Opinion ID: 654186
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Privilege Under Federal Work-Product Doctrine

Text: 20 Linde Thomson also urges that the insured-insurer communications fall within the ambit of the work-product doctrine. The work-product doctrine was first elaborated by the Supreme Court in Hickman v. Taylor, 329 U.S. 495, 67 S.Ct. 385, 91 L.Ed. 451 (1947), in order to protect against unwarranted intrusion into the files and mental impressions of attorneys and to promote the interests of clients and the cause of justice. Id. at 510-11, 67 S.Ct. at 393-94. The work-product doctrine provides a working attorney with a 'zone of privacy' within which to think, plan, weigh facts and evidence, candidly evaluate a client's case, and prepare legal theories. Coastal States Gas Corp. v. Department of Energy, 617 F.2d 854, 864 (D.C.Cir.1980). As we observed in In re Sealed Case, 676 F.2d 793 (D.C.Cir.1982), the scope of protection under work-product doctrine is broader than that under attorney-client privilege. Id. at 808. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(b)(3), which applies to subpoena enforcement proceedings according to the terms of Rule 81(a)(3), extends protection to documents and tangible things ... prepared in anticipation of litigation or for trial by or for another party or by or for that other party's representative (including the other party's attorney, consultant, surety, indemnitor, insurer, or agent). FED.R.CIV.P. 26(b)(3) (emphasis added). 21 Despite the doctrine's apparent breadth, we have underscored its limitations, noting that there is no privilege at all unless the document was initially prepared in contemplation of litigation, or in the course of preparing for trial. Coastal States, 617 F.2d at 865. A litigant must demonstrate that documents were created with a specific claim supported by concrete facts which would likely lead to litigation in mind, id., not merely assembled in the ordinary course of business or for other nonlitigation purposes. See Petersen v. Douglas County Bank & Trust Co., [303 U.S.App.D.C. 324] 967 F.2d 1186, 1189 (8th Cir.1992). Courts applying these standards have frequently declined to find insured-insurer communications within the penumbra of the work-product doctrine. See, e.g., McDougall v. Dunn, 468 F.2d 468, 473 (4th Cir.1972) (deeming dispositive the two and one-half year time lapse between statements to insurer and ensuing litigation); Fann v. Giant Food, Inc., 115 F.R.D. 593, 596 (D.D.C.1987) (deeming insurance communications ordinary business even though it was apparent that litigation might eventuate). 22 The district court allowed Linde Thomson to create a privilege log for documents falling under the work-product doctrine. Although we reject any notion that insured-insurer communications as such warrant an extension of the federal work-product doctrine beyond its current confines, some insured-insurer communications obviously could surmount the considerable restrictions of the doctrine to merit protection. We believe that Linde Thomson received ample protection through the privilege log established by the district court below.