In the season finale the Chuck Rhoades, Wendy Rhoades, and Bobby Axelrod triangle fallout continues and leads to some major confrontations which could have been avoided had the rules been complied with.
Spoilers Ahead In this episode, Chuck Rhoades tells his coworkers about the confidential information he obtained from Wendy’s laptop about her session with Axe ( i.e.,he bribed a police officer after one of his employees drunkenly tried to shoot a deer with an assault weapon in the middle of the night). As team Rhoades is embarking on the latest chapter in the Axe Capital investigation saga, Axe is tipped off that they know about the bribery. Axe realizes the only person that knows about the bribery is Wendy Rhoades, whereupon he launches a full press blackmail assault against her. Axe has Wendy summoned and presents her with some personally incriminating photos, including her indecent exposures from the pool together and her S&M fetish. Axe threatens to release the pictures to ruin her unless Wendy fixes what she has done.
Wendy confronts her husband Chuck about stealing the information from her laptop, which he does not deny. Chuck attacks her in return saying that she knowingly works for criminals which makes her a criminal as well. Wendy tells Chuck to pack his bags and leave. Wendy returns to Axe with a recording she’d secretly taken during the argument with her husband and uses it as leverage to make sure he doesn’t release the incriminating photos. She also negotiates a $5 million dollar bonus from Axe, which Axe offers to make $15 million if he can have the recording. After hearing Axe instruct Wags to make the $5 million dollar wire to her account, Wendy smiles and quits her job, saying, “I can’t be in denial about what this place is, what you are, any longer.”
Both of these confrontations could have been avoided if Chuck Rhoades did not know Wendy’s password. Not only did this have huge personal ramifications for Wendy but Wendy has a professional obligation to her clients to protect their information. The interest of your clients should always come first, even with your spouse – no exceptions.
On the surface level, sharing of any passwords can cause many breaches: breaches of professional responsibility, privacy breaches, cybersecurity breaches and negligence. In the medical field, patient information is protected under the Data Protection Act. For the financial industry, client information is protected by Regulation S-P. For lawyers, confidential client communications are governed by the Attorney-Client Privilege, which are sacred and can only be waived by the client.
For more information on how to make sure your firm is complying with the privacy rules and the protection of investors, please contact Jacko Law Group at 619.298.2880 or [email protected].
