Recently, a research project was conducted to evaluate how mid-sized
manufacturing companies handle e-mail retention. Since the risks associated with e-mail retention
are related to compliance and litigation issues, the study examined recommendations from legal
counsel regarding electronic mail retention. Analysis of data from this recent survey conducted to
evaluate recommendations for electronic mail retention policies suggests corporate counsels may not
be providing their clients with recommendations that are consistent with advice given by experts in
electronic discovery. The survey responses indicate that attorneys may be relying on technical
managers to provide electronic mail retention methods, without incorporating input from legal
experts with regard to issues such as an audit trail for e-mail, or a formal electronic records retention
software system.