1 A Practical Guide to eDiscovery in Litigation Presented by: Christopher N. Weiss Aric H. Jarrett Stoel Rives LLP Public Risk Management Association (PRIMA), Washington Chapter September 2011

2 eDiscovery – The Outline 1.Overview 2.eDiscovery Paradigm a.Preservation b.Collection c.Production 3.Spoliation Sanctions 4.Preparing Your Defense 5.eDiscovery in Practice

3 Examples of ESI messages and attachments Word processing documents Graphic images Spreadsheets Plus other data created and stored on computers and networks. Web logs

4 Assumptions: Average banker’s box holds 2,500 sheets of paper. 1 page of information on average = (.02 megabytes) Megabytes 12,50050 File Sizes = = Terabytes Gigabytes 1025, ,0001 1,0002,500,00050 ___________________________________________ 5,00012,500, ,00050,000, ,000150,000,0003 Boxes of Bytes: Putting It All In Perspective Typical PC Hard Disk Server Attached Network

5 Mining for Metadata Why would you want it? What does it look like? Do you have to be a computer geek to understand it?

6 Metadata: Cautionary Tales A Case of Sunspots (2010) –Evidence authentication and admissibility –Witness credibility Nat’l Day Laborer Org. Net. v. United States I.C.E. –Production of metadata under FOIA –Citation: 2011 WL (S.D.N.Y. Feb. 7, 2011) (Scheindlin, J.), withdrawn June 17, 2011

7 Discovery Paradigm Preservation  Collection  Production ________________ ▲ ▼ ________________ Analysis  Presentation

8 The Duty to Preserve Various bases for the duty to preserve When the duty to preserve arises is case-specific What must be preserved? –Hardcopy and ESI –But also… USB flash drives Instant messages & text messages Skype messages

9 Litigation Holds Recipients Contents –Preserve documents & ESI –Suspend any destruction policy –Describe dispute, date range –Identify contact person –Methods of collection, if known –Duration Follow-up

10 Litigation Holds: Cautionary Tales The Boiler Case (2009) Pension Comm. of the Univ. of Montreal Pension Plan v. Banc of Am. Sec., LLC –Failure to issue written litigation hold: gross negligence –Citation: 685 F. Supp. 2d 456 (S.D.N.Y. 2010) (Scheindlin, J.)

11 Discovery Paradigm Preservation  Collection  Production ________________ ▲ ▼ ________________ Analysis  Presentation

12 Locating & Mapping ESI Two Issues: –Where is potentially-relevant ESI located? –Who are the custodians? Mapping ESI –Detail systems –Develop custodian list –Determine information flow(s) –Understand storage –Identify network collaboration tools –Locate off-site storage

13 ESI Collection (Continued) Teamwork –In-house counsel –Outside counsel –IT –Management Vendors Analytical Software

14 Discovery Paradigm Preservation  Collection  Production ________________ ▲ ▼ ________________ Analysis  Presentation

15 The Duty to Produce Traditional “Eyes On” Review Key Word Search Analytical Software Fed. R. Ev. 502(b) –Inadvertent disclosure of privileged material

16 Spoliation – What Is It? Destruction Material alteration Failure to preserve Shredding documents Altering documents or metadata Deleting, wiping ESI

17 Spoliation – Sanctions & Remedies Additional discovery Monetary sanctions Rebuttable or mandatory inferences Exclusion of evidence Striking defenses Dismissal or default Civil contempt, jail time Image: © Miguel Fernandez (All Rights Reserved)

18 Spoliation – Game Over? Two Factors: –Potential importance or relevance of missing evidence –Culpability or fault of spoliating party In Washington: –Bad faith is not a prerequisite –Only requires “improper” actions

19 Preservation & Production: Preparing Your Defense Understand your ESI ecosystem –Types of ESI –Custodians –Locations Document preservation & production efforts –Written litigation hold –Search methods, mechanics –Search locations (e.g., active, backup, archive data) –List any search terms, date ranges –Note date(s) of preservation & production efforts Teamwork

20 Discovery Paradigm Preservation  Collection  Production ________________ ▲ ▼ ________________ Analysis  Presentation

21 eDiscovery in Practice Libraries –Summation –Concordance –Ipro Notebooks –Case Map –eBinder Presentation Software –PowerPoint, Sanction, Trial Director, Adobe Flash

22 eDiscovery Resources Sedona Conference (thesedonaconference.org) Discovery Resources (discoveryresources.org) Record retention programs (ironmountain.com) IT perspective eDiscovery (kahnconsultinginc.com) Managing Discovery of Electronically Stored Information: A Pocket Guide for Judges (Hon. Barbara Rothstein, et al.)

23 A Practical Guide to eDiscovery in Litigation QUESTIONS?