Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 204: Listen and Learn -- Scope of Discovery and the Work-Product Privilege
Internal Investigations in the Asia-Pacific Region
Cyberside Chats: Preserving Legal Privilege After a Cybersecurity Incident
Jones Day Presents: Strategies for Dealing with the IRS: The IRS Examination
Day 15 of One Month to Better Investigations and Reporting-the Parameters of Privileges
Lawyers and non-lawyers frequently train their corporate colleagues. Determining any applicable attorney-client privilege or work product protections can implicate a number of variables....more
Outside and in-house lawyers may of course normally claim privilege protection for their investigation-related communications, as long as they were primarily motivated by the need for legal advice. Depending on the...more
As anyone faced with discovery requests knows, one of the most important parts of producing documents is determining what documents are subject to attorney-client privilege or work product doctrine and must therefore be...more
With its origins in the 16th century, the attorney-client privilege is one of the oldest doctrines in our common law tradition. Even so, new issues do arise, like in the North Carolina Business Court case Hosie v. 8 Rivers...more
Corporations risk waiving their fragile privilege protection by sharing protected communications with even the friendliest outsiders — such as their retained public relations consultants, etc. They must disclose some...more
Would-be litigants sometimes send a draft complaint to the would-be adversary — either to deter their bothersome conduct or to spur settlement talks. That scenario frequently raises defamation issues — with states taking...more
Overworked judges assessing possible privilege protection for the increasing volume of often-cryptic emails withheld from production understandably look for a client’s explicit request for legal advice from a lawyer....more
Host Mary O'Brien is joined by Wilson Sonsini corporate partner Craig Sherman as she interviews Bungie General Counsel Don McGowan to discuss forging strong attorney-client relationships. Conversation Highlights: Don...more
Communications between a lawyer and a prospective client can involve ethics (confidentiality and conflicts) issues, as well as privilege protection issues. Not surprisingly, the availability of privilege protection depends on...more
I. THE ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE - Historically, the attorney-client privilege developed upon two assumptions: (1) good legal assistance requires full disclosure of a client’s legal problems; and (2) a client will only ...more
Last week’s Privilege Point described a federal court case holding that explicit reliance on a consultant's investigation waived fact work product protection related to the investigation — but not opinion work product...more
Federal courts have eliminated nearly any chance for unsuccessful trial court litigants to immediately appeal adverse privilege or work product rulings – inexplicably rejecting the obvious "cat out of the bag" nature of such...more
On numerous occasions, this Blog has examined the attorney-client privilege and the attorney work product doctrine.1 Today, we take another opportunity to explore the contours of these privileges....more
Most courts hold that the incredibly fragile attorney-client privilege can be waived by disclosure even to family members (such as Martha Stewart’s disclosure to her own daughter). The separate "spousal privilege" recognized...more
The U.S. Supreme Court dismissed a petition for writ of certiorari to review a decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit addressing the scope of the attorney-client privilege....more
On January 9, 2023, the United States Supreme Court heard oral argument in In re Grand Jury, No. 21-1397, a case with potentially far-reaching implications concerning the application of the attorney-client privilege to...more
The Supreme Court is currently considering a case that could expand the scope of the attorney-client privilege in the context of dual-purpose communications – such as, in this case, communications made to a law firm that also...more
It happens often enough that lawyers receive communications from clients that have a “dual purpose.” In part the communication seeks legal advice. In part, though, the communication asks for business, or family, or personal...more
Earlier this week, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission filed a complaint against one of the country's leading law firms - Covington & Burling LLP. According to the complaint, "threat actors" associated with...more
The multitude of new digital communications and social media platforms available in today’s technologically advanced world is a double-edged sword. As helpful as they are in speeding communications, opening new avenues of...more
Most states have adopted some variation of what is called the "spousal privilege" or "marital privilege." Those usually appear in statutes or rules, and dramatically vary from state to state. For obvious reasons, spouses'...more
Just as some clients think that copying a lawyer cinches privilege protection, even sophisticated clients relying on well-known law firms might erroneously believe that having those law firms hire a public relations...more
To foster open and honest communications with counsel, it is critically important that those communications are protected from disclosure by the attorney-client privilege. But, not every communication with counsel is...more
The 9th Circuit recently clarified the bounds of the attorney-client privilege. While the basic assessment of the privilege is simple (it protects confidential communications between attorneys and clients made for the purpose...more
New York City apartment living can spawn interesting legal disputes when neighbors fail to resolve their grievances amicably and resort to the courts. Sometimes these disputes bring fanfare as well as opportunities to...more