Analyse
14 juillet 2017

Vade-mecum du Barreau de Paris pour les avocats réalisant des enquêtes internes (En anglais)

Bastille Day Newsletter 2017

 

NAVACELLE translated, for information purposes, the Vademecum for Attorneys tasked with carrying out an internal investigation, issued by the Paris Bar on July 12, 2017.

***

Vademecum for Attorneys tasked with carrying out an internal investigation

Through a resolution passed on March 8, 2016, the Paris Bar Council considered that internal investigations fell within the scope of an attorney’s professional tasks (excluding the activity of research and investigation provided for by article L621.1 of the National Security Code), under the scope of article 6.2 al. 5 of the National Regulations of the lawyers’ profession (RIN) (expertise activity), or under the scope of articles 6.1 and 6.2 al. 2 of the RIN (assistance and counselling activities).

In accordance with this resolution, recommendations were made with respect to this activity for the purpose of their incorporation in the RIBP.

Some of these recommendations are general in scope (1), others are specific to internal investigations carried out in the context of the assistance and advisory activities of attorneys (2) or to the internal investigation carried out by an attorney in his/her capacity as an expert.

 1. General recommendations

An attorney tasked with carrying out an internal investigation must comply with, under all circumstances, our essential principles (article 1.3 RIN). He/she will comply with the essential principles of conscience, independence, humanity, loyalty, delicacy, moderation, competence and prudence. He/she will refrain from exerting pressure on individuals he/she interviews;

The attorney will execute, with his/her client or the persons who appointed him/her, a contract which, in addition to the determination of costs, will define the scope of his/her retention;

Before any contact with third parties for the purpose of carrying out the internal investigation, he/she will explain his/her role and its non-coercive nature; inform them that they may not claim any attorney-client privilege with respect to exchanges and that what they say may be transcribed in his/her report in whole or in part.

2. Specific recommendations for the activity of internal investigation carried out by an attorney in the context of an assistance and counselling activities (articles 6.1 and 6.2 al. 2 of the RIN)

An attorney tasked with carrying out an internal investigation in the context of an assistance or counselling activity may be the usual attorney of the client who commissioned him/her or an attorney who has not previously worked for him/her;

In all circumstances, he/she will mention to the individuals he/she interviews in the course of the internal investigation that he/she is not their attorney but that he/she acts on behalf of the client who retained him/her to carry out this investigation;

He/she will explain to interviewees and to other persons contacted for the needs of the investigation that the attorney-client privilege binds him/her but not the client. Therefore, what the interviewee says what they say and any other information gathered during the investigation may be used by his/her client, so may be the report he/she may provide to his/her client.

He/she will inform the interviewee that he/she may be assisted or advised by an attorney when it appears, prior to or during the interview, that the interviewee may be held accountable for any wrongdoing at the outcome of the investigation;

When a statement is transcribed verbatim, he/she will offer to the interviewee an opportunity to review the statement and to sign it. He/she will refrain from providing him/her with a copy if the preservation of the confidentiality of the investigation requires otherwise – with regards to French or foreign rules on confidentiality -;

He/she may assist his/her client in a mutual agreement procedure or in a dispute, related or subsequent to the internal investigation, but will refrain from representing his/her client in such a procedure directed against an individual that he/she has interviewed during the internal investigation.

3. Specific recommendations for the activity of internal investigation carried out by an attorney in the context of an expertise activity (article 6.2 al. 5 RIN)

An attorney tasked with carrying out an internal investigation, in the context of an expertise activity, will not accept this mission if he/she already is the counsel, usual or not, of the person(s) retaining him/her;

He/she will mention that in the context of an expertise mission, the internal investigation is not subject to the attorney-client privilege; he/she will ensure that documents, correspondence and other exchanges related to this investigation are split from the matters he is tasked with carrying out as an attorney, in order to preserve the attorney-client privilege by which he/she is bound in this capacity.

