Overview

Reinforcing the firm's commitment to providing its clients with leading-edge solutions in the rapidly developing area of eDiscovery, Denise E. Backhouse provides focused guidance and expertise on information governance and electronic discovery matters to Littler's lawyers and their clients, including:

  • Case and client-specific advice about meeting preservation obligations
  • "Meet and confer" obligations
  • Efficient and effective data harvesting strategies
  • Review and production, and implementation of cost-shifting and cost reduction strategies
  • Cross-border eDiscovery and international data protection and privacy issues

Denise is an elected member of the American Law Institute, a founding member of the Board of Directors of the International Data Law Association, and a founding director of the Cardozo Data Law Initiative (CDLI), Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University. Denise served as Co-Chair and on the Steering Committee of the American Bar Association Cross-Border Institute. She serves on the Working Group Series Leadership Council of The Sedona Conference®, is a former member of the Steering Committee of The Sedona Conference's Working Group on International Electronic Information Management, Discovery and Disclosure (WG6), and is actively involved in The Sedona Conference’s Working Groups on Electronic Document Retention and Production (WG1) and Data Security and Privacy Liability (WG11). Denise is also a Certified Information Privacy Professional/Europe (CIPP/E). She is a frequent author, speaker, and lecturer on eDiscovery and data protection issues, including on such topics as developing trends; cross-border discovery, data privacy; and privilege and ethics in eDiscovery.

During law school, Denise interned for Hon. Theodore Katz of the U. S. District Court, Southern District of New York, under the Columbia clerkship training program. She was a research assistant for Professor Martha Albertson Fineman and served as managing editor for the Journal of Law and Social Problems.

Professional & Community Affiliations

Elected Member

American Law Institute

Member

American Law Institute Consultative Group, Restatement Fourth, Foreign Relations Law of the United States

Founding Member, Board of Directors

International Data Law Association

Delegate

ITechLaw Delegation to the Hague Evidence Convention Special Commission, The Hague, NL

2024

Recognition

Ranked, E-Discovery & Information Governance

Chambers USA

2019-2024

Ranked, Litigation: eDiscovery

Chambers Global

2019-2024

Named, Thought Leader – USA – Commercial Litigation: eDiscovery

Who's Who Legal

2021-2024

Named, Thought Leader – Commercial Litigation: eDiscovery

Who's Who Legal

2021-2024

News, Analysis & Press

Detecting Fake Evidence - Producing Counsel & Receiving Party Perspective

Georgetown 2022 Advanced eDiscovery Institute

November 18, 2022

Securing Client Communications and Data: Requirements for Attorneys Practicing Labor and Employment Law Internationally

ABA 16th Annual Section of Labor & Employment Conference

November 10, 2022

Books & Book Chapters

  • The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), International Corporate Practice, Practicing Law Institute, Chapter Co-Author, March 2022
  • Cyber Evidence, Corporate Criminal Defense: Compliance, Investigation, and Trial Strategies, Aspen Publishers, Chapter Author, 2012 and 2013
  • Social Media and Employment, Labour & Employment, Getting the Deal Through, Law Business Research Ltd., Contributing Author, 2011, 2012 and 2013

Speaking Engagements

Session Leader, Global Matters, Cross-Border Data Flows: Unique Challenges and Considerations

LitForward Innovation Summit, Charlotte, NC

October 2, 2024

Panel Leader, Technological Challenges Presented by New Data Types and Newer Sources of ESI

PLI Hot Topics in Electronic Discovery 2024: What Corporate Counsel and Outside Counsel Need to Know, New York, NY

September 24, 2024

Moderator, Focus on the Hague Evidence Convention

International Data Law Forum, The Hague NL

July 18, 2024

Panelist, Cybersecurity and Ethics for Trial Lawyers: Managing E-Discovery Information Security Risks

Strafford Webinar

April 30, 2024

Panelist, Cybersecurity Ethics: Freedom to Ignore Cybersecurity Ethics is Not Free

CPR: International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution, Philadelphia, PA

March 8, 2024

Key Speaker, Unleashing the Power of AI for Your Corporate e-Discovery Processes

E-Discovery Virtual Round Table Discussion – DACH Region, Events 4 Sure

February 22, 2024

Panelist, Reimagining eDiscovery Workflows for an AI World

TCDI Corporate Breakfast Briefing, New York, NY

February 1, 2024

Panelist, The Right Team for the Job: Criteria for Selecting an eDiscovery Service Provider

The Master’s Conference, New York, NY

October 18, 2023

Education

  • J.D., Columbia University School of Law, 1998Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar
  • M.A., University of Melbourne, Commonwealth of Australia, 1989Honors
  • B.A., University of Melbourne, Commonwealth of Australia, 1984Honors

Languages

  • French

Bar Admission

New York

Courts

  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York