Court Sanctions “Careless and Indifferent” e-Discovery Efforts

If you’re a litigator or a client in the middle of discovery — particularly in a federal case in the Southern District of New York – you’ll want to read Judge Shira Scheindlin’s recent decision in Pension Comm. of  the Univ. of Montreal Pension Plan v. Banc of Am. Secs., 2010 WL 184312 (S.D.N.Y., Jan 15, 2010).  The 34-page opinion provides a roadmap for what firms and clients are expected to do to preserve, collect, review and produce electronic documents. More, the decision makes clear that even ”innocent” errors can be deemed negligence or gross negligence — rendering a party liable for monetary or other sanctions. The story begins in 2004, when 96 investors filed a complaint to recover $550 million in losses arising from the dissolution of two hedge funds. Read more »