Court-ordered search and seizure of digital evidence executed with forensic precision. Preserve critical evidence before it disappears.
An Anton Piller order (named after the landmark 1976 English case Anton Piller KG v Manufacturing Processes Ltd) is an ex parte civil court order that permits the plaintiff to search the defendant's premises and seize evidence without prior notice. In Canadian law, these orders are governed by provincial rules of civil procedure and are granted in exceptional circumstances where there is a real and demonstrable risk that the defendant will destroy or conceal critical evidence if given advance warning.
These orders are among the most powerful remedies in civil litigation, but they must be executed with extreme care. Improper execution can result in the order being set aside, evidence being excluded, and the plaintiff facing liability for damages. The technical complexity of digital evidence — spanning encrypted devices, cloud accounts, network storage, and mobile devices — makes expert forensic support essential.
Mjolnir Security has supported Anton Piller executions across Canada in matters involving intellectual property theft, trade secret misappropriation, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and employee non-compete violations. Our examiners work alongside supervising solicitors to ensure that every aspect of the digital search and seizure is conducted within the scope of the court order and to the highest forensic standards.
Before the execution date, our team works with counsel to prepare a detailed technical execution plan:
On execution day, our forensic team arrives with the supervising solicitor and follows a disciplined protocol:
Following seizure, we conduct targeted forensic analysis within the scope of the order. Our examiners identify relevant documents, communications, and data artifacts. We prepare court-ready reports that detail the collection methodology, chain of custody, and findings. Our examiners are available to provide expert testimony on the integrity of the evidence and the forensic process.
Modern Anton Piller executions increasingly involve cloud-hosted data that is not physically present on premises. We work with counsel to secure preservation orders for cloud service providers and execute authorized collections from Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Dropbox, Salesforce, and other platforms. Our team understands the technical nuances of cloud data preservation, including the differences between snapshot preservation, litigation hold, and full export.
We understand that our role in an Anton Piller execution is not advocacy — it is objective forensic preservation. We maintain strict neutrality, operate within the precise scope of the order, and document everything meticulously. This objectivity is what makes our testimony credible and our evidence admissible.
Every action is executed strictly within the scope of the court order. We work alongside the supervising solicitor to ensure full procedural compliance and defensibility.
SHA-256 hash verification, write-blocked acquisition, tamper-evident packaging, and continuous documentation from seizure through to court presentation.
Our examiners have testified in Superior Court, Federal Court, and provincial courts across Canada. We present complex technical findings in clear, accessible language.
Engage our forensic team early to plan the technical execution. We work with your litigation team to ensure evidence is preserved defensibly and completely.