Leading eDiscovery firm extends global footprint to assist multi-national clients with Swiss data privacy challenges

WASHINGTON, DC and LONDON – September 11, 2012 – First Advantage Litigation Consulting, a Symphony Technology Group (STG) company and global leader in eDiscovery software and services, today announced the opening of its Zurich office at the World Trade Center, Leutschenbachstrasse 95, Zurich 8050, Switzerland. In addition to offering forensics, eDiscovery services and managed review, First Advantage will also provide processing and hosting services in its state of the art data center, co-located within Equinix’s ISO9001:2008 and ISO27001:2005-certified Zurich facility.

“Our global clients have asked us to provide local support and data hosting capabilities in jurisdictions with tough data protection laws,” said Andy Macdonald, CEO of First Advantage Litigation Consulting. “As US and EU-based governments more vigorously apply anti-corruption and industry regulations, our clients must be able to comply with Swiss laws that severely restrict the use and movement of documents and electronic materials being sourced for investigations and disputes.”

Although data protection laws have existed in Europe for many years, the expectation of privacy and the basic concept of data protection are often not well-understood in jurisdictions that do not have a similar background of statutory data protection in the private sector, such as the United States. Failure to meet requirements can mean serious civil and criminal liability, dramatically increasing the overall cost and risk of litigation.

EMEA General Manager Rob Brown notes, “Multi-national corporations pursuing eDiscovery matters face a number of legal and organisational issues, but with a pragmatic approach, these hurdles can be overcome. The biggest difficulty in most cases is bridging the gap between the legal cultures of the United States and Europe with respect to data protection and, in the case of Switzerland, its blocking statutes.*”

Says Macdonald, “Our deep experience with global investigations and litigation, combined with our local project management and data center, enables us to meet the increasingly complex needs of our clients. The expansion into Switzerland also demonstrates our ongoing commitment to support our clients across North America, Europe and Asia.”

For further information about support in Zurich please visit http://fadvlit.com