Are Food and Drug Lawyers ‘Real’ Lawyers?

A recent California case raised the question of whether, within the context of the attorney-client privilege, regulatory advice provided by food and drug attorneys qualifies as “legal” (protected) advice or “business” (generally not protected) advice. This California court ruling demonstrates that regulatory advice that food and drug lawyers provide to clients can qualify as “legal” advice. There are, however, several crucial lessons to be learned from this case.