Does the attorney-client privilege apply when SBA employees are represented by the Government?
13 C.F.R. § 114.111
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01When attorneys employed by SBA participate in any process in which SBA seeks to determine whether SBA should request the Department of Justice to provide representation to an SBA employee sued, subpoenaed, or charged in his or her individual capacity, or whether attorneys employed by SBA should provide representational assistance for such an employee, those attorneys undertake a full and traditional attorney-client relationship with the employee with respect to the attorney-client privilege. If representation is authorized, SBA attorneys who assist in the representation of an SBA employee also undertake a full and traditional attorney-client relationship with the employee with respect to the attorney-client privilege. Unless authorized by the employee, the attorney must not disclose to anyone other than attorneys also responsible for the employee's representation information communicated to the attorney by the client-employee during the course of the attorney-client relationship. The attorney-client privilege will continue with respect to that information whether or not representation is provided, and even if the employee's representation is denied or discontinued.
Source: eCFRURL: https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2024-07-01/title-13.xmlFetched: 7/26/2026