Legal Technology Journal

New regulations and international initiatives within e-discovery focus  at the 2009 LegalTech New York Conference
 
LONDON (January 29, 2009) – London-based TRILANTIC, the leading European Union-based electronic discovery service provider will be hosting a SuperSession with international thought leaders who will discuss the various new regulations that have recently occurred and those that are planned to happen in the near future within the British, Canadian and Australian legal systems. A Shrinking World – International Initiatives in eDiscovery will take place on February 3, 2009 from 4:15 p.m.-5:30 p.m., at the LegalTech New York conference in the Nassau A Ballroom of the New York Hilton Hotel.

TRILANTIC has assembled a panel of industry experts moderated by George Socha, including: Former U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald Hedges, who has been active and influential in Sedona Canada as well as in the U.S.; Jo Sherman, Director of the Old Courts Future Courts Program, the Advisor to the Australian Federal Court whose key responsibility is steering through the Practice Note; and Chris Dale of the UK e-Disclosure Information Project and a member of the group responsible for the Technology Questionnaire and Practice Direction. Dale is also bringing e-disclosure input to a planned tour in March/April in which both the UK Civil Justice Council and Lord Justice Jackson’s Review of Litigation Costs will discuss and compare litigation rules and practices in Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the U.S., with a particular focus on costs regimes.
 
There are changes taking place in each of the main jurisdictions in which discovery of documents is the norm, and are beginning to involve trans-jurisdictional discussion.

The panelists will share insight into the recent Sedona Canada Working Group that was released in January 2008, which includes the concept of proportionality and the U.S. idea of “meet and confer”; in Australia, the expected draft Federal Practice Note on eDiscovery in which there is an express requirement for lawyers to make themselves aware of the technology; and in the UK, a proposed new Technology Questionnaire and Practice Direction which will deal only with electronic disclosure and give new prominence and force to requirements which have been neglected. Currently, the U.S. has no such pending rules, but the case law, notably the Mancia case, shows a strong move towards cooperation, proportionality, the need for expert input into decision-making and greater involvement by the court.
 
“Never before have senior judges from various countries had the opportunity to meet to discuss their respective best practices with a view to taking the best of them all for their own,” said Nigel Murray, TRILANTIC’s Managing Director. “I am delighted that we have a panel who are intimately involved with this initiative who can inform the audience of the plans and discuss the implications for eDiscovery regulations around the globe. I strongly recommend this session to anyone who has an interest in the future of this industry from a judge’s perspective on a global scale.”  
 
TRILANTIC will also be hosting two other sessions on February 3. From 10:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. - Regulatory Challenges to eDiscovery Around the World (EU, Russia, Middle East & Asia) will be moderated by Browning Marean, Partner, DLA Piper - U.S. LLP, and panel experts include: Laura Kibbe, Director, e-Discovery Services, Thompson Reuters; Foster Gibbons, Corporate Counsel – In House Discovery, Pfizer; and Madeleine McDonough, Partner, Shook Hardy & Bacon.
 
From 2:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. - International eDiscovery – Perspective from International Firms will be moderated by George I. Rudoy, Director of Global Practice Technology & Information Services, Shearman & Sterling LLP, U.S., and panel experts include: Vince Neicho, Litigation Support Specialist, Allen & Overy - U.K.; and Florinda Baldridge, Global Head of Practice Support, Fulbright & Jaworski - U.S.