Estates in the Digital Age: Debunking E-Discovery Myths in Estate Litigation

All aspects of life are increasingly affected by the proliferation of advances in technology. Wills and estates are no exception.

One of the results of the growth of digital assets and online communications is the evolution of evidence that is required for estate litigation and estate administration. Virtually all evidence, unless it is a handwritten note, physical evidence or witness testimony, is now electronic in its original format.

Heuristica’s Crystal O’Donnell (along with co-author Holly LeValliant) have just published the first of a series of articles on the Trusts and Estates Law section of the Ontario Bar Association website.… Read More

Collaborative Discovery Required

In Thompson v Arcadia Labs Inc, the plaintiffs brought a motion for relief requesting, among other things, several orders related to discovery. The plaintiffs are consultants that provided services to the defendant cybersecurity firm.

The parties did not agree on a protocol for exchanging documents, which resulted in unilateral attempts to satisfy production obligations. Master MacLeod, as he then was, (Master MacLeod was recently appointed a judge of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice) found that parties cannot take a unilateral approach to production and that cooperation is critical for defensibility and proportionality.

During the course of their business relationship, the plaintiffs created documents for the defendants, which were uploaded to a website.… Read More

Heuristica Celebrates First Anniversary with Expanded Team

Heuristica Discovery Counsel is celebrating its first anniversary and thanks to an extremely successful first year is pleased to announce the addition of two key positions at the firm.

With the addition of several major new clients Heuristica recently has recruited Alan Dingle and Keith Bedford.

Alan and Keith bring relevant expertise and experience to meet the increasingly sophisticated needs of the market and our clients. The two new positions enable Heuristica to continue its expansion and ensure that it continues to exceed client expectations.

Alan Dingle joins Heuristica as Vice President of Marketing and Business Development. … Read More

Crystal O’Donnell to Speak at Legal Entrepreneurship Panel

On April 1st, Crystal O’Donnell will speak at the Commercial Litigation Women’s Breakfast.

As part of a panel discussion, Crystal will discuss alternative pathways for women entrepreneurs in the law.

The event is hosted by the Commercial Litigation Practice Group of the Advocates’ Society.

More information about Practice Groups can be found on the Advocate’s Society website.

Crystal O’Donnell’s EDRM interview

A recent interview of Crystal O’Donnell, Founder and President of Heuristica, can be found on the website of the Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM).

In the interview Crystal discusses the unique approach that Heuristica takes to e-discovery, her involvement with Sedona Canada, and differences between Canadian and American procedural rules relating to electronically stored information.

Click here to read the interview.