Law Firm Employees May Not Be Interviewed Without Counsel Present, N.Y. Federal Judge Rules

NEW YORK - Three prominent asbestos plaintiffs' law firms who have been sued under the federal civil racketeering statute have been granted a protective order shielding their former and current employees from being interviewed by private investigators without benefit of counsel present. G-I Holdings Inc. v. Baron & Budd et al., No. 01 Civ. 0216 (RSW) (S.D. N.Y.).

On April 9, U.S. District Judge Robert W. Sweet of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York issued the protective order on the ground that ex parte interviews with law firm employees might jeopardize the firms' attorney-client privilege …