Case Summaries – Page 259 – Electronic Discovery Law

Stirling Bridge, LLC v. Porter, 2009 WL 125549 (Ariz. Ct. App. May 7, 2009)

Dec 01 2009

Key Insight: No abuse of discretion in granting defendant?s motion for summary judgment on the issue of destruction of evidence where defendant offered uncontroverted evidence that his partner destroyed computers, without defendant?s involvement, because they were ?obsolete? and where plaintiffs failed to ?raise a disputed issue of material fact regarding [defendant?s] responsibility for [his partner?s] destruction of the computer and other electronic evidence?

Nature of Case: Legal malpractice, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, and securities fraud

Electronic Data Involved: Computers (hard drives)

Gracebrothers, Ltd. v. Siena Holdings, Inc., 2009 WL 1547821 (Del. Ch. June 2, 2009) (Unpublished)

Dec 01 2009

Key Insight: Where, in response to a request for its board of directors? emails, defendants did not ask directors to search their emails but rather determined through a series of questions that no unique emails existed and argued that the emails were already produced when they produced the ?sender-side versions,? court found that the added production would not be overly burdensome or expensive and ordered the production of any emails reasonably related to the relevant request

Nature of Case: Complaint challenging a reverse stock split in violation of Deleware law

Electronic Data Involved: Emails

Elec. Funds Solutions, LLC v. Murphy, 2009 WL 1717383 (Cal. Ct. App. June 19, 2009) (Unpublished)

Dec 01 2009

Key Insight: Where terminating sanctions were ordered against defendants for the deliberate deletion/destruction of electronically stored information using wiping software but where the subsequent judgment of the trial court was reversed on appeal and remanded and where the trial court thereafter granted plaintiff?s motion for terminating sanctions, appellate court ruled that trial court did not err in granting plaintiff?s motion where the court?s previous discovery orders to produce information remained in effect and where defendants continued in their violation of such order by failing to produce relevant discovery because they had destroyed it; court stated: ?A continuing discovery violation does not end if the responding party is permanently unable to comply because that party intentionally destroyed the material it was ordered to produce.?

Nature of Case: Breach of fiduciary duty, conversion, intentional interference with economic relationships, etc.

Electronic Data Involved: ESI, hard drives

Ripley v. D.C., 2009 WL 1905070 (D.D.C. July 2, 2009)

Dec 01 2009

Key Insight: Where defendants repeatedly represented they had searched for and produced all relevant and available emails and also represented that some documents had been deleted ?per agency practice? before notice of litigation, but where defendants later found backup tapes containing thousands of responsive emails following plaintiff?s filing of a motion for sanctions, court rejected the applicability of Fed. R. Civ. P. 37(e) noting that ?defendants were unable to provide electronically stored information only because they had not searched all of the available files.?

Nature of Case: Employment discrimination

Electronic Data Involved: Emails

Chambers v. U.S. Dept. of Interior, 568 F.3d 998 (2009)

Dec 01 2009

Key Insight: Court reversed and remanded grant of summary judgment on the issue of the adequacy of the government?s search in response to plaintiff?s FOIA request where a material fact existed as to whether the DOI intentionally destroyed the requested material before undertaking its search which would prevent a finding that the search was adequate

Nature of Case: Freedom of Information Act / FOIA

Electronic Data Involved: Performance appraisal

Sentis v. Shell Oil Co., 559 F.3d 888 (8th Cir. 2009)

Dec 01 2009

Key Insight: Where, when imposing discovery sanctions, trial court improperly relied on unreliable evidence of misconduct by plaintiff, including accusations of bribery proffered by defendant following receipt of an anonymous phone tip, where the other findings in support of the sanction were ?close questions,? and where there were accusations of judicial bias and the appearance of judicial partiality, circuit court of appeals reversed the judgment of the district court dismissing plaintiff?s claims and remanded the matter for further proceeding before a different judge

Nature of Case: Breach of contract

Electronic Data Involved: ESI, email

Covad Commc?ns Co. v. Revonet, Inc., 2009 WL 5377698 (D.D.C. Aug. 25, 2009)

Dec 01 2009

Key Insight: Where plaintiff represented that defendant had not fulfilled production obligations pursuant to the court?s order, court ordered defendant to respond to questions as to the completeness of its production and other related topics and affirmed its prior order requiring the re-production of 35,000 pages of emails previously produced in hard copy, despite the alleged burden of doing so; court also ordered defendant to respond to questions regarding the production of ESI, including spreadsheets, previously produced in hard copy and noted, ?Understandably, taking an electronic document such as a spreadsheet, printing it, cutting it up, and telling one’s opponent to paste it back together again, when the electronic document can be produced with a keystroke is madness in the world in which we live.?

Nature of Case: Misappropriation and conversion of trade secret information

Electronic Data Involved: ESI

Reeves v. Case W. Univ., 2009 WL 3242049 (N.D. Ohio Sept. 30, 2009)

Dec 01 2009

Key Insight: Where it remained ?entirely unclear? that defendant performed a ?full and thorough search? for responsive ESI, court ordered defendant to perform a ?comprehensive examination of all electronic storage? and to provide certification of the search to plaintiff; as sanction for ?failing to even search for certain evidence,? court prohibited defendant from re-filing its motion for summary judgment as to two of plaintiff?s claims

Nature of Case: Employment discrimination

Electronic Data Involved: ESI

SEC v. Strauss, 2009 WL 3459204 (S.D.N.Y. Oct. 28, 2009)

Dec 01 2009

Key Insight: Court found SEC had control of Delloitte & Touche database for purposes of Rule 34 analysis where SEC had both the practical ability and legal right to obtain the working papers contained therein but declined to compel SEC to grant access to defendant where he could obtain independent access to the database himself (by subpoena) and where the access requested would result in ?significant burdens? to SEC, including limiting its own access and interfering with the ability to view files

Nature of Case: Enforcement action for accounting fraud

Electronic Data Involved: Access to database

In re Boxer Mgmt. Co., 2009 WL 4250123 (Tex. Ct. App. Sept. 3, 2009)

Dec 01 2009

Key Insight: Court of appeals conditionally granted petition for writ of mandamus and directed the trial court to vacate its order compelling the deposition of defendant?s corporate representative regarding the adequacy of defendant?s response to discovery (using specific question approved by the trial court) where such inquiry would concern the mental impressions of general counsel responsible for discovery (and the likely deponent) which are subject to work product protection; court also determined that absent evidence of discovery abuse, the deposition would constitute an impermissible fishing expedition

Nature of Case: Premesis liability

Electronic Data Involved: ESI

Catagory:Case Summaries