HSSK is Nation’s First Private Computer Forensics Lab Accredited by the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board

Texas Firm Operates Only Accredited Computer Forensics Lab in Houston and One of Two Statewide

HOUSTON, TX (January 9, 2008) — Texas-based Hill Schwartz Spilker Keller LLC (HSSK), a business valuation, litigation consulting and computer forensics firm, today announced that their computer forensics lab located in Houston is the first private lab in the U.S. to be accredited by the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB). This accreditation confirms that a computer forensics laboratory’s management, operations, personnel, procedures and instruments, physical plant and security procedures meet quality standards set by ASCLD/LAB.

HSSK is the only accredited computer forensics lab in Houston and one of two in Texas, with the other being the FBI Regional Cooperative Forensics Lab in Dallas. Nationwide only 16 other computer forensics labs share the ASCLD/LAB designation and all are operated by law enforcement or government agencies.

“This accreditation underscores HSSK’s commitment to consistently deliver our clients computer forensics and e-discovery services with quality, security and documentation systems of the highest standards,” said Marc Schwartz, HSSK shareholder. “To be the first private firm in the nation to receive this accreditation is an honor and reflects the experience and dedication of our talented computer forensics team.”

To qualify for ASCLD/LAB accreditation, HSSK voluntarily underwent stringent reviews of the firm’s computer discovery processes by ASCLD/LAB inspectors who examined case files and verified evidence preservation procedures. Thorough onsite audits of the physical laboratory, bio-metric and electronic security systems, as well as the manuals for standard operating procedures, were performed to assure compliance with ASCLD/LAB prerequisites for accreditation. To maintain ASCLD/LAB accreditation for its lab, HSSK will conduct annual audits to validate ongoing performance and demonstrate continued compliance.

“As the first and only private computer forensics lab in the nation to attain ASCLD/LAB accreditation, HSSK has established a new standard in the private sector,” said Ralph Keaton, executive director of ASCLD/LAB. “Now that HSSK has achieved accreditation of its computer forensics laboratory, we anticipate that other private laboratories will follow suit.”

Founded in 2003, HSSK’s Computer Forensics and E-Discovery practice is staffed by expert professionals and has computer forensics laboratories outfitted with the most up-to-date equipment and evidence control procedures. Practice services include consultation regarding the viability and costs of e-discovery; large or small scale e-discovery production and analysis of data; examination and recovery of computer data; and expert witness testimony. Firm professionals also serve as third party discovery masters or examiners for litigation cases.
HSSK computer forensics clients include law firms, corporations and privately-held businesses engaged in investigation and evidence recovery for legal matters that include intellectual property and trade secrets, commercial litigation, employment law and family law.
“Given the proliferation of private computer forensics labs and service providers in recent years, ASCLD/LAB accreditation sets HSSK apart from the rest of the private lab community,” said Erica Garrison, HSSK’s director of computer forensics and e-discovery. “It verifies to clients that our evidence capture and control procedures meet industry-setting standards for quality, consistency and security.”

About ASCLD/LAB
The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB) is an organization that offers a voluntary accreditation program in which any crime laboratory may participate. The main objectives of ASCLD/LAB include improving the quality of laboratory services provided to the criminal justice system; offering a means of identifying those crime laboratory facilities which satisfy accreditation criteria; developing and maintaining criteria which can be used by a laboratory to assess its level of performance and strengthen its operation; and providing an independent, impartial and objective system by which laboratory facilities can benefit from a total organizational review. www.ascld-lab.org

About Hill Schwartz Spilker Keller LLC
Hill Schwartz Spilker Keller LLC is a business valuation, litigation consulting and computer forensics firm whose principals have been serving the corporate, legal and professional communities for over thirty years. The firm has offices in Houston, Dallas and Austin serving clients throughout the United States and internationally.

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January 9, 2008

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