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The Daily Insight

Are compliance audits privileged?

Author

James Williams

Published Apr 12, 2026

Under a strict interpretation of the lower court’s decision in Barko, a compliance investigation will never be privileged because it is for a business purpose. Even if a strict interpretation of Barko does not obtain, it will be much more difficult, costly, and time-consuming to protect privilege.

Who is responsible for compliance with standard of auditing?

Responsibility for compliance with Relevant Laws and Regulations: It is the responsibility of the management, with the oversight of Those Charged with Governance (TCWG) to ensure that the entity’s operations are conducted in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

What do compliance auditors do?

Compliance auditors are responsible for ensuring that companies adhere and conform to the state and federal regulations related to their line of work. In line with this duty, they develop compliance auditing plans based on thorough research on government agencies and professional organizations’ studies.

Are compliance reports privileged?

Day-to-Day Compliance When acting strictly within the capacity as a CCO, and not in any type of “professional legal capacity” or at the direction of an attorney, compliance officers are usually not protected by the attorney client privilege or attorney work product because they are performing a business function.

Who works as compliance officer in audit committee?

As the compliance leader and subject matter expert, the Chief Audit & Compliance Officer is responsible for establishing standards and implementing procedures to ensure that the compliance programs throughout the organization are effective and efficient in identifying, preventing, detecting and correcting noncompliance …

Are discussions with compliance officers confidential?

The [ ] of the Company, who is currently [ ], has been appointed by the Board of Directors of the Company as the Compliance Officer for the Company. You may remain anonymous and will not be required to reveal your identity in your communication to the Company.

What are the responsibilities of compliance?

Compliance officers have a duty to their employer to work with management and staff to identify and manage regulatory risk. Their objective is to ensure that an organization has internal controls that adequately measure and manage the risks it faces.