Press release: Webinar to Explore the Boundaries of Ethical Business Practices for eDiscovery

» Register here: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/470133842

HOUSTON – June XX, 2010 – When it comes to acceptable boundaries of ethical business practices within the e-discovery service industry, are we still in the time of spurs, six guns and saddles?

Scarab Consulting, a premier provider of litigation support and electronic discovery services for law firms and corporations, announced today that it has united with the founders of the Electronic Discovery Reference Model for a July 9th webinar titled, “EDRM Model Code of Conduct: Moving E-Discovery Out of the Wild, Wild West.”

The complimentary webinar will combine some of the industry’s leading experts to discuss ethical decision-making struggles faced by both companies and their service providers during the eDiscovery process. Topics addressed will include the current “lawless” state of today’s e-discovery practice, how the EDRM Model Code of Conduct Project is seeking to establish baseline laws to tame the wild west and considerations for establishing effective working agreements based on ethical business practices. Register for the webinar at www.consultscarab.com.

Moderators for the webinar include:

• George Socha, Esq. – As litigator for 16 years and President of Socha Consulting LLC, George co-founded the Electronic Discovery Reference Model.
• Tom Gelbmann – A managing director of consulting practice Gelbmann & Associates LLC, Tom co-founded the Electronic Discovery Reference Model project in 2005.

Panelists include:

• Julie Grantham, Esq. – Julie is General Counsel for Scarab Consulting and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Texas School of Law. Her course on e-discovery is one of the first on the subject to be developed and taught at a university.
• Eric P. Mandel, Esq. – As Director of E-Discovery for Zelle Hofmann Voelbel & Mason LLP, Eric is a subject matter expert in electronic discovery and litigation readiness planning and serves as co-chair and principal author of the EDRM’s Model Code of Conduct project.

One hour CLE credit is pending in New York and Texas, including ethics.

For more information on the webinar and its takeaways or to view full bios for the presenters, visit www.consultscarab.com.

About Scarab Consulting
Scarab Consulting provides technology-driven solutions for litigation and electronic discovery. The company has offices nationwide to serve its robust client list which includes Am Law 200 law firms and Fortune 1000 companies. Scarab has established a strong reputation for its technical agility, client-centric approach and ability to reduce litigation and corporate compliance costs. For more information, visit www.consultscarab.com.

Contact:
Melanie Brenneman
Edge Legal Marketing
P: 713-294-7857
E-mail: mbrenneman@edgelegalmarketing.com

Comment period for all eight standardization projects extends through April 15, 2010, and includes an “Open Mic” page for comments, questions and suggestions

ST. PAUL, Minn. – February 23, 2010 – The Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM) project teams announced today announced the beginning of the public comment period for new work product drafts posted on the EDRM website. Updates on each EDRM projects – Evergreen, Metrics, Search, Information Management Reference Model, Jobs, Model Code of Conduct and XML – were given at EDRM’s luncheon that took place on February 1 during LegalTech New York. The comment period for each of the projects’ working drafts extends through April 15, 2010, and includes an “Open Mic” page for general comments, questions and suggestions.

A recap of each of the project updates and work product drafts posted include:

• Evergreen – The Evergreen project team has made considerable progress in updating the EDRM.net website to standardize the organizational flow of content across all EDRM working groups. Website updates support Evergreen goals to streamline access to content and promote feedback. Posted materials include:
  • EDRM Evergreen Overview
  • 2nd level diagram for each EDRM node, plus a Project Management diagram

• Metrics – After three years of hard work, the Metrics project team has developed an extensive set of codes designed to provide an effective means of measuring the time, money and volumes associated with e-discovery activities. Posted materials include:
• • The EDRM Metrics Cube – a top-level graphic that portrays interrelationships
  • Version 1.0 of the Metrics Code Set
  • Metrics Problem Profiles – the first of several case studies that demonstrate the use of metrics in e-discovery

• Search – The Search project team is developing a framework for defining and managing Search as applied to e-discovery workflow, specifically focused on techniques for collecting, culling, filtering, locating and classifying electronically stored information. Posted materials include:
  • EDRM Search Overview
  • EDRM Search Guide

• Information Management Reference Model (IMRM) – The IMRM project team is working to provide a common, practical, flexible framework to help organizations develop and implement effective and actionable information management programs. In an effort to facilitate dialogue among legal, IT, records management, line-of-business and other stakeholders, the work group has posted the following materials for comment:
  • A top-level, draft diagram of IMRM
  • The IMRM Draft Guide – a narrative to support the top-level diagram
  • IMRM Overview – a high-level description of the project

