4. This Article shall not apply to notaries, lawyers, other independent legal professionals, auditors, external accountants and tax advisors in relation to information they receive from, or obtain on, a client, in the course of ascertaining the legal position of that client, or performing their task of defending or representing that client in, or concerning, judicial proceedings, including providing advice on instituting or avoiding such proceedings, regardless of whether such information is received or obtained before, during or after such proceedings.
However, the requirements of this Article shall apply when the obliged entities referred to in the first subparagraph of this paragraph provide legal advice in any of the situations covered by Article 21(2), second subparagraph.