Data Collection – the first step in an eDiscovery project is usually underrated by the end-to-end managing team. The reason for this is because the data collection piece is often considered to be an “IT team only” task. However, we believe the time has now come for the core discovery people and lawyers to look into the collection process more keenly, because… a stitch in time, saves nine. The same proverb applies to Disclosure. Data Collection is the first step towards eDiscovery and i (...)

eDiscovery is one of the most intriguing topics of discussion when examining the use of technology by the legal profession. It is clear that the act of finding and collecting potentially relevant evidence has morphed into a massive operation that involves large amounts of money, time, and other resources. eDiscovery never fails to surprise and has constantly challenged legal professionals as new sources of data continually arise. Initially, eDiscovery started with emails and computer files, but (...)

“Once a party reasonably anticipates litigation, it must suspend its routine document retention/destruction policy and put in place a ‘Legal Hold.” The above definition is easy to understand the ‘legal hold’ process for any legal department or law firm. Legal teams need to ensure that the legal hold notification reaches to each custodian, stakeholder, or contingent staff to preserve data relevant for further investigation. They need to work abruptly before the date loses its vitality, (...)

As part of our series discussing current challenges posed by the pandemic, we continue to speak with industry experts across a range of specialties related to managing electronic information and gather their insights. In addition, these individuals have also provided some projections regarding their expectations of the “New Normal”, as travel restrictions are eased and office are re-opened across America. Being a life-long resident of the New York Metro area, having lived only in two States (...)

EDRM (Electronic Discovery Reference Model)/Duke Law podcast series, launched in 2018, recently had the pleasure of including special guest, co-Founder of the EDRM, George Socha, Managing Director in BDO’s Technology and Business Transformation Services practice.  George’s remarks regarding the need for eDiscovery education and the continued relevance of the EDRM diagram are worth listening to by any litigation support professional. Each EDRM podcast in (...)

When writing and sending e-mails via a Webmail service, an auto-saving function can be a real lifesaver. In the world of eDiscovery, however, auto-saved e-mails can prove a costly and time-consuming burden. Auto-saving does exactly what it sounds like — automatically saves drafts of your e-mail messages as you type them, with data regularly moved from your Web browser to the provider’s server. This way, if your connection goes down for any reason, the We (...)

The closure of an eDiscovery database is a milestone in litigation that should be carefully contemplated, regardless of whether the plan involves permanent or indefinite closure. With the current emphasis on reusability of data and the long duration of litigation proceedings, every database closure should be done with consideration given to the possibility of the future need for the same electronically stored information (ESI) with its corresponding work product. Frequently, data used for one ma (...)