San Francisco’s Eric Steinert Published in Bloomberg Law Reports
“Managing Internal Investigations: Lessons from U.S. v. Ruehle”

In a recent article published in the Fall 2010 Labor and Employment issue of Bloomberg Law Reports, partner Eric Steinert focuses on U.S. v. Ruehle, a novel case involving an SEC investigation of Ruehle's company, Broadcom, which came under intense scrutiny for alleged backdating of stock options. Eric's article highlights lessons learned from the case and provides guidance on how in-house counsel can avoid conflicts when managing such internal investigations.

According to Eric, the case involving the former CFO serves as a backdrop for the ethical issues that can arise in internal investigations of alleged wrongdoing by individual employees and corporate officers. More specifically, Eric writes, the case highlights the importance of protecting the attorney-client privilege and attorney-work product, managing joint representations, administering Upjohn warnings, and avoiding conflicts of interest.