PR Flacks Protected Under Attorney-Client Privilege

"Litigation public relations discussions involving lawyers and public relations professionals are protected under attorney-client privilege, according to a ruling last week by U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan," PR trade publication the Holmes Report writes. "The ruling was hailed by public relations professionals as conferring new credibility on their role and acknowledging a reality of today's legal work. Judge Lewis Kaplan said the privilege -- granted to accountants and some other professionals in earlier cases -- can also extend to conversations between the target and the public relations firm, but only to the extent that the conversations are 'for the purpose of obtaining legal services.'"