A person who consults with a lawyer about the possibility of forming a client-lawyer relationship with respect to a matter is a prospective client.
Even when no client-lawyer relationship ensues, a lawyer who has learned information from a prospective client shall not use or reveal that information, except as Rule 1.9 would permit with respect to information of a former client.
A lawyer subject to paragraph (b) shall not represent a client with interests materially adverse to those of a prospective clientin the same or a substantially related matter if the lawyer received information from the prospective client that could be significantly harmful to that person in the matter, except as provided in paragraph (d). If a lawyer is disqualified from representation under this paragraph, no lawyer in a firm with which that lawyer is associated may knowingly undertake or continue representation in such a matter, except as provided in paragraph (d).
When the lawyer has received disqualifying information as defined in paragraph (c), representation is permissible if:
both the affected client and the prospective client have given informed consent, confirmed in writing, or:
the lawyer who received the information took reasonable measures to avoid exposure to more disqualifying information than was reasonably necessary to determine whether to represent the prospective client; and
the disqualified lawyer is timely screened from any participation in the matter and is apportioned no part of the fee therefrom; and