Law Firm Finds Reliable Digital Forensics Partner
Strong digital forensics work can deliver wins in the courtroom—or produce settlements before cases get that far. Weinhardt attorneys count on HBS to produce evidence in cases from small civil litigation to corporate investigations.
Building a Strong Defense
The Weinhardt Law Firm is a team of five lawyers, handling civil and criminal trials and appeals, and internal investigations. They are a small, boutique-style, firm and Weinhardt is one of the few firms in the State of Iowa with a sophisticated, white-collar criminal defense practice. The firm acts in complex cases, especially cases that are likely to go to trial.
Weinhardt attorneys also frequently handle cases that need to be kept out of the public eye.
Companies may hire Weinhardt to do an internal investigation when they believe an employee is conducting fraud or other suspicious activity. This can involve gathering large amounts of internal documents or examining text messages and emails on a smartphone. No matter the scope, these sorts of situations require extra caution in order to be discrete.
Bringing in Digital Forensics Experts
When Weinhardt starts investigating a case, they want to make sure they have access to every piece of evidence that could help win the trial or prove a point before it gets that far. Many law firms rely on Digital Forensics experts to get the information they need.
Digital Forensics is a branch of forensic science encompassing the recovery and investigation of material found in digital devices. These findings provide objective facts that can help explain what happened during a security or criminal incident, when it occurred, and who was involved. For legal cases, this sort of evidence is becoming more and more common, as many people are active on some sort of online platform or digital device. Digital Forensics evidence can be found in numerous places, and years later.
This is where HBS has been a crucial partner for Weinhardt.
This is what our clients are saying
David Fautsch
Partner - Weinhardt Law FirmHBS’s team of Digital Forensics experts has helped Weinhardt with cases ranging from small civil litigation to large corporate investigations.
Evidence That Saves Cases - and Lives
One case that sticks out to Weinhardt Partner, David Fautsch, involved a client who was facing high stakes civil and criminal allegations. When HBS’s team of Digital Forensics experts were able to gain access to text messages of a key witness, Weinhardt was able to convince the attorneys for the other side to drop the case right away.
“A collection of text messages over a 3-year time span was the difference between what would have been a public and costly case and a case that discretely vanished. So that kind of evidence makes all the difference in the world,” said Fautsch.
Digital Forensics is especially important for corporate investigations that happen before a case goes to court. When a business leader believes an employee may be doing something suspicious, HBS’s Digital Forensics team can find evidence without disrupting business.
“Frequently when a client comes to us, they believe something has happened, but they don’t know how to prove it. If we’re able to partner with a Digital Forensics firm that clearly knows what they’re doing, clients develop a sense of trust and confidence in the process,” said Fautsch.
That sort of reliable, trust building evidence can create a better reputation for Weinhardt, which means continued success for the firm.
Importance of Teamwork
Whether it’s smaller, civil cases or large-scale data retrieval, Weinhardt needs a Digital Forensics partner who will deliver accurate and comprehensive information. Not only is the evidence complete, it’s also presented in a way that makes the job of sorting through large-scale data retrievals easier on the legal team.
Teamwork is one of the aspects of HBS’s approach to Digital Forensics that Fautsch appreciates the most.
“One of the things I like about HBS is the team approach. In most cases there are at least two people working on the matter. Sometimes other consultants think they can do everything alone. At HBS the team working together really can do everything, and they bring in the right subject matter experts on any given case,” said Fautsch.
Whether it’s collecting important evidence during a Digital Forensics investigation or doing a Risk Assessment for a company trying to improve their cybersecurity posture, HBS works with numerous team members to find the right resources and knowledge to do the job properly. The goal is to do the job right, and sometimes that means bringing in multiple experts of different backgrounds to have the most accurate information possible.
As for whether Weinhardt Law will be using HBS again in the future, the answer is clear.
“Yes, I absolutely would. Lawyers are always looking for the consultants and vendors who can make their lives easier. HBS certainly falls into that category for us.”
David Fautsch
Partner - Weinhardt Law Firm
Having access to all digital evidence in a case is important for any legal team. Rather than limiting themselves to only large Digital Forensics firms, Weinhardt has found a partner they can trust in HBS. Working together to find every piece of evidence in each case will help them protect businesses and individuals within the justice system.
