Legal Projects

From 1973 and through the 1980's, Dr. Everest taught a course at the University of Minnesota, jointly with the Law School, on the Legal Aspects of Computing. The course covered:

  • management responsibility in the use of computers; is MIS a profession?
  • evidentiary issues relating to computerized data
  • contracting for hardware, software, and maintenance
  • protecting software proprietary interests: patents, copyright, trade secrets
  • antitrust issues in the computer industry; communications regulation
  • constitutional issues in the individual right of privacy

He has also taught CLE credit courses at the William Mitchell Law School and the Hamline University Law School, and conducted seminars for MIS executives and corporate legal counsel on issues relating to their organization's use of computers.

Beginning in 1972, Dr. Everest was active in the drafting and passage of the Minnesota Data Privacy Law, the first omnibus, public sector privacy statute in the nation. From 1975 to 1981 he served as Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the national AFIPS Special Committee on the Right of Privacy and advised several states on their drafting of similar legislation.

Dr. Everest has served as an expert witness for major law firms (Lindquist & Vennum; Dorsey & Whitney; and Mackall, Crounse & Moore; Minneapolis; and Coburn, Croft, & Putzell, St. Louis -- further detail and references available on request).

Expert Legal Witness Services:

Besides serving as an expert witness for several law firms, Gordon Everest has consulted on the legal aspects of computing, and assisted organizations in writing and reviewing legal contracts for systems development, maintenance, and software acquisition.

  • Mackall, Crounse, & Moore, Minneapolis, MN, a case involving alleged misappropriation of intellectual property rights in software and violation of non-disclosure agreement.
  • Dorsey & Whitney, Minneapolis, MN, retained as an expert witness for the defense who was being asked to continue to provide free support services and database conversion services after plaintiff had decided to switch to another software system supplier. Plaintiff ignored the protected proprietary interests in the copyrighted software they continued to use. Out of court settlement.
  • Dorsey & Whitney, Minneapolis, MN, advice and counsel on a case involving the misappropriation of software. Case was dropped.
  • Coburn, Croft, & Putzell, Attorneys at Law, St. Louis, MO, retained as an expert witness for the defense and consultant to perform market and competitive analyses in a case involving the development and marketing of church management software. Gave depositions. Out of court settlement on the day jury selection began.
  • Lindquist & Vennum, Attorneys at law, Minneapolis, MN, consult, advise, and serve as expert witness in a civil suit brought by an agri-products and services coop organization against a major computer systems vendor for failure to deliver a working system of hardware and software. Gave depositions. Out of court settlement "well into seven figures" which made the lawyers and the plaintiff very happy.