E-disclosure, E-discovery

Electronic disclosure requirements have become ever more stringent as a result of the recently revised Civil Procedure Rules, placing added pressure on litigators and their clients. Coupled with increasing impatience of regulatory bodies such as the FSA, SEC, DOJ and SFO with incomplete and ill-managed disclosure, has created a strong need for you to develop a firm-wide strategy for managing the process of finding, preserving and disclosing data effectively. Ark Group's Guide to Effective E-disclosure is designed specifically to assist you in formalising your organisations approach to the disclosure of electronic documents, with a clear view to: Increasing efficiency; Reducing costs; Gaining consistent high quality results; Avoiding unexpected, and expensive, surprises. Topics Covered: Obligations imposed on litigators by the Practice Direction to rule 31 of the Civil Procedure Rules 1998; Recognised steps for e-disclosure; strategies to employ at each stage from collection of electronic documentation to presenting it for inspection; The growing use of the disclosure protocol; How to exploit tactical advantage in the face of unwitting opposition; Selecting an external service provider; Document review tools - in-house vs hosted; Intricacies surrounding 'deleted' and foreign language documentation; How to achieve quality, cost-effective electronic disclosure. The report also examines the legal aspect of an e-disclosure exercise, ensuring that collaboration between you and your in-house or external legal service provider is focused and efficient.