New Release: Arkfeld’s Best Practices Guide for Litigation Readiness and Hold provides strategic guidance and recommendations to legal professionals in preparing for and implementing a ‘litigation hold.’ This Guide covers the components of a litigation readiness plan to ensure that your client can timely identify, preserve, collect, process and review electronic data for disclosure. Such a proactive approach will contribute to your success by properly identifying and preserving ESI once a triggering event occurs. In addition, an important section entitled Court Directives, Duties and Tasks, derived from case law, highlight the litigation hold obligations for disclosing parties.

Contents include:

     - Litigation Readiness Plan Components
     - How to Recognize ‘Triggering’ Events
     - How to Formulate a Litigation Hold Strategy
     - Checklist for IT Systems and ESI Type, Storage, and Locations
     - Litigation Hold Court Directives, Duties, and Tasks

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

The Basics

§ 1.1      Generally

A.   Purpose

B.    Modern Discovery Practices and Consequences

C.   Importance of Understanding Electronic Discovery

D.   Court Procedural Rules and Regulatory Mandates

E.    Litigation Readiness Plan

F.    Litigation Hold

§ 1.2      Information Technology Overview

A.   Understanding Computer Systems

B.    Overview of a Computer System

C.   Directories, Files and File Formats

D.   IT Organizational Structure and Positions

E.    Characteristics of ESI

§ 1.3      ESI Type, Storage and LOcation

A.   ESI Types

B.    ESI Storage

C.   Storage Locations

D.   Inspection of Computer System and Deleted ESI

E.    Checklist — IT Systems and ESI Type, Storage and Locations

Chapter 2

Litigation Readiness Plan

§ 2.1      OVERVIEW

A.   Preplanning Is Essential

§ 2.2      Components

A.   Litigation Hold Team

1.    Law Firm Technology and Personnel

2.    Client Communication and Assistance

3.    Using Computer Forensic, Experts, Specialists and Service Bureaus

4.    Opposing Counsel Communication

5.    Appointment of a Neutral Expert or Special Master

B.    Document Retention Policy

1.    Purpose

2.    In Anticipation of Litigation

3.    Reported Cases

4.    Other Authorities

C.   Immediate Implementation Capability

D.   Other Considerations

1.    Litigation Support

2.    Setting up an Online Web Repository

3.    Attorney-Client Work Product and Trade Secrets

4.    Budgeting for ESI

Chapter 3

Litigation Hold

§ 3.1      Generally

§ 3.2      Formulating a Litigation Hold Strategy

A.   Purpose of Litigation Hold

B.    Preservation Obligation

1.    Triggering Event

C.   Scope of Preservation

1.    Generally

2.    Limited “Safe Harbor” Provision — Rule 37(f)

3.    Methods for Determining Scope and Location of ESI

D.   Failure to Preserve

§ 3.3      Litigation Hold — Court Duties and tasks

§ 3.4      Checklist

Appendix — amended rules of civil procedure

Index

E-Discovery resources