Our Asia Pacific Guide to Privilege has recently been launched, including a new chapter on England and Wales and a question added to each of the other chapters comparing the position on privilege to the English law position. Compiled by our network of Herbert Smith Freehills lawyers and trusted local counsel, the updated Guide takes … Read more
Legal professional privilege is recognised as a fundamental human right, which serves an important public interest in allowing parties to take legal advice, and prepare for litigation, without fear that what they say may later be disclosed and used against them. But the English law of privilege has developed in ways that many clients and … Read more
The High Court has confirmed that the Disclosure Pilot operating in the Business and Property Courts since 1 January 2019 applies to all proceedings currently on foot in those courts (apart from those specifically excluded), regardless of whether orders for disclosure were made prior to that date. Accordingly, any applications for further orders regarding disclosure … Read more
The High Court has held that correspondence marked “without prejudice save as to costs” and which described the conduct of prior “without prejudice” (“WP”) negotiations (including a mediation and subsequent discussions) was admissible in an application for costs against the claimant’s lawyers: Willers v Joyce & Ors [2019] EWHC 937 (Ch). The court accepted that … Read more
On Tuesday 19 March (12.30 – 1.30pm GMT), Julian Copeman, Anna Pertoldi and Maura McIntosh will deliver a webinar for Herbert Smith Freehills clients and contacts looking at developments in the English law of privilege over the past six months. In that time, the courts have reinforced some old problems, such as the narrow interpretation … Read more
The High Court has held that the content of “without prejudice” (“WP”) communications between the parties to the proceedings was inadmissible, though the fact of the WP negotiations could be referred to. The counterparty to the WP communications would be prejudiced by admission of the communications, and it had neither deployed the content of the … Read more
A recent High Court decision demonstrates that, whilst confidentiality is a prerequisite to a claim for privilege, information will not cease to be confidential unless it is in fact known to a “substantial number of people”: Winstone v MGN Ltd [2019] EWHC 265 (Ch). In the present case, the court found that the quality of confidentiality had … Read more
The High Court has rejected an application for disclosure of documents containing the underlying instructions to a law firm acting for a party funding a transaction, in circumstances where the law firm provided a confirmation to the seller as to the nature of its irrevocable instructions regarding escrow monies: Raiffeisen Bank International AG v Asia … Read more
