Earlier this week, we instructed you about Biglaw agency Littler Mendelson suing a former affiliate. Littler maintains in February of this 12 months, Uliana Kozeychuk downloaded 7,900+ paperwork, together with agency proprietary and consumer knowledge, to an exterior Dropbox whereas she was on Household Medical Depart Act depart.
Kozeychuk denied the allegations, saying the downloads had been “solely private in nature,” and that Littler’s authorized maneuvers are an effort to distract from her complaints of “abuse” by Littler shareholders — even posting in regards to the case to social media with the hashtag #TimesUpLittler.
Nevertheless, an in-camera evaluate of Kozeychuk’s paperwork in her Dropbox, Gmail, and different accounts from July 1 via February 28 discovered confidential agency materials. Texas Affiliate Decide Tahira Merritt ordered a third-party firm, TransPerfect, to “instantly segregate these [confidential] paperwork and ship them to counsel for Littler,” and that Kozeychuk “shall not keep any copies of the confidential data.” The precise quantity of confidential data present in Kozeychuk’s possession is unknown.
Of the invention, Kozeychuk instructed Law360, “I’ve reached out to the decide and counsel to acquire data as to what docs the order is referencing so I can present my place on whether or not they’re really confidential or not as I’m not conscious of any confidential docs being current in any of my accounts and am shocked by the court docket’s claiming that I do.”
Littler stated they’re “extraordinarily happy with the court docket’s ruling, as our sole focus on this case has been on making certain the safety of consumer and agency confidential data.”
“Decide Merritt’s interim evaluate of a portion of the paperwork Ms. Kozeychuk took from Littler recognized many as being confidential data of the agency and its shoppers, as asserted by Littler,” the agency stated in an announcement. “The case is ongoing and the rest of the problems to be resolved are the topic of our software for a short lived injunction. Littler will proceed to be diligent in taking all vital steps to safeguard delicate data.”
The agency’s counsel, Michele Naudin of Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann LLP, stated there’s probably extra confidential data in Kozeychuk’s possession.
“We weren’t aware about Decide Merritt’s discussions with the forensic crew, however we do know that Decide Merritt restricted the scope of her evaluate,” Naudin stated in an e mail. “She didn’t evaluate all 10,000 docs that Littler recognized as having been uploaded and faraway from Littler programs. If the court docket grants our software for a short lived injunction, all paperwork will likely be preserved and reviewed by unbiased licensed forensic professionals. Kozeychuk will not have entry to any confidential Data.”
It doesn’t appear like this acrimonious case will likely be over any time quickly.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Legislation, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Considering Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the perfect, so please join along with her. Be at liberty to e mail her with any suggestions, questions, or feedback and comply with her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Mastodon @Kathryn1@mastodon.social.
