Clients of the law firm HWL Ebsworth have had their details exposed in invoices filed in the New South Wales Supreme Court despite believing they would be kept confidential.
The law firm was representing a group of 19 employees at ANZ during a 2014 investigation of the bank for market manipulation by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
The invoices include excessive detail including the employees’ full names, the length and details of their meetings with ASIC.
Law Council president Jacoba Brasch said that confidentiality “ensures full and frank discussions between clients and legal advisers, and … also promotes the administration of justice and compliance with the law.”