2013 Year in Review: E-discovery Embraces its Roots

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Although the French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr certainly didn’t have legal technologies in mind when he wrote this famous epigram, his sentiments ring true to the current state of e-discovery. While 2012 was the battle ground in which the “disruptive” technology-assisted review and its early adopters emerged victorious, 2013 provided something of a “back to basics” approach as courts applied the fundamental tenets of e-discovery to the newer, more efficient technologies and methodologies that are revolutionizing e-discovery. In this edition of ESI Report, host and Director of Thought Leadership for Kroll Ontrack Michele Lange invites e-discovery expert Phil Favro to highlight this year’s key e-discovery cases, analyze key trends, and explore the predictions for the e-discovery realm of 2014. Currently providing independent litigation counsel, Favro is a recognized expert in e-discovery, information governance, and data protection. He has advised technology companies and other enterprises regarding complex business disputes, and he has written over 50 byline articles and several law review pieces that have appeared in reputable publications such as the ACC Docket, Law Technology News, and the Michigan State Law Review.