Nothing contained in this act shall prohibit a corporation from employing an attorney or attorneys in and about its own immediate affairs or in any litigation to which it is or may be a party, or in any litigation in which any corporation may be interested by reason of the issuance of any policy or undertaking of insurance, guarantee or indemnity, nor shall it apply to associations organized for benevolent or charitable purposes or for assisting persons without means in the pursuit of any civil remedy or the presentation of a defense in courts of law, nor shall it apply to duly organized corporations lawfully engaged in the mercantile or collection business or to corporations organized not for pecuniary profit.
     Nothing herein contained shall be construed to prevent a corporation from furnishing to any person, lawfully engaged in the practice of the law, such information or such clerical services in and about his professional work as, except for the provisions of this act, may be lawful, provided, that at all times the lawyer receiving such information or such services shall maintain full professional and direct responsibility to his clients for the information and services so received. But no corporation shall be permitted to render any services which cannot lawfully be rendered by a person not admitted to practice law in this state nor to solicit directly or indirectly professional employment for a lawyer.
     Nothing contained in this Act shall be construed to prohibit a corporation from prosecuting as plaintiff or defending as defendant any small claims proceeding in any court of this State through any officer, director, manager, department manager or supervisor of the corporation as authorized by Section 2-416 of the Code of Civil Procedure.