Key Insight: Court found privilege was waived as to an allegedly privileged email received at, and then forwarded to another email address from, an employer-owned email address
Nature of Case: Indictment arising from conspiracy to receive kickbacks from clothing supplier
Electronic Data Involved: Email
Key Insight: ?In light of the availability of source code analyzer tools and the extraordinary burden that a compiler would impose on [Defendant], the court denie[d] [Plaintiff?s] request for a compiler for source code review?; court also declined to compel defendant?s production of printouts of 14 complete files (of source code) and ordered the parties to meet to determine which limited portions of the source code would be produced in hard copy and to arrange for [Plaintiff?s] experts to inspect the complete file ?to determine the limited portions of the source code needed, if necessary.?
Nature of Case: Patent Infringement
Electronic Data Involved: Source code, compiler software
Key Insight: Following up on its November 2012 opinion (2012 WL 5430974), the court adopted the EEOC?s proposed search terms (with certain additions proposed by Defendant) and amended its November order to hold that the EEOC would bear the initial costs of the Special Master appointed for the purpose of conducting the relevant searches of Plaintiffs? email, social networks, and cell phones and could seek reimbursement from the Defendant by motion and argument at an appropriate time (court had initially ordered that the parties would bear the cost equally
Nature of Case: Sexual Harassment, retaliation
Electronic Data Involved: Social media, text messages, email
Key Insight: Applying relevant factors identified in In re Asia Global Crossing Ltd., 322 B.R. 247 (S.D.N.Y. 2005), court concluded that consultant?s use of workplace email did not waive privilege where, although the factors were evenly split, there was no evidence that the employee actually monitored employees? emails and because of the ?importance of the attorney-client privilege?
Nature of Case: Plaintiffs claim defendants colluded to “avoid poaching each other’s employees and to stabilize their compensation packages.”
Electronic Data Involved: Emails
Key Insight: Court held that ?scanning documents and converting computer data into readable format constitute copying within the meaning of section 1920(4)? but that ?costs associated with storing ESI are not recoverable?
Nature of Case: Misappropriation of trade secrets
Electronic Data Involved: Taxable costs related to ESI
Key Insight: Court declined to compel production of Plaintiffs? Facebook or other social media pages absent a threshold showing that the accounts would contain information within the scope of discovery but concluded that information stored on Plaintiff?s computer ?could lead reasonably to the discovery of admissible evidence? and required that the parties agree to a word search of Plaintiff?s computer by a neutral third party to ?asses whether Plaintiff?s computer contains relevant information?
Nature of Case: Employment discrimination/harassment
Electronic Data Involved: Facebook and social media, personal computer
Key Insight: Court allowed recovery of costs in categories including, ? ?heavy litigation scanning,? bates labeling in electronic format . . . ?hourly tech time,? ?make 1 blowback set of all PDF files outside off [sic]folders; slipsheet with file name? but declined to allow recovery of ?OCR costs? absent evidence that the parties agreed to make documents searchable
Nature of Case: Taxable costs
Electronic Data Involved: Taxable costs
Key Insight: In a case arising from a train passenger?s complaints regarding Plaintiff?s telephone conversation which the passenger found threatening and which resulted in Plaintiff?s arrest, the court found that the plaintiff had a duty to preserve the relevant cellular phone and that Defendants were prejudiced by its loss but declined to impose an adverse inference instruction for merely negligent spoliation (inadvertent loss) and instead barred Plaintiff from introducing evidence related to who he was talking to or what was said and allowed Defendants to present evidence regarding Plaintiff?s failure to preserve and argue ?whatever inference they hope the jury will draw?
Nature of Case: Claims arising from arrest where charges were later dismissed
Electronic Data Involved: Cellular phone
Key Insight: Court granted motion to compel inspection and imaging of certain of defendant?s computers/servers/devices in case involving accusations of misappropriation of confidential information by plaintiff?s former employees for the benefit of defendant but also granted defendant a protective order limiting disclosure for ?attorneys? eyes only?
Nature of Case: Missapropriation of confidential information
Electronic Data Involved: ESI
Key Insight: Court ordered spoliation sanctions for Plaintiff?s intentional destruction of materials related to his claim of copyright infringement at a time when he had a duty to preserve as evidenced by his actions to ?preserve? his work with the copyright office before the release of the allegedly infringing film (Kung Fu Panda) and his consultation with counsel; sanctions excluded evidence of Plaintiff?s 2008 copyright registration which was created with and relied upon evidence that had been destroyed
Nature of Case: Copyright Infringement
Electronic Data Involved: Hard copy documents, computer equipment and contents
Copyright © 2026, K&L Gates LLP. All Rights Reserved.