1010

Professional registered limited liability partnership provisions.

(a) Every individual who renders professional services as a partner or an employee of a registered limited liability partnership shall be liable for any negligence or wrongful act or omission in which the individual personally participates to the same extent the individual would be liable if the individual rendered the services as a sole practitioner.

(b) Except as provided in subsection (a) of this Section 10-8A-1010, the personal liability of a partner solely by reason of being such a partner or acting (or omitting to act) in such capacity of a registered limited liability partnership engaged in providing professional services shall be governed by Section 10-8A-306.

(c) Notwithstanding Section 10-8A-106 and except as otherwise provided in this chapter, the personal liability of a partner solely by reason of being such a partner or acting (or omitting to act) in such capacity of a foreign registered limited liability partnership formed to render professional services shall be determined under the laws of the state or jurisdiction under which it was formed.

(d) Nothing in this chapter shall restrict or limit in any manner the authority or duty of a licensing authority with respect to individuals rendering a professional service within the jurisdiction of the licensing authority. Nothing in this chapter shall restrict or limit any law, rule or regulation pertaining to the standards of professional conduct.

(e) Nothing in this chapter shall limit the authority of a licensing authority to impose requirements in addition to those stated in this chapter on any registered limited liability partnership or foreign registered limited liability partnership rendering professional services within the jurisdiction of the licensing authority.

(f) A registered limited liability partnership formed to render professional services under this chapter may only render professional services and services ancillary thereto within a single profession and may not engage in any business other than rendering the professional services which it was formed to render, and services ancillary to such professional services. In addition, a registered limited liability partnership formed to render professional services shall be subject to the restrictions imposed on professional corporations by the Revised Alabama Professional Corporation Act, Sections 10-4-380 through 10-4-404 inclusive, or any successor provision.

(g) A registered limited liability partnership or a foreign registered limited liability partnership formed to render professional services, may render professional services in this state only through individuals permitted to render those services in this state; but nothing in this chapter shall be construed to require that any individual who is employed by or who is an agent of a registered limited liability partnership or foreign registered limited liability partnership rendering professional services be licensed to perform services for which no license is otherwise required or to prohibit the rendering of professional services by a licensed individual acting in an individual capacity, notwithstanding that the individual may be a partner, employee or agent of a registered limited liability partnership or a foreign registered limited liability partnership rendering professional services.

(h) A partner's interest in a registered limited liability partnership formed to render professional services may be voluntarily transferred only to a person who is licensed or registered to render the professional services for which the partnership was formed.

(i) Upon the death of a partner of a registered limited liability partnership formed to render professional services, or if a partner's license or registration to perform professional services for which the registered limited liability partnership was formed is terminated or suspended for a period of more than 12 months, or if a partnership interest in a registered limited liability partnership formed to render professional services is transferred by operation of law or court decree to a person who is not licensed or registered to render the professional services for which the registered limited liability partnership was formed, the partnership interest of such partner may be transferred to a person who is licensed or registered to render the professional services for which the registered limited liability partnership was formed and, if not so transferred, shall be purchased or redeemed by the registered limited liability partnership formed to render professional services to the extent of funds which may be legally made available for such purchase, all in accordance with the applicable provisions of such partnership's partnership agreement which requires the purchase of such partner's interest in such event and if the partnership agreement does not provide for the purchase of such partner's interest in such event, then in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 10-4-389, or any successor provision, as though such partner was a shareholder in a professional corporation and the registered limited liability partnership formed to render professional services was a domestic professional corporation.

(Acts 1996, No. 96-528, p. 685, §1.)