General

Why your company should have a litigation readiness plan

Ideally, relationships between employers and employees will be productive and respectful, which will lead to a company being profitable and prosperous. However, there may be instances where the relationship may be compromised by an employee’s actions; either because a supervisor acts inappropriately towards a subordinate, or the employee develops a vendetta against the company.

When an employee’s conduct becomes troubling and detrimental to a company’s success, an employer may be justified in taking action. Some employers have a system of discipline involving suspensions or pay reductions. If an employee’s conduct continues, he or she may be terminated.

Despite the validity of an employer’s actions, a disgruntled employee may want to bring suit to get their just due; either for some form of discrimination or wrongful termination. In these instances, it is critical for an employer to be prepared by having a litigation readiness plan.

Like the old saying “if you prepare for the worst, you can expect the best,” a good readiness plan includes a number of steps to preserve and organize relevant documents that could be used in litigation. This is especially important when it comes to electronic files, as federal rules require them to be protected from unintentional deletion before discovery can be conducted.

Indeed, litigation readiness plans vary depending on the legal problem at issue and the size of the company, but they ultimately work to help the company save money in litigation costs while keeping it prepared for legal challenges.  If you have questions about what type of plan is right for your company, an experienced business litigation attorney can help.

Mon Aug 27, 4:25pm