Electronic Discovery and Computer Forensics

Vendors of Services, Software, and Consulting

In the past five years, the market for electronic discovery and computer forensic products and services has exploded. Dozens of new companies have formed and established companies have entered the field. Some are highly specialized regional "boutiques" while others are capable of offering a full range of services world wide. The important point for those seeking assistance with e-discovery is that they are now highly differentiated. Electornic discovery is not synonymous with either litigation support or computer forensics, and each case may call for a different combination of skills.

To better understand the market, I suggest you read George Socha's excellent market survey article, reprinted with permission from Digital Discovery & e-Evidence, Volume 3, Number 4, pages 1 and 13-15. [Copyright 2003 by Pike and Fischer, Inc. For more information on Digital Discovery & e-Evidence, call 1-800-255-8131 ext. 248.]

Since this is a rapidly growing field, the following list cannot be complete, and additions are welcome (see note at end). Appearance on this list is not to be construed as an endorsement. The annotations below have been supplied by the vendors themselves and reprinted ver batim.

ACT Litigation Services
www.actlit.com/electronic.html

"At the ACT Data Lab, located in Los Angeles, the Electronic Data Conversion Department has the capacity to convert millions of pages per week of electronic file information into TIFF images and associated text. Email data such as date, author, recipient, copyees and subject are automatically extracted along with file creation date, date last modified and other fields of information and made available for the database. Email attachments and other unattached electronic files (i.e. Word, Excel, etc) are converted into TIFF image files, document text and associated metadata."

Accounting Economics and Appraisal Group (AEA Group)
www.aeagroup.com

"Accounting Economics & Appraisal Group LLC (AEA Group) is a specialized consulting firm with professionals providing financial, economic and strategic advice to companies involved in complex financial challenges, litigation, and management performance issues.  AEA Group provides  assistance, from initial discovery through expert report and expert witness testimony, with respect to financial investigation and analysis, property damage and appraisal, real estate consulting, forensic accounting, litigation support, intellectual property, management and compliance issues, fraud, computer forensics, electronic discovery, troubled company, and bankruptcy."

Applied Discovery
www.applieddiscovery.com

"Applied Discovery provides electronic discovery services in the discovery phase of litigation or during due diligence or second requests in M&A work. We routinely work with some of the top firms and corporations in the country. Our web site includes an electronic discovery resource center, featuring an online Law Library with detailed information about the legal standards for electronic discovery. In addition to case law, the Law Library contains secondary sources, articles and White Papers on topics relevant to electronic discovery."

Areté Legal
www.aretelegal.com

"Areté Legal’s single source solution for risk prevention, litigation management, remediation, and early resolution is designed for corporate counsel and their outside law firms. This seamless solution brings together the best technology and best people that share a common goal to deliver a superior product sophisticated enough to handle the most demanding and complex legal problems."

Attenex Corporation
www.attenex.com

"Attenex® dramatically reduces the time, expense and risk of electronic discovery with integrated and uniquely intuitive tools that simplify data management and accelerate review. The Attenex Patterns® E-Discovery Platform enables users to rapidly review large volumes of electronic information in its native format while preserving the legal chain of custody."

CBL Data Recovery Technologies Inc.
www.cbltech.com/

"CBL is a data recovery company that provides the service and expertise required to collect evidence from computer systems and the forensic analysis capabilities of storage media in search of deleted, hidden or maliciously or accidentally damaged data. CBL's computer forensics practice utilizes experts skilled in ensuring that all digital data has been handled within the legal principles of security, continuity and accountability. The integrity of CBL's procedures and processes will withstand the challenges presented in a court of law."

Capital Legal Solutions
www.capitallegals.com

"CLS provides innovative solutions for Electronic Discovery, Printing, Scanning, Coding and Transcription. We use state of the art technology to process Electronic Documents in their native formats. We support thousands of document types, all E-mail formats, and any case management database. We extract Metadata information and provide it to the customer on special document separators. We custom scan with 'smart' separators for document construction and provide multi stage Bates Stamping."

CaseCentral
www.casecentral.com/cc/edisc_about

"CaseCentral provides a comprehensive single solution for restore, conversion, review, production and repository hosting. CaseCentral is the market leader in electronic conversion and web-repository hosting services. CaseCentral currently hosts more than 280 million document pages for its clients, which include 70 of the American Lawyer Top 100 Law Firms and legal departments of leading corporations worldwide."

Cataphora, Inc.
www.Cataphora.com

"Cataphora offers next-generation digital discovery where the contextual links and "chains of events" within a document collection are graphically displayed along with reports and other data analysis. Cataphora's leading-edge contextual solution is particularly suited for the production and discovery of electronic evidence in large-scale data collections as it drastically reduces production costs and greatly simplifies the finding of critical evidence."

