Electronic Discovery

The electronic discovery process begins with a subpoena or discovery request for electronically stored information (ESI) and ends when a case is settled or litigated. Changes in the Federal Rules for electronic discovery have now accelerated the time period in which parties must establish the scope and format for production of ESI. Companies are now faced with the daunting task of managing this discovery process with large volumes of disparate data on various forms of storage media, under limited time constraints. Cases involving multiple issues, parties, jurisdictions or allegations of fraud which implicate computer forensics, simply add to the complexities of managing this process.
At Advocate Solutions, our goal is to provide the highest level of personalized service to accurately and efficiently guide our clients through this challenging process. We combine our legal expertise with state-of-the-art technology to deliver innovative solutions to your electronic discovery issues.

Advanced Planning & Electronic Discovery Consulting Services

At Advocate Solutions, we believe that advance planning is the key to finding seamless solutions to your electronic discovery issues. Our consulting services range in scope from resolving discrete issues to providing end-to-end electronic discovery services, including document review. Our consultation services include:

Preparation of Effective Document Retention Plans Identification of Cross-Border Electronic Discovery Issues Preservation and Collection of ESI

Burden Analysis Preparation for Discovery Conferences, Hearings and Depositions Expert Opinions

Advocate Solutions consultants will work collectively, with corporate counsel, IT professionals and outside counsel to implement routine operating procedures in preparation for electronic discovery requests.

Chain of Custody

Advocate Solutions’ consultants will ensure authenticity of the evidence collected. As we receive data storage media, we will immediately label and store the media in secure lockers until we extract their contents. During data extraction and processing stages, when the software creates a folder structure and identifies duplicates, a comprehensive log detailing the path from its source to its location in the review site is created.

During document review, our software tracks and logs every user activity within the system. Usernames and date/time stamps are associated with each event, including document tagging and production requests. Documents are typically provided in read-only environments protecting against spoliation of electronic documents.

Industry Expertise

Advocate Solutions has selected top-tier IT professionals with expertise in the network infrastructure of businesses in various industries, including telecommunications, energy, manufacturing, financial, government, education, and health care/life sciences. With this industry-specific experience, our professionals can more efficiently provide a customized and comprehensive electronic discovery plan.

Technology

Advocate Solutions employs state-of-the-art software technology to identify and separate the most relevant information from the massive amounts of data collected on a project. Our software technology is scalable and can be utilized on electronic discovery projects ranging in size from a few gigabytes to multiple terabytes of information.

For cases requiring collaboration by multiple parties or multiple sites, Advocate Solutions provides a robust collaboration environment that enables multiple parties to review documents simultaneously as they analyze the legal theories. Access and security may also be restricted to certain members of the litigation team or other parties.

Security

At Advocate Solutions, we provide the highest level of security for client data. Our data center has state-of-the-art security, including 128-bit SSL encryption with digital certificates, redundant managed firewalls, and advanced intrusion detection systems.