When I first got involved in the legal aspects of digital forensics, internet transactions and e-discovery, I was a prosecutor in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. One aspect of my job was that I gained a reputation as being knowledgeable in these areas, leading other prosecutors to reach out to me when they were doing investigations or prosecutions or simply had questions. To answer those questions in areas in which I was not 100% familiar, I would bring detectives or other analysts into the conversations. Eventually, I left the DA’s office to help start a company that provided the same services to law firms and other clients.

Today, providing such advice to clients is much harder. As a result of those increased difficulties, a new service is being provided in the digital world: companies recruit advisers to school clients in which firms are best at providing what services, which digital tools provide services the best, the easiest and at the lowest cost, and which tools are the best at addressing specific issues. In this month’s article, I discuss the reasons for the growth of these advisers, as well as their benefits and drawbacks.

The Growth of Digital Tools