Akzo Nobel Chemicals Ltd. v. Commission: The European Court of Justice Reaffirms that Communications with In-House Lawyers Are Not Covered by Legal Professional Privilege
Date: 09/22/10
On September 14, 2010, the European Court of Justice ("ECJ" or "the Court") issued a judgment in Case C-550/07P, Akzo Nobel Chemicals Ltd. and Akcros Chemicals Ltd. v. Commission, refusing to modify or overturn prior precedent that communications with in-house lawyers are not accorded legal professional privilege under European law in the context of an investigation of violations of competition law by the European Commission. The Court declined to reconsider the 1982 decision that articulated this restrictive interpretation of privilege.CGR Memo - Akzo Nobel Chemicals Ltd v Commission - The ECJ Reaffirms In-House Lawyer Communications Not Covered by Professional Privilege.pdf (pdf | 33.97 KB )