
Author: Michael D. Berman
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Does a Subject-Matter Waiver “Snowball” Into a Wholesale Waiver of Privilege Under a “Newfangled Theory”?
In U.S. v. Jones, the court rejected both overly broad and narrow interpretations of privilege waiver and explicitly denied the government’s “cumulative waiver” theory as contrary to Federal Rule of Evidence 502.
Document Correlation
A federal court finds that producing ESI with proper metadata may fulfill Rule 34(b)(2)(E)(i) requirements, eliminating the need for document correlation in many cases.
Attorneys Sanctioned for Social Media Research on Prospective Jurors
A federal court sanctioned attorneys $10K for violating a standing order against LinkedIn research on jurors, sparking debate over privacy, ethics, and the evolving “duty to Google” in jury selection.
Order Prohibiting Upload of Confidential Discovery Documents to Artificial Intelligence (“AI”)
A federal court barred uploading confidential discovery materials to AI, raising key eDiscovery and confidentiality issues for future Rule 26(f) discussions.
When Must a Motion to Compel Be Filed? – Part 4
Courts may deny motions to compel even if filed before discovery closes. Feit Electric v. CFLT highlights that delays, even within discovery, can render such motions untimely. Strategic planning and local rules are key.
In an Asset Sale, Don’t Sell the Server That Holds Privileged Communications
A recent decision in Jim Daws Trucking v. Daws, Inc. underscores how selling a server with privileged emails can waive attorney-client privilege—raising red flags for information governance and asset purchase practices.
“Discovery on Discovery” Ordered After Amazon’s Flawed Implementation of Litigation Hold
A federal court ordered Amazon to disclose litigation hold notices and preservation efforts in a COVID-19 price gouging case, finding significant gaps and delays in its ESI preservation.
Definition and Application the Crime-Fraud Exception to A-C Privilege
In Burge v. Teva, the court applied the crime-fraud exception to attorney-client privilege, requiring disclosure of redacted documents that evidenced fraudulent concealment involving counsel.
Rule 37(e)(1) Sanctions for Breach of Duty to Preserve Communications
A Maryland court imposed Rule 37(e)(1) sanctions against a plaintiff for failing to preserve key Facebook and text message communications, providing the jury with a special instruction on the spoliation.
When is a Motion for Protective Order Untimely? Meet and Confer Was Futile
In Singleton v. Mazhari, the court held that a protective order motion was timely and excused meet-and-confer efforts as futile, offering guidance on both timing and procedural waivers.
Plaintiff Raised a Troubling Spoliation Issue, But Did Not Surmount All Hurdles, and a Ruling Was Reserved
A Maryland court expressed concern over WMATA’s failure to produce key inspection reports after a garage slip-and-fall but declined to impose harsh spoliation sanctions, reserving judgment on narrower remedies.
Request for Email Threading Protocol Rejected & Discussed Use at Trial
In In Re Tecfidera Antitrust Litigation, the court rejected a proposed email threading protocol due to usability and metadata concerns, emphasizing Rule 34’s requirement to produce ESI as ordinarily maintained and noting a lack of...
