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The NGH Group Releases ESI & Social Media Discovery Toolbox

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Nationally recognized e-discovery and computer forensic experts, the NGH Group has launched the ESI & Social Media Discovery Toolbox (ESI Toolbox). This subscription-based, online resource distills the experience of thousands of successful ESI and social media evidence requests into a concise, user-friendly platform. Attorneys will have all the tools and information required to obtain ESI and social media evidence, eliminating countless, frustrating hours searching for accurate, up-to-date service of process information and avoiding costly, time-consuming mistakes, such as omitting provider-specific requirements.

The $495 annual fee provides unlimited access to the following:

  • Accurate, up-to-date Service of Process Information, including provider-specific requirements to subpoena information from major data providers and social media platforms (e.g., Google, Facebook, Instagram, Yahoo, Microsoft, Apple, Verizon, AT&T, etc.), as well as leading cryptocurrency and consumer payment providers (e.g., Coinbase, Bittrex, PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, etc.)
  • How-to Guides for locating, downloading, and requesting ESI and social media evidence from specific service providers and platforms without a subpoena (when legally authorized)
  • Customizable Subpoena Templates for requesting specific types of ESI from service providers, including email and social media account holder identification, cellular subscriber information and cell tower location data, IP address assignment records, and account identification and transaction details from cryptocurrency exchanges and payment providers
  • Required (pre-filled) forms, detailed instructions, and checklists to comply with special procedures required by certain providers
  • Retention Period Data for major providers (i.e., which entities store what data types for how long)
  • Free Support, including access to experts in e-discovery and digital forensics

Frequent updates to this unique resource provide subscribers with current information from a growing library of service providers: social media, cryptocurrency, consumer payment platforms, webmail providers, cloud storage, cloud video services, Internet service providers, and cellular services.

The ESI Toolbox is as close to point-and-click e-discovery as you’ll ever find, prepared by experts in digital forensics and cyber investigations.

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How to Handle Cryptocurrency in Estate Planning

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Unlike other assets, which can generally be identified and accessed with appropriate documentation, cryptocurrency differs fundamentally from a “custody and control” point of view.

Cryptocurrency cannot be transacted or “controlled” without the private key(s) associated with the wallet/address where it is stored. Assuming you even know the crypto exists, without these keys, all the certified legal documentation in the world confirming a client’s “rights” to a store of cryptocurrency won’t help the client gain access if the crypto is stored outside of a brokerage or exchange, in a non-custodial private wallet.

So how does a testator or creator of a trust make a provision to pass on those private keys and related information about cryptocurrency after their death while maintaining the security and control of those assets during their lifetime? Frequent news stories about stolen or hacked crypto assets attest to the difficulty of this challenge.

NGH Group CEO Nicholas G. Himonidis, a certified expert in cryptocurrency and an attorney himself, will answer these questions and many others during a continuing education class for the Estate Planning Council of Suffolk County, Inc. The program will present effective, practical strategies for assisting clients with this unique asset class as part of an estate or trust from a “custody and control” perspective without compromising the security of the asset itself during the client’s lifetime.

The session is scheduled for 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 19, at the Bijou Restaurant in Melville, N.Y.

For more information or to register, visit the council’s website.

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Nick Himonidis Discusses Cryptocurrency Investigation with Matt Spaier of PI Perspectives

Nick Himonidis joined Matt Spaier of PI Perspectives podcast for an in depth conversation regarding the many ways in which cryptocurrency investigations come up, and some of the tools, methods and techniques being used to trace cryptocurrency transactions, locate cryptocurrency, and attribute otherwise ‘anonymous’ cryptocurrency activity to individuals and organizations.
Here’s a link to the entire podcast on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3iwekRwosw.

The NGH Group assists attorneys, forensic accountants and other investigators with matters involving cryptocurrency on a regular basis. For more information about cryptocurrency investigation and forensics by The NGH Group, visit https://thenghgroup.com/cryptocurrency/

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Nicholas Himonidis at The CPA Academy

Nicholas Himonidis co-presented a live webinar for The CPA Academy entitled ‘Cryptocurrency: How To Find And Track in Litigation‘. The webinar will cover the tools and methods used to identify cryptocurrency use and conduct forensic analysis of cryptocurrency transactions.               While no longer offering CLE credits, the course is still available on the CPA Academy’s website at:

https://www.cpaacademy.org/archived_show/a0D2S00000ikk5IUAQ                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

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Cryptocurrency and Divorce Litigation: ABA Family Law Conference

Nick Himonidis joined a panel speaking on cryptocurrency in divorce litigation at the April, 2020 ABA Family Law conference in San Diego.  Nick was joined by forensic accountant Mark DiMichael of Citrin Cooperman and attorney Kelly Burris of Cordell & Cordell discussing ‘Cryptocurrency and How to Find it and Track It in Divorce Litigation’.  The presentation on Thursday April 30, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. (PST) was webcast live to the entire ABA FLS.

The content of the session is available online in CLE course format on the NACLE (National Academy of Continuing Legal Education) website at: https://www.nacle.com/CLE/Courses/Cryptocurrency-How-to-Find-and-Track-it-in-Divorce-Litigation-1687

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Nicholas Himonidis at the Long Island Tax Professionals Symposium 2019

The NGH Group is proud to announce that Nicholas Himonidis is running a course at the Long Island Tax Professionals Symposium 2o19. The course: ‘Bitcoin, Blockchain & Cryptocurrencies: Understanding These Technologies and Their Impact on Financial Investigations and Forensic Accounting’ will provide a basic understanding of how cryptocurrencies and blockchains operate and discuss their impact on financial investigations and forensic accounting; including tips and techniques on identifying their potential use, tracing transactions, and strategies to tie crypto assets and transactions to specific individuals / entities.

 

For more information, please visit the symposium homepage at https://go.nccpap.org/litps/home

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Nick Himonidis to speak at Society of Professional Investigators Meeting on November 15

On Thursday, November 15, 2018 Nick Himonidis will present a program on investigating Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies to the Society of Professional Investigators in lower Manhattan. For more information about about the event that took place in May, 2019 due to weather postponement, CLICK HERE.

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Bitcoin, Blockchain & Cryptocurrency CLE Program at St. John’s Law School Fall CLE Weekend

On Saturday November 3, 2018, Nick Himonidis, JD, CFE, CCFS, President of The NGH Group, Inc., along with co-presenter Peter Theobald of TC Forensics, presented a CLE program entitled “Bitcoin, Blockchain & Cryptocurrencies: What attorneys need to know about these revolutionary technologies, and how to uncover their existence and track them in litigation.” The program was part of the St. John’s University School of Law annual “Fall CLE Weekend” which provides two full days of CLE programs for both Seasoned Attorneys and Newly Admitted Attorneys. The Cryptocurrency program included lively discussions and demonstrations of actual Bitcoin transactions being traced on the Blockchain and received excellent reviews. (Nick Himonidis graduated St. John’s University School of Law Magna Cum Laude in 1995).

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Nick Himonidis presenting a program on investigating Bitcoin and cryptocurrency transactions

On January 18, 2017 Nick Himonidis lectured on advanced digital evidence issues including the investigation of bitcoin and other cryptocurrency transactions at the Westbury Manor in Westbury Long Island. This program is jointly sponsored by the New York State Society of CPAs and the Long Island Chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.