Insights
Client Alert
Delaware Court of Chancery Holds That Pre Merger Attorney-Client Privilege Passes to the Surviving Corporation in a Merger
December 04, 2013
BY THADDEUS J. MALIK, EVE M. CODDON & JILL R. SHEIMAN
The Delaware Court of Chancery recently ruled that, absent express contractual provisions to the contrary, control of a target company’s pre-merger attorney-client communications transfers to the surviving corporation in a merger pursuant to Section 259 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. As a result, parties to a merger should discuss the intended treatment of the attorney-client privilege with respect to pre-merger communications and, if necessary, reflect their desired arrangements in the transaction documentation.