By Vinny Liu
In an era of digital communication and data-driven processes, the need for efficient and comprehensive eDiscovery will only grow in importance. No wonder the $11.2 billion industry is expected to grow to $17.1 billion by 2027.
The digital age has ushered in exponential growth of electronic data, from emails and instant-messaging solutions to social media and various collaboration tools. Now traditional paper-based approach to discovery have become obsolete, unable to keep up with the volumes and complexities of electronically stored information. eDiscovery has emerged as a necessary evolution, equipping legal professionals with the tools and techniques to efficiently collect, preserve, review, and produce digital evidence.
So it’s no surprise that the increase in data has caused an increase in the creation of many eDiscovery platforms and vendors. But beware: Not every eDiscovery vendor is created equal. Some offer a one-size-fits-all approach that ignores the unique aspects of your business, while others are married to certain software tools that might not suit your needs. These limitations can lead to mounting frustration and hidden costs.
Level Legal takes a different – even unique – approach to eDiscovery. In an industry characterized by poor service, we put customers first. We privilege quality. Put another way, because we realize that we are humans solving legal problems for other humans, our customer-centered approach helps ensure each customer receives the highest level of support available. In fact, we baked our approach right into our vision: “making legal human.”
If you’re in the market for an eDiscovery vendor, here is why quality – and Level Legal – command your attention.
1) Advanced Data Analysis
In recent years, the legal community has witnessed a staggering increase in the types and sources of data available. This digital revolution has given rise to a world where information is constantly generated, collected, and stored in vast quantities. Traditional forms of data, such as structured databases and documents, have been augmented by an array of new data types. From unstructured text in emails and social media posts to multimedia content like images and videos, the variety of data sources has expanded significantly.
The proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices has also added to the data explosion, bringing sensor data, machine-generated data, and real-time streams to the mix. Effectively managing, analyzing, and extracting meaningful information from all this data is becoming increasingly more difficult. In fact, sometimes the sheer size of the data available for review can degrade some vendors’ eDiscovery work.
Level Legal remains unfazed. We are experts in data analysis. We offer customized workspace templates that include a dozen dataset reduction searches, keeping your original data intact but managing it in smaller, more efficient chunks.
We also take a deep dive into your data, utilizing metadata, subjective analysis, and employing email threading, duplicate analysis, concept clusters, and near-duplicate analysis to get superior results.
Since we always include data analytics in our services, we’ll be able to identify irrelevant documents as well as those that should be prioritized for review.
2) Robust Data Security and Confidentiality
With such an explosive increase in digital information, data security, and confidentiality have moved to the forefront for law firms and law departments. As a result, many eDiscovery tools offer advanced security measures, encryption protocols, and strict access controls to protect data integrity and privacy, mitigating risks associated with digital investigations.
Though the last 100 years are ripe with many examples of security breaches, companies have become more security-aware. They employ the best and brightest in data security to manage data. That’s why Level Legal works with our trusted partner Oasis to host and provide security for our data.
Why Oasis? Let us count the ways:
- GDPR Compliant/ EU-US Privacy Shield membership.
- HIPAA Compliant, ISO27007 and ISO27077 certified.
- Data centers provide HIPAA, PCI, NIST and ISO Compliance (among others).
- Ongoing staff awareness and education.
- Data encrypted in transit and at rest (TLS 7.2 or higher, FDE using AES-256).
- 24 / 7 / 365 monitoring with full spectrum visibility.
- Increased redundancy through geographically selected locations.
- Directly employed, armed security staff with 24x7x365 coverage.
- Zone access via biometrics and proximity card down to cabinet level.
- Multiple on-site diesel generators, redundant and diverse UPS systems.
If you’re not sure what those features mean, rest assured that Oasis and Level Legal are. We pride ourselves on our commitment to providing high-quality service without compromising the security and confidentiality of your data.
3) Customized Workflows and Solutions
Level Legal recognizes that every company (and every case) is different. That’s why a standard workflow for review simply won’t do. Quality requires a tailored approach every time.
