On December 20, 2019, the Fourth Department issued a decision in John Mezzalingua Assoc., LLC v. Travelers Indem. Co., 2019 NY Slip Op. 09157, holding that documents prepared for uses other than litigation cannot be withheld from production even though they also were prepared for litigation, explaining: CPLR 3101 establishes three categories of protected materials:... Read more »
Blogs
Posts Categorized: Privilege/Work Product
Privilege Determined by Law of Location of Trial or of Proceeding Seeking Discovery
On November 27, 2019, the Second Department issued a decision in Askari v. McDermott, Will & Emery, LLP, 2019 NY Slip Op. 08547, holding that a question of privilege must be determined by the law of the location of trial or of the proceeding seeking the evidence, explaining: Here, in the complaint, the plaintiffs seek... Read more »
First Department Recognizes Narrow Exception to Rule that Privilege Rules Applied to Evidence Are Those of Forum in Which Evidence Will Be Used
On September 17, 2019, the First Department issued a decision in Ambac Assur. Corp. v. Nomura Credit & Capital, Inc., 2019 NY Slip Op. 06574, recognizing a narrow exception to the rule that the law regarding the attorney-client privilege applied to evidence is that of the forum in which the evidence will be used, explaining:... Read more »
Insurer’s Claims-Handling Documents Not Privileged Even If Prepared By Attorneys
On August 30, 2019, Justice Masley of the New York County Commercial Division issued a decision in Otsuka Am., Inc. v. Crum & Forster Specialty Ins. Co., Index No. 650463/2019, ruling that coverage opinions prepared by outside counsel for an insurer are discoverable, explaining: In the context of insurance, the payment or rejection of... Read more »
Documents Not Prepared in Anticipation of Litigation Not Entitled to Work-Product Protection
On August 7, 2019, Justice Borrok of the New York County Commerical Division issued a decision in Spicer v. Gardaworld Consulting (UK) Ltd., 2019 NY Slip Op. 32375(U), holding that documents that were not prepared in anticipation of litigation are not entitled to work product protection, explaining: Gardaworld argues that the Post-Closing Documents are not... Read more »
Common Interest Privilege Does Not Apply to Merger Transaction
On July 9, 2019, the First Department issued a decision in Telx-New York, LLC v. 60 Hudson Owner LLC, 2019 NY Slip Op. 05484, holding that the common interest privilege did not apply to communications relating to a merger, explaining: The common interest privilege does not apply to the communications at issue, in which plaintiff... Read more »
Communications Seeking Legal Advice Through Third-Parties Privileged
On June 18, 2019, the First Department issued a decision in Perella Weinberg Partners LLC v. Kramer, 2019 NY Slip Op. 04896, holding that communications seeking legal advice made through third parties nonetheless were privileged, explaining: Nonparty respondents were seeking legal advice through third parties and had a reasonable expectation that their communications would remain... Read more »
List of Witnesses to be Interviewed Not Privileged
On May 2, 2019, the First Department issued a decision in Gottwald v. Sebert, 2019 NY Slip Op. 03476, holding that a list of witnesses to be interviewed was not privileged, explaining: The court providently granted Kesha’s motion to compel Sony to disclose its interview list. Although Sony’s outside counsel stated that he prepared the interview... Read more »
Counsel Waived Privilege by Forwarding E-mail Chain Containing Privileged Conversations to Opponent
On March 15, 2019, Justice Friedman of the New York County Commercial Division issued a decision in Semsysco GMBH v. Global Foundreis Inc., 2019 NY Slip Op. 30664(U), holding that counsel waived the attorney-client privilege by forwarding an e-mail chain containing privileged conversations to an opponent, explaining: CPLR 4503(a)(1) provides that unless the client waives... Read more »
Business Valuation Not Protected by Attorney-Client Privilege
On February 28, 2019, the Third Department issued a decision in Galasso v. Cobleskill Stone Prods., Inc., 2019 NY Slip Op. 01483, holding that a business valuation was not protected by the attorney-client privilege, explaining: The attorney-client privilege shields from disclosure any confidential communications between an attorney and his or her client made for the purpose... Read more »