Shari Klevens (left) and Alanna Clair of Dentons. (Courtesy photos)
Ethical rules provide for the confidentiality of one-on-one conversations between a lawyer and their client. But what happens when the client is an organization that employs multiple people? To whom is the duty of confidentiality owed?
Most lawyers who represent corporations understand that their duties are generally owed to the company itself. But, as Georgia Rule of Professional Conduct 1.13(a) recognizes, the organization typically acts through its “duly authorized constituents,” including officers, directors, employees, and shareholders. Thus, although the client may be the organization, pursuant to that relationship the lawyer is naturally expected to interact with the people within the organization.
