Electronic Disclosure – Data, Data, Everywhere

Desktop computers, laptops, personal digital assistants, mobile phones…these are just a few of the many sources of electronic data which are common place in today’s technologically advanced world. In this article we consider the impact that electronically generated data is having on disclosure in the course of commercial litigation, we review a party’s obligations and opportunities under the Civil Procedure Rules and we provide some practical tips to help ensure that obligations are met and that all opportunities are taken.

Long gone are the days when a party could comply with its disclosure obligations by merely undertaking a search for and disclosing hard-copy documents for inspection. The e-revolution has meant that electronically generated ’documents’ (such as e-mails, spreadsheets, presentations and word processing documents), and associated electronic data, are quickly becoming the primary focus of disclosure in litigation. This is perhaps not