The Advantages of eDiscovery Explained in New Whitepaper

As eDiscovery continues to gain a strong foothold in litigation processes, law firms across the nation work to understand the new practice and establish standards to prevent any sanctions resulting from mishandling electronically stored information.

Industry experts at KPMG recently published a whitepaper that aims to teach law firm executives the importance of eDiscovery, as well the abilities the innovation has to cut costs and increase efficiency in litigation processes.

"Leveraged properly, effective eDiscovery software can reduce inconsistencies in the early stages of document reviews," Richard Girgenti of KPMG said in a statement.

The firm also noted that 50 percent to 80 percent of total case preparation expenses are often devoted to discovery and review of materials. With the proper eDiscovery software and knowledge of the technology, KPMG asserts that firms will experience vast improvement within their practices.

According to the Duke Law Journal, sanctions relating to the mishandling of electronically discovered ESI have been on a steady rise over the past seven years. The Journal cites that 230 sanctions were awarded out of 401 cases involving ESI in Federal Courts between 2004 and 2010, while the rate appears to continue rise. With the proper tools and policies, these sanctions are unlikely to affect a firm.