• Jobs – The Jobs project team is in the process of developing a framework for evaluating pre-discovery and discovery personnel needs or issues. This includes providing scenarios based on existing business models that can help organizations identify, assess, advocate for, recruit, on-board and retain qualified professional resources. The first posted materials include:
  • EDRM Jobs Overview – high level description of the EDRM Jobs framework
  • 1st and 2nd level diagrams that support the EDRM Jobs framework

• Model Code of Conduct – The Model Code of Conduct project team is evaluating and defining acceptable guidelines of ethical business practices within the e-discovery service industry, which are intended to serve as a basis for decision-making by all participants. Posted materials include:
  • EDRM Model Code of Conduct Overview
  • Draft principals and corollaries

• Data Set – The Data Set Project is providing industry-standard, reference data sets of ESI and software files that can be used to test various aspects of e-discovery software and services. Posted materials now include:
  • EDRM Data Set Enron PST files
  • EDRM File Format Data Set
  • EDRM Internationalization Data Set

• XML – The XML Project has developed a series of standard, generally-accepted XML schema to facilitate the movement of ESI from one step of the e-discovery process to the next, from one software program to another and from one organization to the next. Twenty one organizations representing 28 products and services now demonstrate compliance with the EDRM XML schema. Posted materials include:
  • EDRM XML Overview
  • EDRM XML Goals

More information on each of the EDRM projects and the materials is available at http://edrm.net.

About EDRM
Launched in May 2005, the EDRM project was created to address the lack of standards and guidelines in the electronic discovery market – a problem identified in the 2003 and 2004 Socha-Gelbmann Electronic Discovery surveys as a major concern for vendors and consumers alike. The completed reference model provides a common, flexible and extensible framework for the development, selection, evaluation and use of electronic discovery products and services. Expanding on the base defined with the Reference Model, the EDRM projects were expanded in May 2006 to include the EDRM Metrics and the EDRM XML projects. Over the past four years, the EDRM project has comprised more than 180 organizations, including 120 service and software providers, 45 law firms, three industry groups and 16 corporations involved with e-discovery. Information about the EDRM project is available at http://edrm.net.

Press contacts:

George Socha
Socha Consulting
651.690.1739
pr@edrm.net

Tom Gelbmann
Gelbmann & Associates
651-483-0022
pr@edrm.net

* With Kansas-based  Archer Technologies (www.archer.com) which provides governance, risk and compliance software and services. The pairing is designed to help organizations improve risk controls. The alliance leverages KPMG’s experience with business processes, and Archer’s automated services, the two companies note.

* With Thomson Reuters (www.thomsonreuters.com). KMPS now provides Paisley GRC software to clients,
helping them manage internal audit, governance, risk and compliance processes.

* With California’s Guidance
Software. Under the alliance, KPMG offers Guidance’s
EnCase eDiscovery software as part of KPMG’s Forensic Technology Services. EnCase
helps users with early case assessment, identification, preservation,
collection and processing of electronically stored information.

The firm also purchased Anacomp's CaseProduction, the system's
production module. It helps users manage document production, and can handle native file, image-based
or mixed productions. It  features formatting
options and image endorsements,  including
the ability to add Bates numbering, redactions or confidentiality
statements.  It is capable of rule-based,
high-volume metadata export into any format. 

Anacomp Inc. (www.anacomp.com) is headquartered
in California; Cohen and Grigsby (www.cohenlaw.com)
is based in Pennsylvania. Press release here.

Avantstar's Quick View Plus helps users view desktop files, convert content, and publish business information to websites.

IConectXT features native file and e-mail review tools, bulk tagging,
concept searching and clustering.  The scalable software can
import, search, organize, and review more than 250 languages, including Chinese, Russian, and Arabic.

D6's e-discovery services include processing, productions, and complex data
analysis and preservation. It also provides computer
forensic examinations and data collection. Press release here.

The litigation unit covers
a variety of resources, including news, federal laws, regulations, and case law.
A "Smart Chart" helps users compare products liability issues across all 50
states, with discussions and links to relevant treatise material.  Professionals also can choose to purchase the CCH Medical Devices
Reporter and/or CCH Food, Drug and Cosmetic
Reporter.