Organizations adopt technologies to improve the delivery of goods and services. Their technologies change constantly. As they do so, new legal issues arise, including whether and how information the technologies generate may be used in resolving disputes. When parties and their counsel are unable to answer those questions amicably, an experienced neutral professional often is better suited than a busy court judge to assist in resolving the issues.
Chuck Ragan was a charter member of and has been a substantial contributor to the work product of The Sedona Conference® Working Group 1 on Electronic Document Retention and Production, a recognized thought leader in shaping legal principles to govern the use of electronic information in litigation. For example, he was a significant contributor to The Sedona Principles, Third Edition: Best Practices, Recommendations & Principles for Addressing Electronic Document Production, 19 Sedona Conf. J. 1 (2018); co-editor-in-chief of The Sedona Guidelines (2005), co-Managing Editor of The Sedona Principles Second Edition: Best Practices Recommendations & Principles for Addressing Electronic Document Production (2004, 2005 and 2007 Annotated Versions), a Contributing Editor on “The Case for Cooperation,” 10 Sedona Conf. J. 339 (2009), and a drafting team member of the Commentary on Information Governance (2014). He also participated in the processes to amend the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure in 2006 and 2015 as they relate to e-discovery. Chuck has assisted Fortune 50 clients with the management of electronic information, providing organizations with proactive strategic and policy guidance, as well as litigation-response advice and counsel. He is a Fellow of the American College of e-Neutrals (ACESIN), and on the panel of e-discovery special masters maintained by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
From these varied experiences, he understands the doctrinal bases for the evolving legal rules, as well as the challenges of identifying, preserving, and producing information in complex organizations, and is well qualified to serve as a special discovery master and to help shape reasonable solutions and strategies that meet legal obligations.