Comat Technologies
www.comat.com

"Comat Technologies has been providing litigation support services for several years. Comat has just added electronic document discovery (EDD) services to its portfolio. Scoperta™ EDD service is designed to leverage computing and communications resources in US and low cost manpower located in India. This is an example of best shoring, where sensitive litigation data never leaves US and Comat is able to provide a cost effective business solution to the legal services industry. Through optimal use of the infrastructure, Comat is able to offer significant savings while offering a high quality service and fast turn around."

Compulit, Inc.
www.compulit.com

"Compulit is a full service litigation support company that provides a complete range of electronic and paper discovery services. Compulit works with Fortune 1000 corporations and their outside counsel on documents produced in paper, on CD ROM, backup tape, or other electronic format to filter them for relevancy, eliminate duplicates, prepare them for privilege review and load them to a common database. Compulit.Net is Compulit's on-line document repository."

Computer Forensics, Inc.
www.forensics.com

CoreFacts, LLC
www.corefacts.net

Cricket Technologies, Inc.
www.crickettechnologies.com

"Cricket Technologies provides cutting-edge electronic discovery and litigation support services by capturing, converting, managing, controlling and securing large volumes of information in virtually any format. We offer fast, secure and reliable hosting with unlimited bandwidth. Our exclusive NSP model lets you use the applications you choose, not ones that require costly conversion and training. More information can be obtained on our website about electronic discovery and our services in addition to case studies, articles and a glossary of e-discovery terminology."

CyberSecurity Institute
www.cybersecurityinstitute.biz

"We are an established forensics training, consulting, and investigative analysis company. We have been training law enforcement as well as private individuals. Our CyberSecurity Forensic Analyst (CSFA)™ certification will become available in August 2004. Steve Hailey is President and CEO of CyberSecurity Institute. Steve is an Information Technology veteran of twenty-one years, with fourteen years experience developing and delivering technical training."

D-M Information Systems, Inc.
www.dminfo.com

"D-M Information Systems, Inc. is a one-stop, full-spectrum litigation support service provider. Our services include electronic evidence processing, document scanning, coding, and OCR, web-based repository services, software sales and training, deposition summaries, administrative record preparation, and MCLE seminars. D-M is one of the most experienced firms in the field, with more than 25 years of experience serving law firms, corporate legal deparments, and government agencies nationwide since 1979."

DataLeach
www.dataleach.com

"Hard Drive Data Recovery -- drive data recovery and disk file disaster recovery center."

Data Recovery Services, Inc.
www.datarecovery.net

"Data Recovery Services, Inc. is the longest operating data recovery facility in US. Recovery of data from damaged hard disk drive, RAID, tape, and other media. Data conversion and computer forensics services. In operation since 1981, Data Recovery Services has clients from the education, government, and military sectors plus Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies. Offices in Dallas and Houston, TX; Falls Church, VA; Sydney and Brisbane, Australia; and London, UK."

Daticon
www.daticon.com

"Daticon has provided electronic discovery and forensic consulting services since 1998."

Deloitte & Touche
www.us.deloitte.com/us/what/serlines/dcg/dcg4.htm

Deposums
www.deposums.com

"Deposums is an industry leader in providing electronic deposition summaries during the discovery phase of litigation."

Digital Documents, LLC
www.digitaldocumentsllc.com

"Digital Documents, LLC is a national document scanning and indexing company that focuses on high quality, low price and quick turnaround, enabling private and public sector clients to successfully unlock the true value of the information contained in their documents. Service offerings include Back File and Day Forward Conversions, Optical Character Recognition & Document Indexing, Turnkey Document Management Solutions & Hosting Services, and Electronic File Conversion & Discovery Solutions."

Discovery Attender
www.sherpasoftware.com/productshome.shtml

"Discovery Attender is an electronic discovery tool designed to perform real-time searches in Exchange mailboxes, PST files and common file areas. Searches are transparent to end-users and can be targeted to specific groups/users. With Discovery Attender, you can search, monitor and retrieve electronic data for document discovery requests in a cost-effective and timely manner."

DolphinSearch
www.dolphinsearch.com

"DolphinSearch is a leading-edge provider of electronic discovery and litigation support services. DolphinSearch uses patented neural network technology to understand documents and help to organize them for production and litigation. DolphinSearch provides unparalleled capabilities to extract and render electronic documents."

