It's hard enough trying to pull up an old email, say, for a client. But what if you needed to sift through thousands of those back and forth missives for a lawsuit?
It's a quandary many in the legal and business worlds are grappling with these days, and what Allen Brothers Law Firm attorney James Allen describes as "the new frontier" of the legal and businesse professions.
"This is what litigators do in the 21st century," explained Allen. "The good ones rely on technology to do more targeted research on the mountains of data we accumulate now on a daily basis."
Allen Brothers of Detroit is partnering with Altep Inc., a national data and discovery firm, to put on the E-Discovery, Cyber and Data Security Workplace Forum on Thursday, April 27, at the Atheneum Hotel, 1000 Brush Street in Detroit. The half-day sessions will include presentations for those in the legal community about e-discovery trends and cybersecurity. The luncheon keynote speech will be by former U.S. District Court Judge Gerald E. Rosen.
A 2016 study by the American Bar Association found that 45% of the law firms surveyed had cases that required the processing or review of electronically stored information (ESI). The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which govern civil proceedings in U.S. district courts, were initially amended in 2006, and again in 2015, to address e-discovery, including maintaining records electronically.
"Information security and good data management practices can have a big impact on the company's bottom line," said Warren Kruse, Altep's vice president of Data Forensics. "Understanding what to watch out for can help you prepare for litigation, handle your company's data more efficiently, and save time and money in the long run."
Part of what lawyers have to become adept at is weeding out the unnecessary communications, Allen noted. Learning how to target data so that you can find relevant information-and not waste hours and hours on a wild goose chase-is key.
"It is the proverbial 'needle in the haystack' proposition," Allen said. "In the old days, we'd sift through box upon box of musty documents in dusty warehouses. Today, we work the mouse and keyboard."
For additional information on the forum, call 313-962-7777 or email vdurr@alllenbrotherspllc.com.
Published: Thu, Apr 20, 2017
