In the In-House Counsel context, the "client" is the company. The company, not its owners, is the holder (controls) of the attorney-client privilege.• For the privilege to apply, the communication must generally satisfy two requirements: The in-house counsel must have been acting in the role of an attorney. The purpose of the privilege is to permit clients to obtain confidential legal advice and to encourage candor between lawyers and clients. In this article, we will discuss the concept of lawyerclient privilege in California, its importance, requirements, exceptions, and how to maintain it. The attorney client privilege is designed to encourage full and frank communication between attorneys and their clients. What you say to the lawyers or staff is not confidential. There is no attorney-client privilege. The attorney-client privilege belongs to the client, which is the company, not its employees. The attorney-client privilege protects confidential communications made during an attorney client relationship from disclosure.