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4 Top-of-Mind Topics for UK e-Disclosure Experts

Keely McKee

The e-disclosure field is not for those adverse to change and uncertainty. It’s always been fast paced, but practitioners—especially those in the UK—are now facing a triad of changes in data privacy regulations, technology, and politics. While these types of changes are far from new to these professionals, there are higher stakes and more uncertainty with Brexit and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).  

Ahead of Relativity Fest London, here are four topics on the minds of UK e-disclosure experts in our community as they keep up with this evolving landscape, as well as a few tips on how you can learn more about each subject. 

1. The Future of Cross-Border Data Protection

Considering the UK’s Brexit, the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, and the US’s new administration, it’s unclear exactly what the future of data protection will look like when it comes to cross-border issues. 

As noted in a recent post, not only will Brexit change the way Europe litigates, but the GDPR will surely be active before Brexit is finalized. So how will this impact the practice of e-disclosure? It’s hard to say for certain, but experts in the field are making predictions. 

Learn more about the future of cross-border data protection:  

  • Join David Horrigan as he moderates a panel at Relativity Fest London on 25 April with EY Partner Meribeth Banaschik, McCann Fitzgerald Senior Associate Clare Carroll, eDisclosure Information Project Founder Chris Dale, and Managing Director of The Maas Consulting Group Jonathan Maas. Learn more.
  • Check out the recording of our recent webinar, Live Across the Globe: Cross-Border Data Protection Update. Watch the webinar.
  • Read up on what Brexit could mean for e-disclosure with our recent blog post, e-Discovery in the Brexit Era: What Happens Now? Read the post.

2. e-Disclosure Tech Around the World

On top of the practice itself, the application of technology used in e-disclosure adds another dimension. The use of technology-assisted review (TAR) has received judicial approval in the US, Ireland, the UK, and most recently Australia, indicating the technology is becoming more common in e-disclosure. Still, though TAR and other analytics tools are increasing in popularity and acceptance, it can be complicated to standardize on their application. Many practitioners in Europe, the US, and other regions are trying to find the best way to implement these tools. 

Learn more about e-disclosure around the world:  

  • Check out our blog postTAR Around the World: Next Stop, Australia—about the technology’s recent judicial validation in Australia. Read the post.
  • David Horrigan will sit down with eDisclosure Information Project Founder Chris Dale, US Magistrate Judge Andrew Peck, and former Senior Master Steven Whitaker to discuss the latest legal developments on proportionality, sanctions, and TAR in England, Wales, and the US at Relativity Fest London. Learn more.
  • Another group of experts joining us at Relativity Fest London—451 Research Analyst Sean Doherty, Millnet Consultant Meagan Sauve, Mishcon de Reya e-Disclosure Manager Richard Legge, and Relativity Solutions Manager Constantine Pappas—will dive into the successes and roadblocks of implementing analytics in different regions. Learn more.

3. How to Get Better and Faster Insights into Data

This one has been a hot topic for most e-disclosure professionals since the beginning of electronically stored information. You’ve heard it time and time again: there’s more data than ever before, which means more to dig through and review.  

So how can case teams deal with growing data volumes? Whether you need to see how email conversations flow or run a quality control check prior to production, visualizations allow you to more easily connect the dots and bring your story together. 

Learn more about getting better and faster insights into your data: 

  • Relativity Solutions Team Lead Paul Gordon will walk you through how to unravel your story with email threading workflows and visualizations at Relativity Fest London. Learn more.
  • Learn more about using visualizations to overcome email review challenges with our recent blog post, A New Way to Look at Emails: Solving the 4 Most Common Email Review Challenges. Read the post.
  • Stick around Relativity Fest London to learn how to use dashboards to better interact with your data throughout your case lifecycle. Learn more.

4. Building a Strong e-Disclosure Team

Teamwork is important to all successful e-disclosure projects. While technology advancements are lifesavers, innovation makes it even more critical to have a well-oiled and collaborative team. Building and leading an efficient legal team should carry as much weight as the technology and case strategy.  

But it’s easier said than done. It can be tricky to foster collaboration between legal and technical teams, ensure your team is trained on the evolving technology, and get everyone on the same page. 

Learn more about building a strong e-disclosure team: 

  • Attend the Teamwork and Tech panel at Relativity Fest London to hear how legal teams, technologists, and service providers can build a symbiotic relationship. Learn more.
  • Read the e-Discovery Project Manager’s Toolkit to find out how to build an all-star operation from those who’ve done it before. Download the toolkit.
  • Check out 3 Questions on a Path to a More Unified e-Discovery Team, a blog post by Kevin Duncan, senior project manager at Kilpatrick Townsend. Read the post.

Keely McKee is a member of the creative team at Relativity, specializing in content development.

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