Epps v. City and County of Denver

**Case Summary: Epps v. City and County of Denver** This case involved shareholders who sued the accounting firm Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. for fraud and negligence. The shareholders wanted access to the accounting firm's internal work papers and communications with their client to support their lawsuit. They believed these documents would help prove their case against the accountants. The Colorado Supreme Court ruled against the shareholders and in favor of the accounting firm. The court upheld something called "accountant-client privilege," which protects confidential communications between accountants and their clients. This meant the accounting firm did not have to turn over their work papers or reveal their private communications with the client, even though the shareholders claimed they needed this information to prove fraud and negligence. **What this means for workers:** This ruling strengthens the privacy protection between accountants and their clients, similar to how lawyer-client privilege works. For employees, this could be relevant if you're involved in workplace disputes where accounting records or financial communications are involved. It shows that certain professional relationships have strong legal protections that can limit what information becomes available during lawsuits, even when serious wrongdoing is alleged.