eDiscovery

In the fast-evolving landscape of legal disputes and investigations, eDiscovery has become a cornerstone for uncovering electronically stored information (ESI) critical to civil litigation, regulatory compliance, and corporate inquiries. New World Forensics, an industry leader with an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, stands at the forefront of this domain, employing a sophisticated forensic tools methodology to streamline eDiscovery processes. By leveraging cutting-edge technology and a meticulous approach, the firm excels at identifying, preserving, and analyzing digital artifacts that serve as pivotal evidence in legal cases.

Forensic Tools Methodology in eDiscovery

New World Forensics employs a robust, multi-step methodology tailored to eDiscovery, integrating industry-leading tools such as EnCase Forensic, Magnet AXIOM, and Cellebrite UFED. The process begins with identification and preservation, where the team collaborates with legal counsel to define the scope of relevant ESI—spanning emails, documents, cloud data, and mobile device content. Using EnCase Forensic, they create forensically sound images of devices and storage systems, ensuring data integrity and maintaining an unbroken chain of custody, a critical requirement for court admissibility.

The collection phase follows, where Magnet AXIOM’s comprehensive data ingestion capabilities come into play. This tool aggregates ESI from diverse sources—computers, servers, mobile devices, and cloud platforms like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace—into a unified case file. AXIOM’s cloud module excels at retrieving data from SaaS applications, a growing necessity as businesses increasingly rely on cloud storage. For mobile devices, Cellebrite UFED extracts call logs, messages, and app data, even from locked or encrypted units, broadening the evidence pool.

In the analysis phase, New World Forensics harnesses AI-driven analytics within AXIOM and EnCase to process massive datasets efficiently. Keyword searches, timeline reconstruction, and relationship mapping identify relevant artifacts, while advanced filtering isolates key evidence from noise. The firm also employs custom scripts to tackle unique case needs, such as parsing proprietary file formats or recovering deleted data. The final review and production phase leverages AXIOM’s visualization tools and EnCase’s reporting features to present findings in clear, defensible formats—such as PDF reports or interactive dashboards—tailored for legal teams, judges, and juries.

Key Artifacts in eDiscovery and Their Impact

The artifacts uncovered during eDiscovery are digital breadcrumbs that illuminate case narratives. New World Forensics targets several critical types, each offering distinct value:

1. Email Communications: Extracted using AXIOM or EnCase, emails often reveal intent, agreements, or misconduct. Metadata—such as send/receive timestamps and recipient lists—can establish timelines or prove knowledge of events, as seen in contract disputes where an email chain confirms a breach.
2. Document Metadata: Files like Word documents or PDFs carry metadata (e.g., author, creation date, edits) recoverable via EnCase. In intellectual property cases, this can prove ownership or unauthorized use, such as when a document’s creation predates a competitor’s claim.
3. Deleted Files: Using file carving in EnCase or AXIOM’s unallocated space analysis, New World Forensics recovers deleted ESI. In a fraud case, a recovered spreadsheet detailing hidden transactions might expose financial manipulation, turning the tide in litigation.
4. Cloud Activity Logs: AXIOM’s cloud module retrieves sync logs or access records from platforms like Dropbox. These artifacts can demonstrate data exfiltration, as in a case where an employee uploaded trade secrets before resigning, providing grounds for an injunction.
5. Mobile App Data: Cellebrite UFED extracts messages, location data, or app usage from tools like WhatsApp or Slack. In a harassment lawsuit, geolocation tags tied to threatening messages could place a defendant at a scene, bolstering the plaintiff’s claim.
6. Browser History and Downloads: AXIOM’s web artifact analysis uncovers visits to file-sharing sites or downloads of sensitive data. This might reveal a party researching competitors illegally, offering a smoking gun in trade secret litigation.

How Artifacts Drive Case Success

These artifacts are more than data points—they form a cohesive story that can make or break a case. For instance, in a hypothetical breach-of-contract dispute, New World Forensics might uncover an email (communication artifact) discussing terms, a modified contract (document metadata), and cloud logs showing it was shared externally. Deleted meeting notes recovered from a laptop could further confirm intent to circumvent the agreement. This multi-artifact approach, enabled by their forensic methodology, provides a robust evidentiary foundation, often leading to settlements or favorable rulings.

In a real-world context, consider a corporate espionage case: browser history showing access to a rival’s site, paired with mobile app data confirming a file transfer, could prove theft of proprietary information. The precision and depth of New World Forensics’ tools ensure such connections are not missed, enhancing case outcomes.

New World Forensics’ leadership in eDiscovery stems from its methodical integration of forensic tools like EnCase, Magnet AXIOM, and Cellebrite UFED, paired with a commitment to excellence reflected in its A+ BBB rating. By targeting artifacts such as emails, metadata, deleted files, and cloud logs, the firm transforms complex ESI into compelling evidence. This methodology not only accelerates legal discovery but also ensures defensibility, empowering clients to navigate disputes with confidence in an increasingly digital world.