To create our custom workflows and solutions, we closely collaborate with our customers to understand their business and unique needs. Asking questions up front allows us to develop unique strategies that improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness. This approach ensures we can cater to a broad range of industries and case types, instead of pigeonholing ourselves.
We’re also committed to a tech-neutral stance, ensuring that each review utilizes the technology most appropriate for that project and that customer. Our tech offerings include Relativity, Blackout, Brainspace and others. (Not using one of those tech tools? No problem. We welcome opportunities to use our customer’s tools when able and appropriate.)
The benefits of a customized eDiscovery process can’t be overstated. Customized workflows play a pivotal role in eDiscovery quality, delivering numerous benefits and enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the entire process:
- Enabling teams to focus on relevant data sources and prioritize critical documents, reducing time and effort spent on irrelevant information).
- Facilitating collaboration among team members, leading to smoother coordination and seamless communication throughout the process.
- Using automation, analytics, and specialized tools to optimize resource allocation, minimize errors, and expedite document review and production.
- Adhering to regulatory and compliance standards, ensuring sensitive information is secured and handled in accordance with ever-changing regulations.
4) Transparent and Defensible Processes
The headlines are riddled with eDiscovery mishaps, shining the spotlight on situations where quality wasn’t a priority.
By contrast, Level Legal employs meticulous documentation practices to maintain transparency, including comprehensive audit trails for customer assurance. We also adhere to eDiscovery industry standards to ensure we’re using defensible processes.
Our processes instill confidence in our customers and make legal proceedings as smooth as possible. Further, we’re constantly developing ways to improve transparency in our procedures.
5) Exceptional Project Management and Support
Any business worth its salt knows that customer service is a cornerstone of success. We believe that in today’s competitive eDiscovery landscape, delivering exceptional customer service isn’t simply an option, but a necessity.
We think that extraordinary customer service goes beyond simply addressing questions or resolving issues; it means anticipating customer needs to provide personalized experiences and exceed expectations at every touchpoint.
Our approach to quality customer service might sound a little ethereal. But it’s ultimately extremely practical, as demonstrated by customer reviews like these:
- “Many thanks. This is much appreciated. It was a pleasure working with you and the team. Your availability, proactivity, and professionalism make it very easy on our end.” –Amlaw 10 law firm senior antitrust associate.
- “Level Legal is very customer-oriented and critical to outside counsel’s success in providing us with the utmost service available.” –Longtime Fortune 100 tech company eDiscovery customer.
- “Level Legal project managers take ownership of a case. They collaborate, escalate when necessary, and respond quickly.” –Fortune 100 company corporate counsel.
We know that we’re only as good as our customer service. That’s why we employ a dedicated team of professionals with expertise in eDiscovery complexities to ensure our customers get the very best. Our team has experience in managing projects of varying sizes and complexities, and we believe in employing proactive communication and responsiveness throughout the entire eDiscovery lifecycle.
One practical example: Our customers have a single point of contact on every matter. Another is our brand promise: “If you’re not delighted, we’re not done.”
6) Cost-Effective Solutions
With advanced search algorithms, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, eDiscovery vendors can employ predictive coding and technology-assisted review to identify relevant documents more accurately, reducing the time and effort involved in manual review – if the review is done right.
At Level Legal, we cut costs without cutting corners. We focus on streamlining our workflows for efficient data processing and review, as well as being smart with our data-culling techniques to control costs.
And we’re able to do so with optimal results within our customers’ budgets. As a bonus, we offer flexible pricing models to cater to different budgetary needs. Just another example of our tailored, customer-centric approach.
Since eDiscovery can be frustrating and costly, legal professionals need someone in their corner who can provide a team of skilled professionals willing and able to deliver exceptional quality. We believe our unique dedication to customer service makes us the defensible choice for eDiscovery quality.
Try the Level Legal difference. Contact us today to get started.
Vinny Liu is a senior project manager at Level Legal. With an eDiscovery track record spanning more than two decades, he delivers delight for law firms and corporations.
