RC/PB, INC., PETITIONER,
v.
THE RITZ-CARLTON HOTEL COMPANY, L.L.C., MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC., AND AVENDRA, L.L.C., RESPONDENTS
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The trial court departed from the essential requirements of law by ordering production of documents claimed to be attorney-client privileged without conducting an in camera inspection.
[1] A trial court must conduct an in camera inspection to determine the validity of an attorney-client privilege claim before ordering the production of documents.
[2] The burden of establishing the attorney-client privilege rests on the party claiming it.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceIn complex commercial litigation, the petitioner asserted attorney-client privilege over certain documents and provided a privilege log. The responden…
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The petitioner seeks a writ of certiorari. At issue is a claim of attorney-client privilege to a request for production of documents. The petitioner argues the trial court departed from the essential requirements of the law resulting in irreparable injury by ordering production of documents, which it claims are attorney-client privileged, without conducting an in camera inspection. We agree and grant the petition.
The discovery dispute arose in complex commercial litigation over a franchise agreement. The petitioner asserted an attorney-client privilege to certain documents and prepared a privilege log. The respondents argued that any privilege had been waived because the documents were either copied or addressed to third parties.
The petitioner requested an in camera inspection before ordering production. Despite acknowledging that there could be some privileged materials, the trial court ordered production of the material listed in the privilege log without conducting an in camera inspection.1
“The burden of establishing the attorney-client privilege rests on the party claiming it.” S. Bell Tel. & Tel. Co. v. Deason, 632 So.2d 1377, 1383 (Fla.1994). The party claiming the privilege also bears the burden of showing that disclosure to a third party did not waive the privilege. See Black v. State, 920 So.2d 668, 671 (Fla. 5th DCA 2006).
A communication between lawyer and client is “confidential” if it is not intended to be disclosed to third persons other than:
1. Those to whom disclosure is in furtherance of the rendition of legal services to the client.
2. Those reasonably necessary for the transmission of the communication.
§§ 90.502(l)(c)12, Fla. Stat. (2012).
The petitioner does not dispute the legal standard regarding attorney-client communication revealed to third parties. It simply argues that the trial court should conduct an in camera inspection before compelling production of documents to which the alleged privileged is asserted. The respondents argue that any privilege was waived by disclosure to third parties.
The court in Southern Bell adopted the subject-matter test to determine whether corporate communications are privileged:
We believe that the subject-matter test adds a condition to the corporate privilege that more completely addresses one of the perplexing problems presented in the instant case: the issue of whether the communications made to Southern Bell were made in the course of seeking legal services. Because the nature of the corporation differs significantly from the individual person, the attorney-client privilege will also differ in its application to the corporation and to the natural person. First, a corporation can only act through its agents, whereas a natural person can seek legal advice and then directly act (or not act) upon that advice. Second, a corporation relies on its attorney for business advice more than the natural person. *327Thus, it is likely that the “zone of silence” will be enlarged by virtue of the corporation’s continual contact with its legal counsel.
S. Bell, 632 So.2d at 1383 (emphasis added) (citing Radiant Burners, Inc. v. Am. Gas Ass’n, 207 F.Supp. 771, 774 (N.D.Ill.1962)).
Here, the petitioner submitted a privilege log and an explanation of why others were involved in the communications. The petitioner asserted the attorney-client privilege because the communications were in furtherance of seeking legal advice. That is sufficient to warrant an in camera inspection in this case. This is especially true where the trial court acknowledged that it may have missed some privileged materials.
We grant the petition and remand the case to the trial court to conduct an in camera inspection. Upon remand, the trial court should consider whether:
(1) the communication would not have been made but for the contemplation of legal services;
(2) the employee making the communication did so at the direction of his or her corporate superior;
(3) the superior made the request of the employee as part of the corporation’s effort to secure legal advice or services;
(4) the content of the communication relates to the legal services being rendered, and the subject matter of the communication is within the scope of the employee’s duties;
(5) the communication is not disseminated beyond those persons who, because of the corporate structure, need to know its contents.
Id.
CIKLIN and CONNER, JJ„ concur.
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LAS Olas River House Condo. Ass'n, Inc. v. Lorh, LLC, 181 So. 3d 556 (Fla. 4th DCA 2015)…on, and should have determined, in the course of an in camera inspection, whether the privilege as to each document or class of documents was waived by disclosure to the property manager and his supervisor. See RC/PB, Inc. v. Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co., 132 So. 3d 325, 327 (Fla. 4th DCA 2014) [*559] (quashing order compelling production and directing trial court to conduct an in camera inspection and consider Deason factors, where third parties were involved in corporation’s communications with counsel). We reje…
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State v. Avery Topps, 142 So. 3d 978 (Fla. 4th DCA 2014)…nce of a close family member does not, in and of itself, waive the attorney-client privilege,” and “cannot be determined as a matter of law based on the percentage of time a third party was present.”); see also RC/PB, Inc. v. Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co., 132 So. 3d 325, 326-27 (Fla. 4th DCA 2014) (addressing the role of third persons in attorney-client communications where the client is a corporation); 3 Jack B. Weinstein & Margaret A. Berger, Weinstein’s Federal Evidence § 504.08[3] (Joseph M. McLaughlin, 2d ed.…
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Akerman, LLP v. Cohen (Fla. 4th DCA 2022)…in camera review of the documents by the trial court prior to disclosure.” Id. (citing Old Holdings, Ltd. v. Taplin, Howard, Shaw & Miller, P.A., 584 So. 2d 1128, 1128–29 (Fla. 4th DCA 1991)); see also RC/PB, Inc. v. Ritz- Carlton Hotel Co., L.L.C., 132 So. 3d 325, 327 (Fla. 4th DCA 2014) (finding an in camera inspection was warranted before compelling production of documents to which an alleged attorney-client privilege is asserted). The Florida Supreme Court and our sister districts agree. See Genovese v.…
Previewing 3 of 6 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- S. Bell Tel. & Tel. Co. v. Deason, 632 So. 2d 1377 (Fla. 1994)
- Isa Black v. State, 920 So. 2d 668 (Fla. 5th DCA 2006)