When David R. Cohen graduated law school in 1983, he got offers from Reed Smith and K&L Gates and ultimately went with the latter, spending 28 years there building up what eventually became the firm's e-discovery, analysis, and technology group.

Now, he will get to do the same thing for the firm he didn't choose at the start of his career. Cohen has joined Reed Smith's Pittsburgh office where he will head up a new e-discovery and records practice group for the firm.

"It is a necessary aspect of virtually every litigation now," Pittsburgh office managing partner George Stewart said of e-discovery.

Stewart said the new practice would be a complement to the litigation services the firm already provides. He said Cohen's practice is more than just managing e-discovery in the midst of litigation, but also includes developing proactive document retention and litigation readiness policies for companies.

Reed Smith follows a small, but growing number of firms that are starting to create formalized e-discovery practice groups. Pennsylvania firms K&L Gates, Morgan Lewis & Bockius, Cozen O'Connor, Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhoads, Pepper Hamilton, and Post & Schell all have dedicated practices in the area. Dechert also has an e-discovery practice that stems from the firm's products liability work and is now used in other litigation matters.

Read the full article at The Legal Intelligencer.