The Changing Landscape of the French “Secret Professionnel

In France, the “secret professionnel” for attorneys – the French version of attorney-client privilege – has long been presented as a cornerstone of the rule of law and a necessary condition for legal advice and defense. However, four Cour de cassation decisions, issued between September 2025 and March 2026, illustrate that the scope of the secret professionnel protection is no longer interpreted in a uniform way. In this guest article, Proskauer partner Bryan Sillaman and senior associate Salomée Bohbot review the legal background of the secret professionnel in France, analyze the four French cases and discuss new legislation introduced in 2026 concerning the confidentiality of communications with in-house legal teams. See “Tool or Third Party? Courts Differ on AI’s Role in Privilege and Work-Product Protections” (Mar. 25, 2026).

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