Introduction

Internal investigations are critical to ensuring legal compliance, mitigating risks, and maintaining organisational ethical standards. With digital data's increasing volume and complexity, traditional document review and analysis methods have become inefficient and time-consuming. This case study explores the benefits of using eDiscovery software in internal investigations, highlighting how it streamlines the process, improves accuracy, and enhances overall efficiency for lawyers and legal teams.

Case Study

Our customer is a multinational corporation operating in a highly regulated industry. The company’s legal department recently received an anonymous whistleblower complaint alleging potentially fraudulent activities within one of its subsidiaries. Recognising the gravity of the situation, the legal team initiated an internal investigation to gather evidence, assess the allegations, and take appropriate remedial actions.

Challenge

The legal team faced several challenges in conducting a comprehensive and efficient investigation:

1. Voluminous Data: The subsidiary under scrutiny generated and stored vast amounts of electronic data, including emails, documents, spreadsheets, and other digital files. Manually sifting through this extensive data proved time-consuming and prone to human error.
2. Data Variety and Complexity: The investigation involved different types of data sources from various departments and locations, including structured and unstructured data. Managing and analysing this diverse data landscape proved challenging using traditional manual review methods.
3. Timeliness: Given the potential legal and reputational implications, the legal team must complete the investigation promptly. Traditional methods could have been faster and improved by manual processes, resulting in delays and increased costs.

Solution

The legal team decided to leverage LTI’s eDiscovery software to address these challenges and expedite the internal investigation. They opted for a comprehensive eDiscovery solution that provided the following benefits:

Data Centralization: The eDiscovery software allowed the legal team to centralise all relevant data sources into a single platform. This consolidation simplified data management, reducing the time and effort required to access, organise, and search through the data.

1. Advanced Search and Filtering Capabilities: The software offered powerful search functionality, enabling lawyers to quickly identify and retrieve specific documents, keywords, or patterns of interest. Advanced filtering options helped refine search results, ensuring relevant data was readily available for review.
2. Automated Data Processing: The eDiscovery software automates data processing tasks such as metadata extraction, making image files searchable and deduplication. This automation significantly reduced manual effort, enabling the legal team to focus on analysis and investigation strategies.
3. Data Analytics and Visualization: The software incorporated advanced analytics and visualisation tools that facilitated data exploration and identification of key insights. This enhanced the legal team's ability to quickly uncover relevant information, patterns, and relationships within the data.
4. Collaboration and Audit Trail: The eDiscovery software provided collaboration features, enabling seamless communication and information sharing among team members. Additionally, it maintained a detailed audit trail, ensuring transparency and accountability throughout the investigation process.

Results

By leveraging eDiscovery software in their internal investigation, our customers’ legal team achieved the following outcomes:

1. Increased Efficiency: The software's automation and advanced search capabilities reduced the time required for data processing, document review, and analysis. The legal team could quickly identify key evidence, accelerating the investigation timeline.
2. Improved Accuracy: The software's advanced analytics and visualisation tools helped the legal team uncover hidden patterns and correlations within the data, improving the accuracy and reliability of their findings.
3. Cost Savings: The streamlined process and reduced manual effort resulted in cost savings. The legal team could allocate resources more effectively and focus on high-value investigative tasks.
4. Compliance and Risk Mitigation: The use of eDiscovery software ensured that the investigation adhered to legal and regulatory requirements. The detailed audit trail and documentation facilitated transparency and provided a defensible position if legal challenges arose.

Conclusion

The case study demonstrates the advantages of utilising eDiscovery software in internal investigations. By leveraging advanced technology, legal teams can overcome challenges related to voluminous data, data complexity, and time constraints. The benefits of increased efficiency, improved accuracy, and cost savings make eDiscovery software an invaluable tool for lawyers involved in internal investigations, enabling them to conduct thorough and effective reviews while maintaining legal compliance and mitigating risks.

Contact us to discover how LTI can help with your next project.

info@legaltechinnovations.com