§ 491. Sharing of compensation by attorneys prohibited. 1. It shall be
unlawful for any person, partnership, corporation, or association to
divide with or receive from, or to agree to divide with or receive from,
any attorney-at-law or group of attorneys-at-law, whether practicing in
this state or elsewhere, either before or after action brought, any
portion of any fee or compensation, charged or received by such
attorney-at-law or any valuable consideration or reward, as an
inducement for placing, or in consideration of having placed, in the
hands of such attorney-at-law, or in the hands of another person, a
claim or demand of any kind for the purpose of collecting such claim, or
bringing an action thereon, or of representing claimant in the pursuit
of any civil remedy for the recovery thereof. But this section does not
apply to an agreement between attorneys and counsellors-at-law to divide
between themselves the compensation to be received.

2. Any person violating any of the provisions of this section is
guilty of a misdemeanor.