§ Rule 502 Attorney-Client Privilege and Work Product; Limitations on Waiver

Rule 502. Attorney-Client Privilege and Work Product; Limitations on Waiver

The following provisions apply, in the circumstances set out, to disclosure of a communication or information covered by the attorney-client privilege or work product protection.

(a) Disclosure made in an Arizona proceeding; scope of a waiver.

When the disclosure is made in an Arizona proceeding and waives the attorney-client privilege or work-product protection, the waiver extends to an undisclosed communication or information in an Arizona proceeding only if:

(1) the waiver is intentional;

(2) the disclosed and undisclosed communications or information concern the same subject matter; and

(3) they ought in fairness to be considered together.

(b) Inadvertent disclosure.

When made in an Arizona proceeding, the disclosure does not operate as a waiver in an Arizona proceeding if:

(1) the disclosure is inadvertent;

(2) the holder of the privilege or protection took reasonable steps to prevent disclosure; and

(3) the holder promptly took reasonable steps to rectify the error, including (if applicable) following Arizona Rule of Civil Procedure 26.1(f)(2).

When the disclosure is made in a proceeding in federal court or another state and is not the subject of a court order concerning waiver, the disclosure does not operate as a waiver in an Arizona proceeding if the disclosure:

(1) would not be a waiver under this rule if it had been made in an Arizona proceeding; or

(2) is not a waiver under the law governing the federal or state proceeding where the disclosure occurred.

(d) Controlling effect of a court order.

An Arizona court may order that the privilege or protection is not waived by disclosure connected with the litigation pending before the court--in which event the disclosure is also not a waiver in any other proceeding.

(e) Controlling effect of a party agreement.

An agreement on the effect of disclosure in an Arizona proceeding is binding only on the parties to the agreement, unless it is incorporated into a court order.

(f) Definitions.

In this rule:

(1) “attorney-client privilege” means the protection that applicable law provides for confidential attorney-client communications; and

(2) “work-product protection” means the protection that applicable law provides for tangible material (or its intangible equivalent) prepared in anticipation of litigation or for trial.