ELECTRONIC DISCOVERY SYSTEM

• US 20100250538A1
• Filed: 11/30/2009
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Hobart, Eric B., Whalen, John N. JR., Stellhorn, David W., Andersen, David M., Mayer, Michael J., Richards, Phillip L., Miller, Emerson D., Toomey, Brian L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,364,681 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/737
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/23 Updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/35 Clustering; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/355 Class or cluster creation or modification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to systems, methods, and computer program products for improved electronic discovery and custodian management. Embodiments herein disclosed provide for an enterprise wide e-discovery system that provides for data to be identified, located, retrieved, preserved, searched, reviewed and produced in an efficient and cost-effective manner across the entire enterprise system. In addition, by structuring management of e-discovery based on case/matter, custodian and data and providing for linkage between the same, further efficiencies are realized in terms of identifying, locating and retrieving data and leveraging results of previous e-discoveries with current requests.

Claims

1. A method for providing an electronic discovery system, comprising:

providing for a case management level within an electronic discovery system;

linking, via a computer processor, a custodial management level to the case management level; and

linking, via a computer processor, a data management level to the case management level and the custodial management level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing for the case management level further comprises generating, via a computer process, one of a case or a matter within the case management level.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing for the case management level further comprises generating, via a computer processor, one or more preservation notices specific to a case.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing for the case management level further comprises generating, via a computer processor, one or more surveys specific to a case.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing for the case management level further comprises providing for search terms linked with a case.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein linking the custodial management level to the case management level further comprises adding, via a computer processor, a plurality of custodians to one of a case or a matter.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein linking the custodial management level to the case management level further comprises releasing, via a computer processor, one or more previously added custodians from one of a case or a matter.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein linking the custodial management level to the case management level further comprises communicating, via a computer processor, the one or more preservation notices to one or more custodians.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein linking the custodial management level to the case management level further comprises communicating, via a computer processor, the one or more surveys to one or more custodians.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein linking the custodial management level to the case management level further comprises identifying, via a computer processor, data types to be retrieved for custodians.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein linking the data management level to the case management level and the custodial management level further comprises collecting, via a computer processor, data associated with one or more custodians.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein linking the data management level to the case management level and the custodial management level further comprises storing, in computer memory, the collected data on a long-term storage media.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein linking the data management level to the case management level and the custodial management level further comprises linking, via a computer processor, the collected data with one or more search term sets provided for at the case management level.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein linking the data management level to the case management level and the custodial management level further comprises copying the collected data to a processing drive for analysis.

15. A method for conducting electronic discovery within an enterprise environment, comprising:

generating, via a computer processor, an electronic discovery case;

linking, via a computer processor, a custodian profile of a custodian to the electronic discovery case;

collecting, via a computer network, electronic data associated with the custodian; and

storing, in computer memory, a reference to the collected electronic data in an electronic discovery case-specific file.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein generating the electronic discovery case further comprises storing, in computer memory, the electronic discovery case in a first network location and linking the custodian profile further comprises linking the custodian profile of the custodian, which is stored in a second network location, to the electronic discovery case.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein linking the custodian profile further comprises linking the custodian profile, which includes information relating to storage locations in the network associated with the custodian, to the electronic discovery case.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein collecting electronic data further comprises accessing at least one of the storage locations.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein collecting electronic data further comprises collecting automatically, via a computer network, upon linking the custodian profile to the electronic discovery case.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein collecting electronic data further comprises implementing, via the computer network, a local collector to copy electronic data residing on a networked computing device to a targeted networked computing device associated with the custodian.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein linking the custodian profile of the custodian further comprises linking, via a computer processor, the custodian profile, which stores an IP address of the targeted network computing device computing, to the electronic discovery case and wherein collecting electronic data further comprises accessing the IP address in the custodian profile to collect the electronic data residing on the targeted networked computing device.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein collecting electronic data further comprises accessing a network storage area associated with the custodian and copying electronic files residing on the network storage area.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein collecting electronic data further comprises accessing an email exchange server associated with the custodian and copying electronic communication residing on the email exchange server.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein collecting electronic data further comprises copying electronic files and storing the copies of the electronic files in a network storage area in association with a barcode.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein storing a reference to the collected electronic data in an electronic discovery case-specific file further comprises storing a barcode associated with the collected electronic data in the electronic discovery case-specific file.

26. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

generating, via a computer processor, one or more search terms to apply to the electronic data; and

storing, in computer memory, the search terms in the electronic discovery case-specific file.

27. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

generating, via a computer processor, a preservation notice; and

communicating, via a computer network, the preservation notice to the custodian.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising generating, via a computer processor, a reminder notice related to preservation of data and communicating, via computer network, the reminder notice to the custodian.

29. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

generating, via computer processor, a survey notice; and

communicating, via a computing network, the survey notice to the custodian.

30. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

monitoring, via a computing network, a status of the custodian;

determining, via a computer processor, a status change for the custodian; and

changing, via a computer processor, in the custodian profile a collection status for the custodian based on the status change.

31. An electronic discovery system comprising:

an electronic discovery case database configured to store a plurality of electronic discovery cases;

an electronic discovery custodian database configured to store a plurality of custodian profiles, each profile associated with a respective one of a plurality of custodians, wherein each of the custodian profiles are linked with one or more of the electronic discovery cases; and

an electronic discovery collection application configured to manage network collection of electronic data associated with the plurality of custodians.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the electronic discovery custodian database is further configured to store the custodian profiles that comprise information relating to storage locations in a network associated with the custodian.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the electronic discovery collection application is further configured to utilize the storage locations in the custodian profiles to collect electronic files of the respective custodian.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein the electronic discovery collection application is further configured to automatically collect electronic data of a custodian upon linking a respective custodian profile to an electronic discovery case.

35. The system of claim 31, wherein the electronic discovery case database is further configured to store the plurality of electronic discovery cases that include a reference to electronic data collected by the electronic discovery collection application.

36. A computer program product for conducting electronic discovery in an enterprise environment, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium having computer-readable program instructions stored therein, wherein said computer-readable program instructions comprise:

first instructions configured for generating an electronic discovery case;

second instructions configured for linking a custodian profile of a custodian to the electronic discovery case;

third instructions configured for collecting, via a computing network, electronic files associated with the custodian; and

fourth instructions configured for storing in the electronic discovery case a reference to the collected electronic files.