Driven, Inc.
www.driven-inc.com

Duplicating USA
www.duplicatingusa.com

"Duplicating USA provides quality full-service document production and electronic discovery services to the Manhattan legal community. Services include document imaging, coding, electronic discovery, OCR, printing/blowbacks, data conversion, systems integration, web-based repository training and support, and trial exhibit presentations. We operate 24-hours a day with a daily capacity of a half million pages."

eFor Incorporated
www.eforinc.com

"eFor computer forensics is a leading provider of electronic discovery services to law firms, corporations and the State of California. eFor's unique combination of computer forensics savvy and more that 20 years experience conducting in-depth criminal and civil investigations and providing witnesss testimony, allow us to provide service that goes beyond data recovery to helping our clients build a winning case through discoverable digital evidence."

ESS Data Recovery, Inc.
www.datainvestigate.com

"ESS Data Recovery, Inc. is a computer forensics supplier to attorneys, government, companies & competitive firms. Although ESS covers all areas of electronic discovery, they specialize in recovering hard disk drives that have been physically damaged, specifically by rotational scoring. Their patent-pending technology in this area allows them to recover data when others often fail. Clients include well-known institutions in the scientific community such as NASA and Harvard Medical School."

Electronic Evidence Discovery, Inc.
www.eedinc.com

Electronic Evidence Recovery, Inc.
www.cyberdetective.com

"More than 16 years ago, our founders created much of the intellectual discipline that has become the standard in electronic discovery today. From data assessment and collection to production and expert testimony - we are the only firm to merge law and technology into a fully-defensible line of products and services. Our work has been tested and proved in thousands of litigations and in some of the most complex electronic discovery cases."

Elysium Digital, LLC
www.elys.com

"Elysium Digital is a technical litigation consulting company. While involved with computer forensics and electronic discovery, we also assist lawyers throughout all phases of their technical cases, including: preliminary analysis of litigation, preparing for depositions, selecting and supporting expert witnesses, trial preparation, creating technical demonstrations, and providing insight on cross-examinations."

eMag Solutions (MM/PC)
www.emaglink.com/MMPC.htm

"MM/PC provides true forensic analysis of tapes by allowing the user to read a tape in any format and also look at any part of the tape in an unprocessed mode. The program is extremely simple to use, and no knowledge of how the original backup or interchange program is required in order to restore the files. eMag also provides data conversion and data recovery services. We have sold our forensic analysis software to the FBI and other federal and local law enforcment agencies as well as several of the companies on this consultant list."

Fast Track Litigation Support
www.ftls.com

FIOS, Inc.
www.fiosinc.com

Forensicon, Inc.
www.forensicon.com

"Specializing in litigation support, Forensicon is a computer forensics and electronic discovery firm based in Chicago, Illinois. We provide top-notch assistance to law firms and corporations large and small, offering nationwide services in forensic imaging, electronic discovery, litigation consulting and expert witness reports."

Franklin Data
www.franklindata.com

"Franklin Data is an electronic evidence software OEM and outsource partner for text and metadata extraction along with TIFF. Franklin Data offers high-speed, mobile, electronic evidence discovery services. During that matter when the data can’t leave the premises, Franklin Data is there and ready to work. As a pioneer in the electronic evidence industry, Franklin Data has proven its quality resources and leading technology beyond our competition."

FTI Consulting
www.fticonsulting.com

Global Digital Forensics
www.evestigate.com

"Global Digital Forensics specializes in complex electronic discovery, from discovery request consulting and planning to data extraction and report generation. We handle complex computing environments and large data stores in a cost effective and efficient manner."

Guidance Software (EnCase)
www.guidancesoftware.com

Hard Drive Recovery Group
www.harddriverecovery.org

"Hard Drive Recovery Group offers complete data recovery services, including RAID, Mac and laptop recovery. Turnaround on hard drives is typically 48-96 hours."
Hot Pepper Technology
www.hotpepperinc.com/emd
"E-Mail Detective is a forensic software tool that allows investigators to extract all email contents (including graphics) from America Online’s database stores on a user’s disk drive."

Ibis Consulting
www.ibisconsulting.com

iCite
www.icitelegal.com

"[A] division of Aspen Systems Corporation. We have more than 600 experienced professionals and industry experts who understand litigation support and have been serving the needs of top commercial law firms, corporate law departments, and government attorneys for more than 30 years."

ImageMAKER Development, Inc.
www.discoveryassistant.com

"ImageMAKER Development Inc. is a Vancouver, BC software firm providing TIFF imaging solutions to leading technology companies throughout the world. ImageMAKER's Discovery Assistant enables the user to capture and process all Windows-based electronic files including email messages, attachments and ZIP files. Discovery Assistant is a feature-rich, robust (up to 20,000 MS Word pages/hour), scalable (clustered-server support) solution that enables the non-technical user to quickly capture electronic files from CD’s and local or network drives, convert them to TIFF (or PDF), stamp a unique Bates Number on each page and export the resulting data, including hidden Metadata, to one of the leading case management software packages, including Summation and Concordance, ready for detailed review and analysis by the legal team."

