A showcase debate at the International Bar Association (IBA) on threats to legal privilege has sparked a fierce battle between traditionalists, who say it should be preserved at all costs, and reformers who advocate a more pragmatic approach.

The split appeared on the last day of the IBA’s San Francisco conference (19 September) when a rousing call by IBA stalwart Ramon Mullerat for lawyers to resist all attacks on legal privilege was met with stiff opposition.