Sonsini/Perkins Email

As academics, it’s not often that we get our hands on a real email exchange between attorney and client that we can use for pedagogical purposes. Fortunately, the WSJ has republished the email exchange between Larry Sonsini and Tom Perkins regarding the HP board’s supervision of its own directors and others. As the comments indicate, this email thread is a great issue-spotter. In the future, I may very well use this email as a test question. Among the issues it raises: client identity, competence/diligence, confidentiality and the attorney-client privilege, and false statements by a lawyer. Good stuff.

UPDATE: Larry Sonsini was the subject of the lead front page article in the Mercury News today.

UPDATE 2: Yet more questions raised about Sonsini’s choices–in this case, the decision to chair the emergency board meeting (from which Dunn recused herself because of conflicts) even though there is potential adversity all around.