Intellirecovery
www.intellirecovery.com

"IntelliRecovery is a global data recovery services company based in San Francisco specializing in hard disk & hard drive recovery. No diagnosis fees and if we don't recover your data, no charge!"

ITELS
www.itels.com

"ITELS provides cost effective, high quality services in Data Capture and Document Coding, Electronic Data Discovery, Audio Discovery, Optical Character Recognition, and Internet Data Repository. As a full-spectrum professional litigation support service provider, ITELS is your perfect partner in the management of medium and large litigations."

Johnson-Laird, Inc.
www.jli.com

KPMG
www.us.kpmg.com/fts

"KPMG provides affordable, end-to-end Electronic Data Discovery services. Our scalable, customized approach includes digital evidence-collection and on-line discovery management services. Sharing information in a collaborative yet secure platform, clients can capture, cull, search, retrieve, cluster on concepts, analyze, and view important case information."

Kroll Ontrack
www.krollontrack.com

"Providing computer software and services to law firms, corporations, federal agencies and individuals, Kroll Ontrack enables the discovery, collection, investigation, and production of electronic information. Kroll Ontrack is dedicated to developing new technologies that solve the problems associated with the collection, storage, and use of electronic data. Kroll Ontrack operates out of 13 offices and five service labs strategically placed around the globe."

LECG Electronic Discovery Practice
http://www.lecg.com/website/home.nsf/OpenPage/ElectronicDiscovery

"LECG's Electronic Discovery Practice is comprised of experts who work directly with outside counsel, general counsel, and corporate executives to deliver objective advice in all phases of modern electronic discovery. Their services include: litigation readiness planning, electronic discovery consulting, litigation information management, data preservation, computer forensics, email recovery and reconstruction, and transactional data analysis. The Electronic Discovery Practice encompasses international investigations and litigation discovery project management."

Legal Forensics
www.legalforensics.com

"We are a premier data recovery company specializing in high level electronic discovery and recovery for litigation and the legal profession, including computer forensics, email recovery, expert testimony, tape recovery and duplication. Over 21 years in the data recovery business, second largest data recovery company nationwide, and has assembled a staff of talented R&D and recovery engineers/programmers to ensure every client receives professional, fast service."

Legal Technology Group, Inc. (LTG)
www.legaltechnologygroup.com

"LTG is composed of lawyers and technologists who understand both the legal process and enterprise IT environments. LTG has served Fortune 500 companies and public agencies in issues relating to electronic discovery, computer-generated evidence (with particular emphasis on emails), and inappropriate computer or Internet use by employees. LTG consults to law firms, corporate legal departments and government agencies on the whole spectrum of litigation support and trial preparation, including the legal and technical aspects of electronic discovery; computer forensics; imaging and coding; document management software; Web document repositories; and trial presentation. It also assists its clients in technical due diligence reviews and the selection of appropriate litigation support vendors."

LIT Group
www.litgroup.com

"In February of this year, LIT Group will celebrate their first decade as leaders in managing digital information for the legal industry. Four additional offices and millions of documents later, LIT Group is recognized as an innovative provider of knowledge and next-generation technology for those engaged in complex litigation."

Litigation Support Vendors Association
www.lasv.com

"LSVA is a not-for-profit litigation support and discovery technology resource with over 1,200 members."

Millnet
www.millnet.co.uk

"Millnet are the UK leaders in providing e-discovery services to clients."

NTI/Safeback
www.forensics-intl.com

Norcross Group
www.norcrossgroup.com

"The Norcross Group provides a full spectrum of digital investigations, computer forensics, forensic accounting and document management services. We also provide HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley and other federal regulatory and security assessments, disaster recovery and backup solutions, reactive measures for protecting information assets, critical infrastructure investigations, intelligence gathering, business valuation, mediation, specialized litigation support and technology services. Our team consists of former FBI Special Agents, U.S. Treasury Agents, and financial and corporate investigators with significant courtroom testimony experience as well as security clearances."

OnlineSecurity
www.onlinesecurity.com

"OnlineSecurity is a national computer forensics, security, and investigations firm. We have offices in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco with the capability to deploy resources around the country and around the globe twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Established in 1997, OnlineSecurity is a global leader in the investigation of information technology crime, the preservation of digital evidence through computer forensic techniques, and providing for the protection of corporate and governmental digital assets. We publish a monthly newsletter that focuses on issues at the confluence of law technology and business."

