An unusual coalition of business, civil rights and bar organizations scored a significant victory last week when the U.S. Sentencing Commission voted unanimously to delete language in the sentencing guidelines that encouraged government prosecutors to require waivers of the attorney-client privilege and work-product protections in order for corporations to qualify for leniency in sentencing.
In April 2004, the commission sent Congress a number of amendments to Chapter 8 of the guidelines relating to “organizations,” a term that includes corporations, partnerships, unions, nonprofit groups, governments and other entities.
