Insights

Washington, D.C.-based partner and co-chair of Crowell & Moring’s E-Discovery & Information Management Group, Jeane A. Thomas, is quoted in Legaltech News discussing the challenges multinational corporations face when navigating through different discovery processes between the United States and the European Union. Thomas said, "In the United States, civil litigation discovery is extraordinarily broad" and "in the EU, by contrast, civil law countries have very limited discovery and disclosure obligations."

Washington, D.C.-based partner and co-chair of Crowell & Moring's E-Discovery & Information Management Group, Jeane A. Thomas, is quoted in Legaltech News discussing the challenges corporations face when preserving data and tips on how they can effectively manage perseveration. Thomas noted the importance of communication and how the general messaging of the preservation process must be honed considerably in regards to frequent custodians. "I would add flexible to the list of adjectives that are necessary to communications. There is good reason to automate some of the legal hold processes, but there's still a role for direct communication with key custodians, to make sure of and understand their obligations," Thomas said.

Washington, D.C.-based partner and co-chair of the firm's e-Discovery & Information Management Group, David D. Cross, tells Law360 about working with Judge Paul W. Grimm, who has recently been appointed one of the newest federal judges on the Maryland federal bench. Cross, who is familiar with Grimm's 16 years of experience as a magistrate judge, sheds light on Grimm's well-regarded reputation. When Judge Grimm wants to address something, "his decisions are written like law review articles," Cross says. "He makes his opinions very useful beyond the confines of his own case."

Washington, D.C.-based Antitrust Group associate, Adrian Fontecilla, discusses the myriad of legal issues posed by the use of social media after a Massachusetts teen was arrested for posting violent lyrics on his Facebook page in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings. Fontecilla notes, "The risk that social media creates for its users is that they tend to be as informal and prolific in their social media posts as they would be in private conversations. Because comments made publicly on social media are shared with a wider audience than just the author's friends and family, they can take new and unintended meanings."

Crowell & Moring is listed among 17 firms that received praise from corporate counsel for improving their client focus in the BTI Client Service A-Team 2012 report by the BTI Consulting Group Inc.

Washington, D.C.-based Litigation Group partner and Trade Secrets team member Michael J. Songer speaks to Intellectual Property Law360 about the successful trial strategy that secured a $920 million jury verdict for Crowell & Moring client DuPont in a heated trade secret case with rival Kolon Industries Inc. over DuPont's Kevlar brand body armor product. The joint efforts between McGuireWoods and Crowell & Moring resulted in one of the largest jury verdicts ever reached in the Eastern District of Virginia.

Crowell & Moring’s Trade Secrets Group is highlighted in IP Law360 as co-counsel for DuPont in their $919 million win against Kolon Industries.

Crowell & Moring LLP E-Discovery and Information Management Group counsel David D. Cross is featured for his comments on the importance of electronic data in intellectual property cases.

Crowell & Moring LLP partner and chair of the firm’s E-Discovery & Information Management Group, Jeane A. Thomas, is featured for her comments on new, discoverable, electronically stored information (ESI) as a result of instant messaging (IM), Facebook , Twitter, and other social networking sites.

Crowell & Moring counsel Justin P. Murphy, member of the firm’s White Collar & Securities Litigation Group and E-Discovery practice, is featured for his comments on e-discovery in the realm of criminal and civil investigations.

Crowell & Moring E-Discovery Group counsel David D. Cross is featured in Law360 after moderating the American Bar Association teleconference on the Qualcomm Inc. v. Broadcom Corp. decision.

Crowell & Moring E-Discovery Group partner Jeane Thomas participates in a roundtable on the updated changes to the new Federal Rules of Civil Procedure for e-discovery that offer practical solutions for the growing burdens of discovery in the information age. However, these provisions also create potential risks and costs for companies trying to protect privileged and confidential information. 

Antitrust partner Jeane A. Thomas is featured for her efforts in developing a first-class document review and E-Discovery program for her representation of Cingular Wireless and other client matters.