PG Lewis & Associates, LLC
www.pglewis.com

"PG Lewis & Associates, LLC is a Data Forensics firm founded to assist the legal process by providing specialized data forensics services. The firm uses advanced forensic tools and a proprietary forensic methodology to extract and interpret digital data from any computing device while preserving the evidence for dispute resolution and/or litigation."

PricewaterhouseCoopers
www.pwcglobal.com/extweb/service.nsf/docid/8f61db47f9a0628080256a0a00548924

Project Leadership Associates
www.projectleadership.net

"Project Leadership Associates is a Chicago-based Electronic Data Discovery and Data Forensics service organization."

Quorum Litigation Services
(see Kroll Ontrack)

Relevant Evidence, LLC
www.relevantevidence.com

"Relevant Evidence, LLC is a a full service litigation consulting firm providing litigation advantage through practical, cost-effective electronic discovery strategy, document production and computer forensic services. We give litigators a significant competitive edge, allowing them to balance (as well as significantly reduce) the cost and burdens of electronic discovery, so that they may consistently triumph over their opponents and provide maximum value to their clients."

Renew Data
www.renewdata.com

"We provide complete electronic discovery services from initial planning for full large evidence productions."

Revealing Data
www.revealingdata.com

"Revealing Data saves time. There are many outstanding computer forensics and electronic discovery companies. Revealing Data assists our legal and corporate clients in identifying the best of them for each project. Simply share some of your case objectives so Revealing Data can identify, qualify, and coordinate the most appropriate service provider for your litigation, discovery-production or due diligence. We study, measure and present to you key criteria such as cost, location and experience so you can make a better decision. There are no fees to you for our services."

Sartori Associates
www.sartori.com

Searchlight Systems Ltd.
www.searchlight.ca

"Searchlight Systems Ltd. is a full-service litigation support company serving law firms, corporate legal departments and government agencies in Canada, the US and UK. From scanning to document coding to OCR to electronic discovery to web hosting to document management, Searchlight has the technology, staff and experience to cut costs and improve turnaround."

Sensei Enterprises, Inc.
www.senseient.com

"Sensei Enterprises, Inc. is a nationally known computer forensics, data recovery and legal technology company. Based in Fairfax, Virginia, Sensei provides legal expertise with high level technical and computer forensic certifications (including the EnCE) as well as expert witness testimony on a broad range of electronic evidence and technology subjects. Sensei is also publisher of the monthly electronic newsletter, Bytes in Brief, which cover law and technology news."

Setec Investigations
www.setecsecurity.com

"Setec Investigations offers unparalleled expertise in computer forensics and electronic discovery, providing highly personalized, case-specific forensic analysis and litigation support services to assist in the investigation, handling, and prosecution of computer-related crimes or misuse. Setec Investigations combines today's most advanced computer forensics and litigation support expertise with a business- and legal-friendly approach, resulting in a sound analytical foundation that carefully balances critical investigative requirements with vital legal and evidentiary needs. Setec Investigations incorporates a cross-disciplinary team comprised of computer forensic investigators, attorneys, law enforcement specialists, and seasoned business professionals who have established a proven track record of success since 1997."

SPI Technologies
www.spitech.com/LitDirect/DDD/emergence.html

Ken Shear writes: "I've changed employers and am now working for SPI Technologies, a Manila company. Our e-discovery offering is called 'Data Discovery Direct' or DDD for short. We have an alliance with KPMG and we do most of our processing at a rather impressive facility in Cypress CA, staffed by some very able industry veterans. We're a true best practices shop with several applications, and I'm starting to work on a series of papers to identify key issues in processing various types of data. Also, we're moving forward with some innovative applications that should improve the standard processes seen in the EDD world (including some new review enhancement tehcniques and data acquistion procedures)."

Stroz Friedberg, LLC
www.strozllc.com

"Stroz Friedberg, LLC is a consulting and technical services firm specializing in computer investigations and the mining of relevant information from preserved electronic data in the context of civil litigation, criminal and regulatory matters, and internal corporate investigations. Our unique methodology- which brings technology, law, investigative experience and behavioral science to bear while providing assurance to all parties­ has made us the firm of choice in the areas of our expertise: investigations of computer-enabled wrongdoing, computer forensics, electronic discovery, and the identification and preservation of data from complex corporate networks."

Vogon International
www.vogon-international.com

VSI
www.vsicorp.com

"A singular focus on network-attached storage."


If you would like to add a name to this list or modify a current listing, please go to the www.kenwithers.com "comments" page.