Understanding the Lawyer’s Obligation: Privilege in Internal Investigations
Given the auditor’s obligations under GAAS and Section 10A, it is unquestionably in the auditor’s best interest to seek as much information as possible when conducting procedures in response to a potential illegal act. It is axiomatic that the more information and evidence the auditor has, the more informed the auditor believes its ultimate conclusions will be. However, the auditor’s interest in information is at odds with counsel’s obligations to protect the client from overreaching inquiries and to preserve the attorney-client privilege.
Both the attorney-client privilege and work-product doctrine apply in the context of internal investigations. The attorney-client privilege, which protects confidential communications between attorney and client for the purpose of securing legal advice, undoubtedly applies to internal investigations. Upjohn Co. v. United States, 449 U.S. 383, 389, 396–97 (1981). Under Upjohn, this privilege protects disclosure of communications, not disclosure of the facts underlying them. It is also subject to waiver, and external auditors are not privileged parties under federal law. See, e.g., Couch v. United States, 409 U.S. 322, 335–36 (1973). Disclosure of attorney-client privileged communications to auditors constitutes a subject matter privilege waiver. See e.g., Chevron Corp. v. Pennzoil Co., 974 F.2d 1156, 1162 (9th Cir. 1992); In re John Doe Corp., 675 F.2d 482, 488–89 (2d Cir. 1982). Essential to this analysis is whom the attorney represents. In virtually all cases, counsel should inform witnesses that the client is the company, board of directors, or the board committee, not the witness, and that no privilege attaches to the information the witness provides. Accordingly, the focus of counsel’s concerns relating to privilege will be on communications with the client—the company, board, or board committee—and counsel’s mental impressions, as opposed to the factual information witnesses provide.
The work-product doctrine protects materials prepared by an attorney in anticipation of litigation under Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(b)(3). The work-product privilege generally is understood to apply in the internal investigation context, although case law addressing this question is not uniform. See e.g., In re Grand Jury Investigation, 599 F.2d 1224, 1229 (3d Cir. 1979). Unlike the attorney-client privilege, most courts have held that work-product privilege is not waived by disclosure to auditors. See e.g., United States v. Deloitte, 610 F.3d 129, 139 (D.C. Cir. 2010); Merrill Lynch & Co, Inc. v. Allegheny Energy, Inc., 229 F.R.D. 441, 445–49 (S.D.N.Y. 2004). However, disclosure should be avoided whenever possible because some courts have held that disclosure of work product to an auditor waives work-product privilege. See e.g., United States v. Hatfield, No. 06-CR-0550 (JS), 2010 WL 183522, at *3 (E.D.N.Y. Jan. 8, 2010).
Mutual Understanding and Informed Communication
On their face, the obligations of attorneys and auditors appear incompatible. Auditors require sufficient information to satisfy their obligations under GAAS and Section 10A, whereas counsel must satisfy their own obligation to preserve privilege. The key to striking the appropriate balance between these competing interests is informed communication. To achieve informed communication, each party must consider the legal obligations driving the other, and the parties must communicate early and often. This section provides some practical tips for maintaining informed communication throughout the various stages of an investigation.
Planning and Scope
Counsel should involve the client’s auditor from the beginning of the investigation. Consulting with the auditor at the outset sets the tone for the relationship between the parties throughout the investigation. The initial meeting should cover the scope of the investigation, including all planned procedures. When designing those procedures, counsel should consider the auditor’s obligations—namely, to understand the nature and potential impact of the illegal act. This is particularly the case with electronic data review and evidence preservation. Counsel should anticipate that the company’s outside auditors will apply rigorous review to whether and how electronic data is captured and processed, and which search terms are applied against that data. Audit firms, particularly large ones, often have their own forensic groups that are well versed in document preservation, collection, and review. It is not uncommon for the outside auditors to suggest additional procedures or search terms. On the other hand, mindful of the limited nature of the auditor’s review, counsel reasonably can resist expanding the scope of data and document review where the auditor’s suggestions are overbroad.
Engaging with the auditor at the planning stage also has the practical benefit of achieving consensus among the parties before any real work begins. This consensus diminishes the possibility that the attorney will have to perform additional, unplanned procedures later in the investigation.
Executing Planned Procedures
Virtually every investigation will involve document review and witness interviews. To be comfortable with counsel’s document review, the auditor must understand the completeness of the data reviewed and the effectiveness of the review procedures performed. Counsel should be prepared to discuss the technical details of the review with the auditor; auditors frequently test the rates at which search terms generate “hits.” Auditors also occasionally sample documents deemed to be nonresponsive to test the thoroughness of the review. Accordingly, counsel should anticipate these procedures by installing robust quality control over the document review both in order to improve the accuracy of the review and to add to its defensibility when dealing with the auditors.
Counsel should also bear the auditor’s obligations in mind when planning witness interviews. Specifically, counsel should consider the auditor’s need to assess the continued reliability of management assertions when determining which witnesses to interview and what questions to ask during an interview. After the interviews occur, auditors routinely request summaries of key interviews (not including counsel’s mental impressions or other privileged aspects of the interviews) and inquire about the questions asked and responses provided. Depending upon the nature of the investigation, counsel might consider whether to consult with the auditor prior to a witness interview to review whether the auditor (or more likely the auditor’s national office or office of the general counsel) is looking for responses to specific questions. Doing so may avoid duplicative work, such as reinterviewing witnesses to cover additional topics.
Communicating Results
The conclusion of the investigation presents the greatest risk to counsel in terms of waiver of privilege. Auditors frequently request complete access to written reports prepared by counsel, but regularly will accept less than the complete report presented to the client. As a result, counsel should take care in drafting the report (if one is drafted at all), particularly with respect to whether to state conclusions or recommendations in the text of any report, and should consider alternative methods to communicate the substance of the report, including through tailored presentations. Regardless of how the facts learned through the investigation are presented, counsel should expect to engage with the auditor with follow-up to that presentation. Here, in particular, the scope of the auditor’s review is critical. Although the auditor’s curiosity may, at times, seem limitless, the scope of information it actually needs to satisfy its obligations is narrow. This, therefore, is an area where the company readily can explore what information the auditor truly needs to satisfy its inquiry.
In sum, the tension between an investigating attorney and auditor can be alleviated through regular, informed communication throughout an investigation. Understanding the legal obligations of the other party is essential to achieve this result. Accordingly, attorneys conducting internal investigations should consider the obligations of the auditor when planning and executing investigation procedures. At the same time, attorneys should remember that the auditor’s obligations are not boundless, and should use their understanding of the limits of the auditor’s obligations to push back on auditor requests where necessary. Attorneys also should ensure that the auditor understands and considers counsel’s obligation to preserve privilege when requesting information or communications from counsel. Although the interests of auditors and attorneys in an internal investigation may never perfectly align, informed communication can help point them in a similar direction.