The statute is an affirmative defense, so a former employee must first demonstrate the basic elements of a defamation case. 6 Thus, the consent of the company's lawyer is not ordinarily required in order for opposing counsel to initiate contact with a former em- ployee.Is the Attorney Investigator Acting in the Capacity of an Attorney? As mentioned above, the attorney-client privilege applies in limited circumstances to the written documents of public entities in the State of Florida. Attorney-Client Privilege and the. The interviewing lawyer should. 75. Attorney-client privilege: The attorney-client privilege can protect a corporate defendant from the testimony of some former employees. Communications with former employees of client. In the event that a breach in privilege comes to light, it will be the lawyer involved in the client-attorney privilege who can be penalized. In Upjohn, the Supreme Court did not fully outline how the attorneyclient privilege applies to communications with former employees.