In this complaint, plaintiff charges defendants with intentional interference with the attorney/client relationship. The plaintiff states that the actions of the defendants in interfering with the attorney/client relationship were willful, wanton, malicious and obtrusive and that punitive damages should be accessed against the defendants.
Attorney Client Privilege With In House Counsel In Suffolk
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Multi-State
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Suffolk
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US-000295
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Therefore, controversy has emerged over the scope of the attorney–client privilege between the counsel and the president and vice president, namely with John Dean of Watergate notoriety. It is clear, however, that the privilege does not apply in strictly personal matters.
The privilege extends only to communications that the client intends to be confidential. Communications made in non-private settings, or in the presence of third persons unnecessary to accomplish the purpose for which the attorney was consulted, are not confidential and therefore are not protected by the privilege.
Although historically courts held there was no privilege, more recently courts—including one California court—have concluded that communications between attorneys and their firm's in-house counsel are privileged.
For example, your indictment may be a public record, but if your attorney gives you a copy of the indictment, you aren't required to disclose that you were given the document because that fact is privileged. Attorney-client privilege extends to intended documents that weren't delivered.
If the purpose is legal advice, the communication is privileged if it's confidential and between lawyer and client. On the other hand, if the lawyer is acting as a business negotiator or advisor, the communication probably is not privileged. An in-house lawyer fulfills multiple roles!
They may also include documents that a client prepares at the express direction of a lawyer. Privileged documents and communications can take many forms. They could be words spoken aloud, emails, a Word document, a spreadsheet, or an audio file. But there are many situations in which the privilege does not apply.
The attorney-client privilege maintains the confidentiality of certain communications, made between attorneys and their clients, for the purpose of seeking or providing legal advice. The privilege protects communications made orally or in writing, in person or over the telephone, in letters or in emails.
There are two major exceptions to the lawyer-client privilege under the California Evidence Code, as discussed below. 2.1. Crime or fraud. 2.2. Preventing death or substantial physical harm.