Are there frameworks for determining which organizations will litigate?

June 4, 2015 12:04 PM

Is there an existing framework or process for determining the kinds of organizations that are most likely to litigate against a third-party vendor, or be targeted by litigation naming that vendor as e.g. a defendant or party to a lawsuit?

I am going to be doing some project assessment training for software developers and anticipate that they'll wonder how they can determine their broad chances of legal risk as they work with clients in various industries, so I wondered if anyone has developed a framework or even a rough ordering of the types of organizations that are most likely to engage in or be targeted by this sort of behavior. I can make guesses based on my experience, but I'm really looking for something more objective or researched out. Thanks!

posted by circular to Law & Government (2 answers total)

Best answer: The Electronic Frontier Foundation has a list of Recent EFF Legal Cases and Efforts that might help identify general legal risks related to software development. My guess is that the level of risk has more to do with how much money is at stake [EFF] than the type of organization, but a lawyer with experience representing software developers can provide actual advice about legal risk management and likely has or can conduct the research it sounds like you are looking for. Information about how to find an attorney is available at the MeFi Wiki Get a lawyer page, and you may be able to get a free consultation from an attorney to help determine whether you need legal services to help answer your question.
posted by Little Dawn at 10:11 PM on June 4, 2015

Response by poster: Thanks Little Dawn! That is helpful.
posted by circular at 10:36 PM on June 4, 2015