Hardinger & Tanenholz Knows that In Washington, DC, Legal Discovery Has its Boundaries

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Hardinger & Tanenholz (H&T), a Washington, DC-based discovery counsel law firm, stated today that as a result of last week’s D.C. Court of Appeals Committee for the Unauthorized Practice of Law’s (UPL) opinion regarding legal discovery vendors, it has found clients are realizing the importance of working with a licensed attorney with an authorized client-attorney relationship. According to H&T, all of this unrest is the result of the UPL Committee expressing serious concern with discovery vendors’ aggressive marketing claims that encroach on the long standing prohibition of non-lawyers providing legal services.

In particular, the UPL Committee focused on some of these companies’ broadly-worded marketing claims and materials suggesting that the discovery shops could perform the role of directing and supervising the legal work of the document review attorneys they employ.

H&T believes it is clear that the UPL’s Opinion seeks to reinforce the rules prohibiting non-lawyers and non-law firms from performing supervisory discovery activities requiring the application of professional legal judgment.

“We have received a number of calls from clients commenting on how re-assuring it is to know that they are able to put their discovery work into safe hands,” said David Tanenholz, founder of H&T.

"Discovery vendors can provide valuable services," said Julia Hardinger, co-founder of H&T. "But, they put clients at risk when they misrepresent their capabilities."

To view the UPL's Opinion see http://www.dcappeals.gov/dccourts/appeals/cupl/index.jsp.