Privileged Communications between Counsel and the Corporate Client

At present inconsistent lower federal appellate court decisions governing the use of the attorney-client privilege and work-product doctrine apply to the discovery of communications between counsel and the corporate client. Because of the distinctions that have developed in the application of the corporate attorney-client privilege and work-product doctrine due to the unique factual settings in which the issues have arisen, prior case law may not be totally preempted by the Supreme Court decision in Upjohn. This article will explore some of these divergent opinions to determine the probable effect that the Court's decision in Upjohn will have upon communications between counsel and the corporate client.