Attorney Error Results in Massive Leak of Privileged Client Data

Any attorney would grimace at the thought of inadvertently producing privileged information worth billions of dollars to an opposing party.

When the opposing party then leaks that information to a global news provider, that frown turns into a lawyer’s worst nightmare. An attorney’s inadvertent production resulting in leaked confidential information of 50,000 bank customers to the New York Times provides a cautionary tale for lawyers using digital information gathering. In an age where the use of e-discovery is growing exponentially, ABA Section of Litigation leaders advise attorneys to apply a heightened scrutiny when facing these type of discovery matters.