News in Brief

The Law Society has applied to the European Court of Justice for leave to intervene in the Akzo Nobel case, an appeal against a recent judgment that legal professional privilege does not cover communications between company personnel and in-house lawyers during EU cartel investigations. Law Society chief executive Des Hudson says the decision represents “a threat to the right of clients to communicate openly and in confidence with their in-house lawyers, a privilege which is crucial in the business community. It is also crucial that all members of the profession are treated equally in this respect. The advice of all solicitors, who are bound by the society’s high professional standards and disciplinary measures, should be afforded the same level of protection.”