Don't Confuse Oranges With Apples: E-Discovery on Macintosh Systems

Finding e-discovery fruit on Macintosh computers requires different tactics than harvesting Windows.

As if dealing with electronic data discovery in a predominately Microsoft Windows world is not difficult enough, Apple's Macintosh computer systems are increasingly finding their way into corporate environments and present unique discovery challenges. Lawyers who assume they can simply use a standard Windows discovery approach when dealing with Macs may be committing an error in logical reasoning — similar to comparing apples to oranges.

During the identification stage lawyers typically reach out to relevant custodians and the client's IT contacts to gain an understanding of key issues, and the systems and electronically stored information that may come into play.

At this stage, the litigation team is defining what data may be potentially responsive, where and how it is stored, and how it can be efficiently and effectively harvested — often with an eye toward review and production. Standard Windows practices at this stage may prove inadequate to handle the differences between the Microsoft and Apple operating systems.

To successfully handle Macs, lawyers need an understanding about the locations that are likely to contain potentially discoverable user data and the unique Mac features that may affect their discovery plan. Here are a few tips, but caveat: many apply only to recent Mac operating systems.

To Continue Reading: Click Here
----------------------------------------------
Source: law.com
By: Bobby Malhotra