Bulletins | May 17, 2017

UK Client Privilege Ruling Has Legal Sector On Red Alert

A ruling by London’s High Court granting fraud squad officers access to confidential documents drawn up by a firm under criminal investigation could jeopardize critical concepts of legal privilege, attorneys warn.

The U.K. court rejected privilege claims from Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation Ltd. earlier in May, and lawyers are watching closely for an appeal of the Serious Fraud Office’s victory.

The mining company had claimed that papers drawn up by lawyers and forensic accountants during an internal investigation should be protected under so-called litigation privilege, but failed to sway the High Court on the heels of a similar ruling that forced Royal Bank of Scotland PLC to turn over documents amid ashareholder suit.

Please click here to read the full artticle, first published in Law360 on 16 May 2017.