ESI (or electronically stored information) is predominant in business. Email, AutoCAD, native Microsoft Office documents, PDFs, JPGs – the list goes on. It is generally recognized that about 90% of the documents that your business produces will be ESI. ESI is a business challenge in many contexts. Good management decisions call for good quality data but how can the wheat be sorted from the chaff? How can management be informed whilst not being overwhelmed? When disputes arise how can the right body of documents be accessed quickly and efficiently?
We at Prima Facie have had extensive experience of the necessary procedures and software that needs to be put in place to answer the above questions.
More particularly in the mid-1990s we set up systems to scan, index and electronically display hard-copy documents so that they could be easily searched from a litigation support point of view. Later we used some of the first proprietary litigation support databases (such as Concordance) to assist clients in finding and utilizing documentation in a litigation context. Most recently we established the procedures and practices for multi-party heavy weight litigation using the latest web-based litigation support software.
Success is the product of not only the selection of the right software for the job but also the establishment of the most appropriate procedures for the circumstances. That requires advice from independent experienced professionals.
See articles written:
- The disease and its cure - PLJ 2009 226 p08-11. How the advent of new technology is changing the ways lawyers prepare cases.
- The decline of paper – PLJ 2009 228 p2-4 The effects of technology on document disclosure, and the latest tools for dealing with it.
Find out more about the “model” for use of ESI in a litigation context.
Visit Chris Dale’s useful e-Disclosure Information Project site for an insight into the latest issues and as a resource starting point.