Reinventing Professionals

I spoke with Rich Turner, the vice president of business development and strategic marketing for C2C Systems, an e-mail archiving and information management software company. We discussed the most significant e-mail archiving trends, the information management challenges companies will be facing this year, how they can address them, and his predictions for the next 12 months. He noted that while there is still no one-size-fits-all solution, many processes are being virtualized.

I spoke with Jon Resnick, the managing director and head of global sales for Huron Legal, about key operational issues that law departments and law firms will need to address in 2013. Resnick noted that globalization is a growing concern as businesses become more internationally integrated. He also predicted that increased governmental scrutiny and information management challenges will prompt organizations to centralize responsibility for these concerns with the chief compliance officer. Finally, Resnick expects the emergence of more robust enterprise-wide technology solutions, including matter management, e-discovery, and data recovery, among others.

I spoke with Doug Stewart, the vice president of technology and innovation for Daegis, a full-service e-discovery company. We discussed his expectations for Legal Tech New York 2013, where the legal industry is moving, and how it is maturing. He predicted the emergence of quality standards, the release of diverse new e-discovery tools, and a continued focus on cost control.

I spoke with Warwick Sharp, the Vice President of marketing and business development for Equivio, about being a predictive coding and analytics pioneer, and where that technology is headed in 2013. “The market’s relationship with predictive coding has evolved,” he said noting that concerns over defensibility have been dispelled over the last year. In fact, Sharp highlighted that users are less focused on defensibility and more interested in predictive coding education than ever before. “We see a massive catch up among professionals in the industry,” Sharp added. He predicts that the judiciary will take a more discerning approach to predictive coding and begin defining the appropriate processes, as well as project management techniques.

I spoke with Allison Walton, the e-discovery counsel for Symantec, the maker of Enterprise Vault, Clearwell, and other data loss prevention solutions. We discussed trends for 2013 and her expectations for Legal Tech New York. Walton predicts the emergence of a new level of information strategist that helps corporations understand how they are managing information. She also noted that defensible deletion will be a key focus because organizations are developing data control strategies. Walton and her team will be discussing “E-discovery in 3-D,” among other topics at Legal Tech New York.

I spoke with Mike Barry, the senior vice president of research and development for Aderant, one of the largest software providers in the legal industry. We discussed key challenges that he expects clients to face in 2013, including lingering pressure from the financial crisis, increasing interest in alternative fees, and the disruptive force of innovative technology. Barry predicts a rise in the use of time capture tools, business intelligence programs, mobility products, and legal project management leading to a cultural revolution in law firms.

I spoke with Steve Ashbacher, vice president of Concordance, which is part of the Litigation Solutions team at LexisNexis. We discussed the focus of the litigation solutions team this year, the issues that are driving these changes, and how his group is addressing them. Ashbacher noted those who understand data volumes and build better infrastructure will most effectively address the complexity, cost, and risk challenges of 2013.

I spoke with Megan Miller, the vice president of marketing for GGO, a legal services provider and the developer of Digital WarRoom about 2013 trends and ways that professionals can address them. She noted, among other items, that law firms want to enhance the quality of the counsel they are providing to their clients and are increasingly leveraging technology to build efficiency. This effort gives law firms and corporate counsel more control while aligning their interests.

I spoke with Sanjay Manocha, the Director of Discovery Analytics and Review for RVM, a provider of end-to-end legal technology consulting services. We discussed analytics and other key trends, the challenges that legal teams are likely to face in 2013, and his predictions for the use of predictive coding by practicing attorneys over the next twelve months. He noted that “This will be an exciting period for practitioners” and expects service providers to harmonize around key best practices.

I spoke with Deborah Baron, the vice president of legal and compliance solutions for Autonomy Inc., an HP Company, about cost containment and the evolution of e-discovery, which she described as “an old game with new rules.” She noted that law firms are smarter than ever and predicted the emergence of an IT sharpshooter because the volume, variety, and velocity of information is changing dramatically.