On January 12, 2023, the Louisiana Board of Tax Appeals (the “Board”) granted a motion for partial summary judgment in Apple, Inc. v. Samuel, Dkt. No. L01283 (January 12, 2023) and held that the Internet Tax Freedom Act (the “ITFA”) prohibited Orleans Parish from imposing sales tax on subscription fees paid for the use
electronically stored information
Court Holds That Text Messages Are Subject to Duty to Preserve ESI
The US District Court for the Western District of North Carolina recently held that even text messages are subject to the duty to preserve electronically stored information (ESI). In Shaffer v. Gaither, the plaintiff asserted claims against her former boss – a US District Attorney – for constructive dismissal based on sexual harassment and…
Electronic Discovery and Social Media
Is a defendant entitled to rummage through the desk drawers and closets in a plaintiff’s home as part of discovery in a civil case? Most would agree this is beyond the scope of standard discovery.
A United States District Court Judge used this logic to limit the discovery of plaintiff’s social media accounts when the…
The Safe Harbor Rule of E-Discovery: Rule 37(e) Governs Consequences of Failure to Preserve Discoverable ESI
Rule 37(e) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, also known as the “Safe Harbor Rule” of electronic discovery, governs the consequences of a party’s failure to preserve discoverable Electronically Stored Information (ESI). Currently, Rule 37(e) provides:
Absent exceptional circumstances, a court may not impose sanctions under these rules on a party for failing to…
Preservation Obligations: How Much Data Must a Party Hold During Active Litigation?
The United States District Court, Northern District of California, offered some additional guidance regarding what a party must do, and by when, in terms of its preservation obligation. Commenting that Judge Scheindlin “woke up the legal world from its electronic discovery slumber in the Zubulake series,” and that most parties have gotten the basic message…