System and method to manage electronic data related to a legal matter

• US 9,111,254 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2009
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Richard, Rubio, Jill A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hershley, Mark E
• Application Number:
  US12/610,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20110106773A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,115 Days
• Field of Search: 707/694, 707/783, 707/784
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method includes receiving input at an online electronic data discovery system from a source device via a private network. The input indicates that data related to a legal matter is to be preserved, and identifies a custodian associated with the data. The method includes automatically accessing a directory via the private network and receiving information from the directory indicating a location of the identified custodian. The method includes sending a preservation notice to the identified custodian when the information received from the directory indicates that the custodian is accessible via the private network. The preservation notice indicates that data related to the legal matter is not to be discarded. The method includes sending the preservation notice to another custodian when the information received from the directory indicates that the identified custodian is not accessible.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at an online electronic data discovery system, a request to preserve data related to a legal matter and an identification of a custodian associated with the data, wherein the request is received from a source device via a private network, wherein the custodian is identified by a job function of the custodian, wherein the request is received with a first input that includes a release criterion for discarding the data related to the legal matter, wherein the release criterion includes a statute of limitations date and an event for triggering a release of the data related to the legal matter, wherein the first input further includes a preservation criterion that includes a document subject type that identifies the data related to the legal matter that is to be preserved;

automatically accessing a directory via the private network in response to receiving the request;

receiving information from the directory indicating whether the identified custodian is accessible via the private network;

sending a preservation notice to the identified custodian when the information received from the directory indicates that the custodian is accessible via the private network, wherein the preservation notice indicates that the data related to the legal matter is not to be discarded; and

sending the preservation notice to a custodian other than the identified custodian when the information received from the directory indicates that the identified custodian is not accessible, wherein the identified custodian is not accessible when the job function of the custodian is determined to have changed.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before sending the preservation notice to another custodian:

sending information to the source device indicating that the identified custodian is not accessible via the private network; and

receiving a second input identifying the other custodian from the source device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically sending information to the source device suggesting the other custodian based on information received from the directory.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether a confirmation is received in response to the preservation notice before a particular time and sending a reminder to the identified custodian or the other custodian when the confirmation is not received before the particular time.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising collecting electronic data from the identified custodian or the other custodian and storing the electronic data at a data store.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a production criterion has been satisfied; and

exporting the electronic data from the data store to a printer, a file server, an external storage device, or any combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the release criterion included in the first input received with the request has been satisfied, wherein the release criterion is satisfied if the statute of limitations date is satisfied or the event for triggering the release of the data related to the legal matter occurs; and

sending a release notice to the identified custodian or the other custodian, the release notice indicating that data related to the legal matter may be discarded.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising deleting electronic data related to the legal matter at the electronic data discovery system or at a data store communicating with the electronic data discovery system.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining whether the data related to the legal matter is also related to another legal matter for which data has not been released; and

not sending the release notice when the data related to the legal matter is also related to the other legal matter.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising using search criteria received from the source device to search electronic data in possession of the identified custodian or the other custodian and collecting electronic data matching the search criteria.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising filtering collected electronic data using culling criteria received from the source device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving from the source device comprises receiving at the online electronic data discovery system from a user operating the source device via the private network the request to preserve the data related to the legal matter and the identification of the custodian associated with the data.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessing the directory is accessing a device other than the source device.

14. A system, comprising:

a memory that stores instructions;

a processor that executes the instructions to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving at an online electronic data discovery system a request to preserve data related to a legal matter, wherein the request is received from a source device via a private network, wherein the request is received with input that includes a release criterion for discarding the data related to the legal matter, wherein the release criterion includes a statute of limitations date and an event for triggering a release of the data related to the legal matter, wherein the input further includes a preservation criterion that includes a document subject type that identifies the data related to the legal matter that is to be preserved;

automatically identifying, based on the input associated with the request, a portion of the data and a custodian associated with the portion of the data, wherein the custodian is identified by a job function of the custodian;

automatically accessing a directory associated with a phone system via the private network in response to receiving the request and receiving information from the directory indicating whether the identified custodian is accessible via the private network;

sending a preservation notice to the identified custodian when the information received from the directory indicates that the custodian is accessible via the private network, wherein the preservation notice indicates that the data related to the legal matter is not to be discarded; and

sending the preservation notice to a custodian other than the identified custodian when the information received from the directory indicates that the identified custodian is not accessible, wherein the identified custodian is not accessible when the job function of the custodian is determined to have changed.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a message from the identified custodian or the other custodian, the message identifying an additional custodian associated with data associated with the legal matter; and

sending the preservation notice to the additional custodian.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise, before sending the preservation notice to the additional custodian:

sending another message to the source device identifying the additional custodian; and

receiving an approval from the source device to send the preservation notice to the additional custodian.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the preservation notice indicates that the preservation notice is not to be forwarded by a recipient.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including processor-readable instructions that are executable by a processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving, at an online electronic data discovery system, a request to preserve data related to a legal matter and an identification of a custodian associated with the data, wherein the request is received from a user at a source device via private network, wherein the custodian is identified by a job function of the custodian, wherein the request is received with an input that includes a release criterion for discarding the data related to the legal matter, wherein the release criterion includes a statute of limitations date and an event for triggering a release of the data related to the legal matter, wherein the input further includes a preservation criterion that includes a document subject type that identifies the data related to the legal matter that is to be preserved;

automatically accessing a directory via the private network and receiving information from the directory indicating that the identified custodian is not accessible via the private network, wherein the identified custodian is not accessible when the job function of the custodian is determined to have changed;

automatically selecting a custodian other than the identified custodian to receive a notice to preserve the data in response to the information from the directory; and

sending a request for confirmation of the selection of the custodian other than the identified custodian to the user at the source device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the directory comprises a directory associated with a company phone system.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises saving the preservation notice, a submission date of the preservation notice, and a closing date of the preservation notice in a data store communicating with the electronic data discovery system.