Why PDFs Can Sink Your Case – Preserving Individual Emails the Right Way

Why PDFs Can Sink Your Case – Preserving Individual Emails the Right Way

Martin Felsky

Senior Counsel

September 15, 2025

 

The portable document format (PDF) was a breakthrough for the legal profession. It allowed lawyers to share contracts and pleadings in a consistent, easily readable format regardless of the software used to create them. For preserving the appearance of a document, PDF remains an excellent tool.

 

However, litigation is not only about appearance. It is about substance, history, and context. When a document, especially an email, is converted into PDF, critical metadata is stripped away. That metadata can include the creation date, transmission details, recipients, and other fields that may prove vital to a case.… Read More