By Jennifer M. Thomas — On June 19, the D.C. Circuit issued a decision setting forth the Court’s views on attorney-client privilege in Federal Trade Commission v. Boehringer Ingelheim Pharms., Inc. The D.C. Circuit previously ruled on attorney work-product protection issues in the same matter. See 778 F.3d 142 (D.C. Cir. 2015). Boehringer ultimately prevailed in its attorney-client privilege claims, and the case provides good precedent for companies facing disputes with the government over attorney-client privilege. However, the D.C. Circuit and underlying District Court decisions also highlight the difficulty of establishing privilege over dual-purpose documents and communications. By way of background, Federal Trade Commission v. Boehringer Ingelheim Pharms., Inc. involves a Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) antitrust investigation into Boehringer’s settlement agreement and co-promotion agreement with generic drug manufacturer…
Read more detail on Recent Products Liability posts –