Gibson Dunn Launches E-Discovery Practice Group

News provided by

Jan 19, 2010, 02:33 ET

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is pleased to announce that the firm has established a practice group focused on electronic discovery, information law and records management. The Electronic Discovery and Information Law Practice Group provides counseling and litigation services relating to the cost-effective preservation, collection, processing, review, and production of all types of electronically stored information.

In recent years, electronic discovery has become one of the fastest developing areas of law, with a rapidly growing body of case law and frequent new developments. Last year alone, there were more than 200 published decisions on the subject in federal and state courts. Gibson Dunn was one of the first firms to develop in-house document management, review and production capabilities with its Practice Technology Services department, beginning in the late 1990s. Additionally, in 2006, lawyers in the firm created a task force -- the Electronic Data Discovery Initiative -- exclusively focused on electronic discovery issues. That task force is now expanding into a full-fledged practice group.

The Electronic Discovery and Information Law Practice Group will be chaired by Los Angeles partner Gareth Evans, San Francisco partner Charles Nierlich, New York partner Jennifer Rearden, and Dallas partner Sean Royall. In addition, the firm has promoted New York attorney Farrah Pepper to of counsel. Pepper, who had founded and chaired the firm's earlier Electronic Data Discovery Initiative, will serve as Vice Chair of the new group and will continue to focus her practice on electronic discovery strategies, processes and solutions.

"The volume of electronically stored information is increasing exponentially, along with the costs associated with preserving and producing it," said Ken Doran, Managing Partner of Gibson Dunn. "With the increase in e-discovery concerns from our clients, we found the need to formalize the Firm's e-discovery group to better communicate our expertise in this fast-growing field."

"E-discovery plays a significant role in virtually all of our high-stakes litigation and governmental investigations in the U.S. and internationally," said Gareth Evans, Co-Chair of the practice group. "Attorneys in the Electronic Discovery and Information Law Practice Group combine their knowledge and experience in areas such as antitrust litigation, securities litigation, employment litigation and class action litigation with their knowledge and experience in e-discovery and information law."

About Gibson Dunn's Electronic Discovery and Information Law Practice Group

Gibson Dunn provides counseling and litigation services relating to the cost-effective preservation, collection, processing, review, and production of all types of electronic information stored in various locations throughout the world. The firm's practice focuses on all varieties of e-discovery matters, large and small, including the following:

Records Management - advising clients on a broad range of issues and potential liabilities relating to the creation and storage of electronic data.
Litigation Readiness - providing clients with cost-effective litigation preparation procedures and strategies that ensure the client's readiness to respond to an e-discovery demand from an adversary in private litigation or a government agency.
Litigation and Investigation Response - assisting clients in both complying with their electronic discovery legal obligations and obtaining thorough discovery from civil opponents, with an emphasis on reducing the risk of sanctions and adverse results throughout the process.

Gibson Dunn has handled document preservation, collection, processing, review, and production, around the world and our clients consistently benefit from our experiences and resources.

Gibson Dunn attorneys frequently publish and speak on e-discovery and records management and are actively involved in key industry organizations, including The Sedona Conference®, the ABA Committee on Pretrial Practice and Discovery, the ABA Section on Science and Technology Law, ARMA International and Women in eDiscovery.

About the Firm

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is a leading international law firm. Consistently ranked among the world's top law firms in industry surveys and major publications, Gibson Dunn is distinctively positioned in today's global marketplace with more than 1,000 lawyers and 16 offices, including Los Angeles, New York, Washington, D.C., London, Paris, Munich, Brussels, Dubai, Sao Paolo, Singapore, Orange County, San Francisco, Palo Alto, Century City, Dallas and Denver. For more information, please visit www.gibsondunn.com.