Electronic discovery (eDiscovery) refers to the process wherein evidence in a legal proceeding is collected, analyzed, and created from electronic data. This technique is carried out electronically. The organization could be required to save certain electronic documents and messages that might be useful in a court case or investigation. This process is referred to as an “eDiscovery legal hold” in the industry. This article will define eDiscovery legal holds, discuss why they are beneficial, and outline some of the most important principles to adhere to while putting one into place at your firm.

Overview on eDiscovery

What is an eDiscovery Legal Hold?

In a core eDiscovery, an edit hold query is the ability to modify an existing legal hold to add or remove certain documents or data as needed, which is a critical component of the eDiscovery process. This is often referred to as a litigation hold, an order for a company to keep any potentially relevant ESI (electronically stored information), such as emails, instant messages, voicemails, and other digital data, safe until the case is resolved.

When is an eDiscovery Legal Hold Required?

When a company faces, or suspects it may meet, a legal problem in which the ESI might be significant evidence (such as a lawsuit or government inquiry), an eDiscovery legal hold is often necessary. Whenever this occurs, the company must act quickly to preserve any electronically stored information (ESI) relevant to the case, which could be discovered throughout the investigation or litigation.

Importance of eDiscovery Legal Hold

Spoliation occurs when electronically stored information (ESI) that may be significant to a legal action is lost, corrupted, or not preserved until it is no longer usable. The implications of not implementing an eDiscovery legal hold may be severe, ranging from civil penalties to criminal prosecution.

Critical Considerations for Implementing an eDiscovery Legal Hold

Understand the Scope of the Legal Hold

Data saved on business-owned devices, employee-owned devices, and third-party cloud services like Dropbox and Google Drive may all include ESI that the firm needs to find and keep.

Communicate the Legal Hold to Relevant Parties

After the breadth of the legal hold has been determined, the company must notify everybody who may have custody or control of potentially relevant electronically stored information (ESI). Employees, independent contractors, and other parties are potential data holders.

Monitor Compliance

Organizations must closely monitor compliance with the legal hold to guarantee that all potentially relevant ESI is retained in its original form.

Establish a Retention Policy

An efficient retention strategy may assist people in saving electronic records for as long as they need them and then erasing them when they are no longer required. Companies should check that their retention policy follows all applicable laws and regulations.

Secure Preservation

Every stored ESI must be protected against unauthorized access, modification, or deletion by the company holding it. Only authorized individuals should be able to access the archived information.

Types of eDiscovery

Reactive eDiscovery

The process of gathering ESI in response to a formal legal request, such as a subpoena or a discovery request, is known as reactive eDiscovery. This kind of eDiscovery may be expensive and time-consuming since it requires collecting and evaluating massive volumes of data to guarantee that everything relevant is included.

Proactive eDiscovery

Establishing strategies and processes for handling ESI before any court demands is an example of proactive eDiscovery. Tools for data classification and organizing and document preservation regulations are two examples.

Internal eDiscovery

Investigating and reviewing stored information (ESI) electronically inside a business for internal reasons, such as an internal inquiry or audit, is known as internal eDiscovery. Potential legal concerns may be uncovered and regulatory obligations met using this eDiscovery.

External eDiscovery

In response to a legal request, ESI may be disclosed to other parties outside of the company, such as opposing lawyers or regulatory bodies. To guarantee that all essential information is disclosed while keeping sensitive or secret data secure, rigorous management and coordination are required for this eDiscovery.

Cross-border eDiscovery

Because of differences in data privacy rules and other laws, cross-border eDiscovery presents its own set of issues in handling electronically stored information (ESI) across many countries.

Conclusion

The eDiscovery procedure relies heavily on the implementation of a legal hold. To prevent destruction and any legal implications, businesses must comprehend the breadth of the legal storage, convey it to crucial persons, monitor compliance, implement a retention strategy, and ensure the ESI’s preservation. Following these guidelines, businesses may better manage electronically stored information (ESI) for use in litigation and yet comply with applicable laws.