I am surprised to be reading this subject.  While on the surface it sounds like an innocent business decision to share client names and their information, I doubt we would find people in sales of other services or products doing this (engineer sales, software sales, pharmacutical sales, etc).  And what happens when the person you shared with and got busness from your clients decides to give up their counties or some of their counties and move to your neighborhood because the work load appears to be better?   On the surface it is good and nobel to help out, but you must still consider all angles and protect your business first.  This message is sent for all the same reasons we do not leave our orders laying around in deed book rooms.  I realy hope for your sake that a year from now you still have all of your clients and are not wondering where some went.  I have seen this past winter when people have been hungry because work has been slow that there really can be little honor among abstractors.