Opinion ID: 1122491
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Privilege for Communications in the Course of Seeking Legal Advice

Text: Client communications tend to fall into two categories: those initiated by the employee seeking legal advice and those made in response to an overture initiated by someone else in the corporation. It is universally accepted that communications directly initiated by an employee to corporate counsel seeking legal advice on behalf of the corporation are privileged. We agree that these kinds of communications by a corporate employee, regardless of position within the corporate hierarchy, are privileged. When a corporate employee or agent communicates with corporate counsel to secure or evaluate legal advice for the corporation, that agent or employee is, by definition, acting on behalf of the corporation and not in an individual capacity. These kinds of communications are at the heart of the attorney-client relationship. And it is plain that these communications can occur at any level of the chain of command. At one end of the spectrum is the chief executive officer seeking advice from corporate counsel on the antitrust implications of corporate behavior, even if the behavior is not his. At the other end, the driver of a corporate truck may run into corporate counsel's office seeking advice about an accident. In either case, the privilege applies because the employee is seeking legal advice concerning that employee's duties (the chief executive officer) or behavior (the driver) on behalf of the corporation. As to these kinds of legal communications, including the communication of facts, we hold that all communications made in confidence to counsel in which the communicating employee is directly seeking legal advice are privileged.