The UNBA Committee on Lobbying discussed the protection of attorney-client privilege and standards of work of lobbyists
Today, a regular meeting of the Ukrainian National Bar Association’s Lobbying Committee was held to discuss the key challenges of combining advocacy and lobbying activities in the context of the Law of Ukraine “On Lobbying”. The meeting was chaired by Oleksiy Shevchuk, Chairman of the Board of the Ukrainian National Lobbyists Association, Chairman of the UNBA Lobbying Committee, UNBA spokesperson, attorney Oleksiy Shevchuk.
The discussion is centered on the fundamental issue of distinguishing between the lawyer’s file and the lobbyist‘s file, which is fundamental to preserving the standards of legal privilege, professional guarantees and trust in the legal profession.
The participants of the meeting emphasized that the introduction of the institution of lobbying cannot pose risks to the confidentiality of the practice of law and should not replace or dilute the legal regime for the protection of attorney-client privilege.
Dialogue with the NACP and preparation of a common position
In this context, the Committee announced a working meeting with representatives of the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption in the near future.
The purpose of the meeting will be to conduct explanatory work and organize a specialized round table to develop a common approach to the protection of attorney-client privilege in relation to lawyers engaged in lobbying activities.
Key issues on the agenda
The Committee also discussed these issues in detail:
- peculiarities of taxation of lobbyists’ activities;
- potential risks of conflict of interest in the case of combining the statuses of an attorney and a lobbyist;
- technical possibility to obtain extracts from the Transparency Register through the Diia app for lobbyists.
Educational focus: specialized course for lawyers
Separately, it was announced that a specialized course will be launched in the near future
“Lobbying in Advocacy ” at the UNBA Higher School of Advocacy.
The course will be aimed at practical training of attorneys to work in the context of the new regulation and the formation of uniform professional standards.
Next steps
The work of the Lobbying Committee is aimed at maximizing the protection of the professional interests of attorneys working or planning to work in the field of lobbying, as well as at establishing clear, understandable and legally safe rules of the game.
The Ukrainian National Lobbyists Association invites colleagues to actively participate in the work of the Committee and send project proposals for changes to the legislation necessary for the daily practice of lobbyists.