When a deposition is transcribed verbatim, he/she will offer the interviewee an opportunity to review the statement and to sign it; he/she will provide a copy upon the interviewee’s request, except in specific circumstances.

He/she will refrain from representing one of the parties in any procedure relating to or arising from the internal investigation, even in an amicable procedure.

Contenu similaire

Analyse
La 32e chambre correctionnelle du tribunal judiciaire de Paris se prononce pour la première fois en matière de délit de manipulation de marché
7 juillet 2023
La 32e chambre correctionnelle du tribunal judiciaire de Paris se prononce pour la première fois...
Le 25 mai 2023, la 32e chambre correctionnelle du tribunal judiciaire de Paris a rendu sa première décision en matière...
Événement
Formation enquête interne - CY Université
3 avril 2023
La conduite des auditions dans le cadre d’une enquête interne
Mise en lumière des difficultés relatives à la conduite des entretiens tant du côté des personnes auditionnées que des personnes...
Revue de presse
Revue de presse
29 septembre 2023
Revue de presse – Semaine du 25 septembre 2023
Cette semaine, la revue de presse Navacelle revient sur l’abrogation d’une disposition du code de procédure pénale par le Conseil...
Revue de presse
Revue de presse
22 septembre 2023
Revue de presse – Semaine du 18 septembre 2023
Cette semaine, la revue de presse Navacelle revient sur l’adoption de la huitième version de la directive européenne sur la...
Analyse
La Cour de cassation reconnaît à la justice française la compétence universelle dans le cadre de crimes commis en Syrie.
18 septembre 2023
La Cour de cassation reconnaît à la justice française la compétence universelle dans le cadre...
Dans deux arrêts du 12 mai 2023, la Cour de cassation précise les conditions dans lesquelles la justice française a...
Revue de presse
revue de presse
15 septembre 2023
Revue de presse – Semaine du 11 septembre 2023
Cette semaine, la revue de presse Navacelle revient sur la décision remarquée d’un juge de la Cour Suprême brésilienne annulant...
Revue de presse
Revue de presse
8 septembre 2023
Revue de presse – Semaine du 4 septembre 2023
Cette semaine, la revue de presse Navacelle revient sur le guide publié par la Commission européenne à l’intention des opérateurs...
Actualité
Bastille day newsletter 2023
14 juillet 2023
Bastille Day Newsletter 2023
En ce 14 juillet, l’équipe Navacelle vous propose, comme chaque année, une sélection d'événements marquants survenus en France au cours...
Analyse
13 juillet 2023
Panorama de jurisprudence en droit de l’arbitrage
La jurisprudence française rendue au cours de l’année écoulée s’est notamment prononcée sur le régime d’exécution de sentences dans le...
Publication
13 juillet 2023
[Infographie] Focus sur l’activité de la Commission nationale de l’informatique et des libertés...
L’activité contentieuse de la CNIL des derniers mois met en lumière les très lourdes sanctions financières imposées aux GAFAM, en...
Publication
13 juillet 2023
[Infographie] Focus sur l’activité de l’Autorité des marchés financiers
L’activité répressive de l’AMF, toujours soutenue, démontre cette année encore l’ambition du régulateur de renforcer constamment la surveillance des marchés...
Publication
13 juillet 2023
[Infographie] Focus sur les Conventions judiciaires d’intérêt public
Depuis sa création par la loi Sapin II du 9 décembre 2016, la Convention judiciaire d’intérêt public (CJIP) a démontré...
Analyse
13 juillet 2023
Le Défenseur des droits publie son nouveau guide destiné aux lanceurs d’alerte et à leur...
Le 30 mars 2023, un an après la loi du 21 mars 2022 visant à améliorer la protection des lanceurs...
Analyse
13 juillet 2023
Affaire Thales : la Cour de cassation renforce la protection des lanceurs d’alerte contre les...
Dans cet arrêt, la Cour de cassation conclut que le juge des référés doit prendre toute mesure qui s’impose pour...