Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1920, a prevailing party may have a right to recover certain costs associated with the litigation. Many prevailing parties seek to recoup costs attendant to e-discovery, given the expense associated with collecting, processing and producing electronically stored information (“ESI”). However, most federal courts confronting the issue have determined that e-discovery costs are recoverable only in
Continue Reading The Costs of E-Discovery and What May be Recoverable Under 28 U.S.C. § 1920
If the Proportionality Doesn’t Fit, Courts May Cost-Shift
Generally, the party producing discovery bears the costs of production. But, shifting to the non-producing party the costs of production is sometimes warranted. This issue was recently tackled by a Kansas District Court in the matter Lawson v. Spirit AeroSystems, 2020 WL 3288058 (D. Kan. June 18, 2020).
Background
Following his retirement from Spirit AeroSystems, Inc.’s (“Spirit”), plaintiff Larry
Continue Reading If the Proportionality Doesn’t Fit, Courts May Cost-Shift
Because the Court Concluded Plaintiff’s Counsel Failed to Engage in Meaningful Meet and Confer, Court Orders Counsel (not the Plaintiff) to Bear the Costs of Production
In this single-plaintiff employment discrimination case (Bailey v. Brookdale Univ. Hosp., 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 93093 (E.D.N.Y. June 16, 2017)), counsel for the parties purportedly met and conferred as directed by the Court and, thereafter, entered into an ESI agreement (“Agreement”). The Agreement was presented to the Court and represented to be the product of mutual negotiation.
Continue Reading Because the Court Concluded Plaintiff’s Counsel Failed to Engage in Meaningful Meet and Confer, Court Orders Counsel (not the Plaintiff) to Bear the Costs of Production
Businesses Should Assess their Technology Solutions Mindful of the Potential for Litigation and Corresponding Discovery Obligations
In this case involving a motion to compel, the District Court addressed Defendants’ claim that emails stored on backup tapes were not reasonably accessible because of the undue burden and cost associated with retrieving them. Turning first to the question of “undue