Zubulake delivers suspense, inspiration.

• Author: Whited, Jeff
• Position: Zubulake's e-Discovery: The Untold Story of My Quest for Justice - Book review

Zubulake's e-Discovery: The Untold Story of My Quest for Justice

Author. Laura A. Zubulake

Publisher Laura A. Zubulake

Publication Date: 20/2

Length: 230 pages

Price: $25.95

ISBN-13:978-0985064006

Source:: www.amazon.com

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It seems appropriate that Laura A. Zubulake self-published her book Zubulake's e-Discovery: The Untold Story of My Quest for Justice. Everything in the story suggests a woman of strong will, independence, and a determination to do things her way.

In her 2002 gender discrimination suit, Zubulake v. UBS Warburg, she played the roles of plaintiff, attorney, detective, accountant, records manager, project manager, and chief negotiator. It's only logical she would also play the role of publisher.

Zubulake's first-person account defies a single description. It's a legal yarn that remains suspenseful even though most readers know the outcome: Zubulake won, receiving more than $29 million in compensatory and punitive damages plus reimbursement of her costs.

It's also an inspirational story of how perseverance, self-reliance, and the desire for justice can prevail against the steepest odds. It's a call to action for corporate counsel and executives to whip their information governance into shape. And, on its purest level, it's a tale of David v. Goliath.

Zubulake is, of course, David--albeit a non-traditional David, who earned $650,000 per year as a financial analyst. Goliath is UBS Warburg, the international banking giant that fired her in 2001 for "incompetence."

She contends she was fired because her new manager discriminated against women.

The case is remarkable because of U.S. District Court Judge Shira A. Scheindlin's pretrial opinions that defined the e-discovery legal landscape, spawned an e-discovery industry, and triggered revisions to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

But the landmark legal rulings are yesterday's news. What makes the book satisfying is Zubulake's account of the roles she played so creatively while battling a corporate behemoth.

Most often she plays the part of a lawyer. But she writes like a lay person: 'The law was deceiving; less complicated than I initially thought; it was more founded in common sense."

This early epiphany inspires her to manage and develop the legal strategy. Treating her legal team as consultants rather than principals, she analyzes pretrial motions, writes outlines for depositions, scrutinizes emails and...