CaseCentral

CaseCentral, Inc. operated as a specialized vendor in the electronic discovery (e-discovery) market, offering a cloud-based platform for legal review and production. The company was established with the goal of providing a secure, on-demand software solution for corporations and law firms to manage e-discovery more effectively. One of the founders was Chris Kruse, who also served as the company's president and CEO. He and his team identified early on the potential for a centralized legal repository delivered via the cloud.

The firm's business was centered on a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model, providing clients with web-based access to its e-discovery platform. This approach eliminated the need for special equipment, allowing geographically dispersed legal teams to collaborate using just a web browser. The platform was designed to handle multiple cases and multiple parties, enabling users to standardize processes and reuse data across different matters, thereby reducing time and costs. Its services covered crucial stages of the E-Discovery Reference Model (EDRM), including early case assessment (ECA), processing, analysis, review, and production. A key feature was 'CloudConnect,' a self-service tool that allowed clients to securely upload data directly to the platform for immediate analysis.

In February 2012, Guidance Software, Inc. announced its acquisition of CaseCentral. The transaction was valued at an initial $17.1 million, with potential for an additional $33 million based on revenue growth performance. The strategic rationale behind the acquisition was to merge Guidance Software's on-premise solutions, such as the EnCase platform for legal hold and data collection, with CaseCentral's cloud-based review capabilities. This created a comprehensive, end-to-end e-discovery solution for corporate and government clients. The combined entity aimed to become the largest pure-play e-discovery software company. Subsequently, in 2017, Guidance Software itself was acquired by OpenText.

Keywords: e-discovery, legal technology, SaaS, cloud computing, litigation support, early case assessment, data review, legal repository, corporate law, document management