Hurricane Katrina increased law firms' awareness of the importance of proper records retention. One natural disaster can quickly destroy an entire facility, including all of the firm's records. Chubb's handbook helps law firms better understand that while there is no one 'silver bullet' for records management, several considerations can help a firm build a suitable records management policy.

Law firms that have not developed a good records management policy may fail their clients and be faced with a costly liability lawsuit. Proper documentation is part of the foundation of the legal profession-both electronic and paper records must be retained and stored according to state and federal laws. In the wake of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and other new reporting laws, the pressure has further increased on law firms to employ best practices for document storage and disposal.

I call it an ecological disaster, and we are going to bring to the full extent of the law anyone who has breached Alberta law.

If important documents are stored in a carton that is inaccurately coded and, therefore, can't be found and produced in a timely fashion, that can lead to adverse jury instructions, a mistrial or even the dismissal of the claim.

[The double-disaster timing of the piece is] both tragic and relevant, ... American Exodus: The Dust Bowl Migration and Okie Culture in California.

Even if you didn't have the hurricane and a major disaster in the south, ... we probably would be looking at a moderate increase.