E-Discovery Advisory: 2008 in Review - Developments in Electronic Discovery
1/26/2009
Developments in Electronic Discovery
In 2008, courts and Congress sought to facilitate the review and production of electronically-stored information (ESI) and to minimize the risk that a party will waive the attorney-client privilege in cases of an inadvertent production of privileged ESI. These clarification efforts, however, carry with them complexities of their own that potentially complicate the ESI-production process and frustrate the unwary practitioner.
These key developments—drawn from two significant rulings and from revisions to the Federal Rules of Evidence and Civil Procedure—highlight the importance of:
- implementing a comprehensive electronic discovery plan at the outset of any potential dispute, and conducting a thorough review of potentially relevant ESI;
- preparing a “clawback” or non-disclosure agreement, based on procedures and a document review protocol that the court will find reasonable (and seeking court approval of that agreement for maximum protection); and
- implementing a comprehensive review of documents for privilege, instead of relying solely on keyword searches.
For a detailed discussion of any of these developments, and our advice on understanding and implementing the new standards, please click on any of the topics above.
For assistance in this area, please contact one of the attorneys listed below or any member of your Mintz Levin client service team.
Kevin N. Ainsworth
New York
(212) 692-6745
KAinsworth@mintz.com
H. Joseph Hameline
Boston
(617) 348-1651
HJHameline@mintz.com
Peter B. Zlotnick
New York
(212) 692-6887
PBZlotnick@mintz.com
Patrick J. Sharkey
Boston
(617) 348-1734
PJSharkey@mintz.com
Joseph G. Blute
Boston
(617) 348-3073
JGBlute@mintz.com
Dominic J. Picca
New York
(212) 692-6859
DJPicca@mintz.com
Daniel T. Pascucci
San Diego
(858) 314-1505
DPascucci@mintz.com
Noam B. Fischman
Washington
(202) 434-7401
NBFischman@mintz.com
Helen Gerostathos Guyton
Washington
(202) 434-7385
HGGuyton@mintz.com
John B. Koss
Boston
(617) 348-1641
JBKoss@mintz.com
