---
title: How Not To Waive Privilege When Consulting Non-attorney Experts Or Professionals
description: By Caroline Rule Criminal Litigation December 2016 Edition Frequently, defense counsel in criminal investigations and prosecutions…
---

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# [How Not To Waive Privilege When Consulting Non-attorney Experts Or Professionals](https://kostelanetz.com/publications/how-not-to-waive-privilege-when-consulting-non-attorney-experts-or-professionals)

 Written by [Kostelanetz LLP](https://kostelanetz.com/publications/author/kostelanetz-llp) | Dec 2, 2016

By [Caroline Rule  
](https://www.kflaw.com/caroline_rule)Criminal Litigation  
 December 2016 Edition

Frequently, defense counsel in criminal investigations and prosecutions – particularly in tax-related prosecutions, but also in many other complex matters – cannot provide effective assistance to his or her client without consulting a non-attorney expert or professional, such as an accountant. The Second Circuit’s seminal decision in *United States v. Kovel*, 296 F2d 918 (2d Cir. 1961), established that, if the non-attorney expert or professional is engaged *by an attorney to assist the attorney in representing a client*, and the services of the non-attorney expert or professional *are necessary to translate, interpret, or explain client communications *so that the attorney fully understands them, then communications between the attorney, the client, and the non-attorney expert or professional (hereafter, the “*Kovel* expert”) are protected under the attorney client privilege.

[Full Article ](https://kflaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/How-Not-to-Waive-Privilege-When-Consult...pdf)

[View full post](https://kostelanetz.com/publications/how-not-to-waive-privilege-when-consulting-non-attorney-experts-or-professionals)

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