“He has a deep and sophisticated knowledge of e-discovery.”
Chambers USA 2023
Ethan Hastert, a member of the firm’s Chicago office, focuses his practice on commercial and business litigation, electronic discovery, and internal investigations. With a deep background in complex commercial litigation, Ethan has represented companies in a wide variety of industries in litigation and pre-litigation disputes. Such matters regularly involve breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duties, fraud, tortious interference with contract, and unjust enrichment.
Ethan also helps his clients navigate the challenges of electronic discovery, providing them with reliable guidance in the design and implementation of electronic discovery programs, including policies and procedures for efficiently and defensibly preserving electronically stored information.
He represents companies in the chemical, manufacturing, and financial services industries, among others, where managing electronically stored information (ESI) is crucial. Ethan is skilled in designing and implementing comprehensive electronic discovery programs, ensuring clients have efficient and defensible policies and procedures for preserving ESI.
Ethan’s experience in internal investigations allows him to offer strategic advice and effective legal solutions. He approaches investigations with meticulous attention, ensuring they are conducted with integrity and thoroughness to protect his client’s interests and reputations.
Committed to staying current with technological advancements and legal developments in his field, Ethan is a trusted advisor to his clients. His ability to translate complex technical and legal concepts into clear, actionable strategies makes him a valuable asset to organizations facing today’s digital challenges.
Education & Credentials
Education
Northwestern University School of Law
J.D.University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
B.S.Bar Admission
Acknowledgements
- Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business
- E-Discovery & Information Governance, 2021-2024
- Law360
- “Telecom Group of the Year,” 2023
Prominent Assignments
- Helped secure a favorable settlement for a U.S. aerospace company in a dispute with one of its suppliers in a case that was covered by multiple media outlets.
- Represented a global telecommunications company in multiple high-stakes qui tam actions brought under the False Claims Act.
- Represented a utility company in a series of long-running lawsuits stemming from the derailment of a train in the vicinity of work being done by one of Ethan’s client’s contractors.
- Served on a team representing an American multinational corporation in significant, high-stakes, highly-publicized litigation, which included thousands of suits filed by individuals, water suppliers, and units of government at the state and local levels.
- Secured multiple favorable settlements for his clients in disputes against Illinois municipalities regarding the use of TIF funds.
- Lead member of a trial team defending several domestic and foreign companies in a series of lawsuits in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, regarding a renewable energy company.
- Assisted a team representing two technology companies in multiple toxic tort actions related to alleged exposure in the 1980s to unspecified “chemicals and substances” while working at semiconductor manufacturing plants.
- Member of a team representing a foreign-based bank as part of the U.S. DOJ’s and the U.S. CFTC’s long-running and highly-publicized investigations into IBOR rates.
- Successfully represented three Sprint affiliates in a dispute related to the $11 billion Sprint-Clearwire transaction in parallel litigation in the Delaware Court of Chancery and the Cook County Circuit Court.
- Regularly advises case teams on e-discovery issues. Ethan helps ensure maximum discovery cost efficiency without sacrificing defensibility through the use of best practices and technology.
- Served as e-discovery coordination counsel for a company facing multiple civil and regulatory investigative matters that multiple law firms handled.
- Represents companies in the design and implementation of electronic discovery programs, including policies and procedures for efficiently and defensibly preserving electronically stored information.
Community Involvement
Court Admissions
Publications/Presentations
- Editor and Contributor, Electronic Discovery Deskbook (Practicing Law Institute)
- Contributor, Securities Investigations Deskbook: Internal, Civil and Criminal (Practicing Law Institute)
- Contributor, Successful Partnering Between Inside and Outside Counsel (Thomson Reuters)
- “What Is the Role of a Special Master in E-Discovery Disputes?” October 3, 2022.
- “e-Discovery and IBOR Remediation: Similar Techniques, Different Goals,” Eye On IBOR Transition Blog, December 23, 2020.
- “TAR Tools Have Some Explaining to Do,” Eye On IBOR Transition Blog, October 2, 2020.