Opinion ID: 547641
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Attarian

Text: 27 Attarian appeals the denial of his motion to dismiss or in the alternative to suppress evidence based on the attorney-client privilege. The district court denied the motion because Attarian had failed to establish an attorney-client relationship. Attarian brought the motion contending that the communications he had with attorneys in the Finley firm and the accounting firm of Arthur Young and Company, which had been retained by the Finley firm, were privileged. 28 A review of the facts shows that Attarian is not protected by the privilege. On March 25, 1985, Attarian retained the Finley firm on behalf of ELMAS/Republic Overseas Bank, Ltd. (ROBL) and their affiliates and subsidiaries as a result of pending and threatened regulatory proceedings. The declarations of Finley partners, which were submitted in opposition to the motion before the district court, made clear that the firm was representing the corporate entities and not Attarian individually. 29 Prior to the instant action, the corporation was placed in receivership. Because the privilege was held by the corporation, any right to assert the attorney-client privilege on behalf of the corporation passed when the receiver of ELMAS/ROBL and its affiliates and subsidiaries, was appointed by the court. See, e.g., Commodity Futures Trading Comm'n v. Weintraub, 471 U.S. 343, 349, 105 S.Ct. 1986, 1991, 85 L.Ed.2d 372 (1985) (Displaced managers may not assert the privilege over the wishes of current managers, even as to statements that the former might have made to counsel concerning matters within the scope of their corporate duties.); accord Citibank, N.A. v. Andros, 666 F.2d 1192, 1195 (8th Cir.1981). Therefore, any privilege held by the corporation was not Attarian's to assert.