Inventus Blog

In November of 2017, the Department of Justice modified its FCPA Corporate Enforcement Policy – the policy which guides compliance officers, corporate counsel, and internal auditors on compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The DOJ’s modification required companies subject to FCPA regulations to completely prohibit their employees from using ephemeral messaging – popular examples of which include WhatsApp, WeChat, Signal, Viber, and Snapchat.

 

This policy banned any company doing business across borders from using many popular platforms for communication without risking FCPA noncompliance; essentially limiting companies to conduct all communication through email and other standard forms of communication.

 

Cloud computing – or data storage in the cloud – is often touted as a cure-all for the woes of mounting ESI costs. Whether considering cloud computing for the home with storage backup services like Google Photos or iCloud, or considering cloud computing for a business process like eDiscovery, the same considerations apply: How do you know your data is really secure? How can you be sure you won’t be subject to a breach, and how can you ensure your provider doesn’t accidentally lose or delete your data – or do something illegal with it (intentionally or by mistake)?

 

When it comes to personal privacy, these questions are worth serious consideration. And when it comes to litigious – or potentially litigious – data involved in corporate litigation or regulatory investigations, these questions can make or break a law firm or corporation’s reputation and significantly affect profitability. A cloud provider’s security vulnerabilities could, if exploited, not only compromise the security of its clients, but also extend culpability to any of the provider’s clients who didn’t properly vet their vendors.

 

So what can lawyers who handle large amounts of litigious data do to ensure that their firms, corporations, and their ownreputations are secure when working with the many vendors who handle and store discovery data on behalf of legal clients?

What’s the first thing we want clients to know about us? Naturally, we want them to know we can deliver legal services to them more efficiently than our competitors.

 

We have the technology, expertise, and infrastructure to handle eDiscovery projects from information governance through production, and our staff are creative and qualified – ready, willing, and able to help our clients solve the complex problems that inevitably arise during discovery projects.

The cartel law boutique Euclid Law and the eDiscovery service provider Inventus hosted the kick-off event in the series "Antitrust Law and Digitization" on February 14, 2019 in Frankfurt. In a very free and constructive format, the representatives of ThyssenKrupp AG, Commerzbank AG, and Innogy SE presented their views on the challenges and opportunities of digitization for their industries.

 

Initially, the internal clarification of possible antitrust violations played a role in the discussion and participant questions. Especially with regard to the question of how the internal compliance structures for the proactive compliance information should be set up technically and organisationally. The speakers provided information about the nuances of the respective industries and their priorities. 

While many eDiscovery companies are consolidating – driving a “race to the bottom” in terms of price – Inventus CEO Paul Mankoo takes a different view. While cost savings are important – table stakes, even – the value that savvy legal practitioners are looking for today is more than just a low price.

 

To drive real value, you need experience and expertise – what he calls “the race to the top for talent.” While large consolidated companies may be driving efficiencies internally by eliminating redundancies, they are also shedding crucial talent. And to do truly stellar work in electronic discovery, you need a human element. Not just any human will do - you need critically thinking, deeply experienced experts who are relentlessly client-focused. 

The Summits on Legal Innovation and Disruption (SOLID) are different than other legal events. They function like TED Conferences – but for the inside counsel and law firm crowd. We attended SOLID West in San Francisco last week, and here were a few of our favorite talks:

 

 

 

 

 

Innovative eDiscovery Services Provider Poised for Global Growth

CHICAGO – March 5, 2019 – Inventus, a leading international legal support services provider, today announced that Sarah Brown has joined Inventus as director of marketing, where she will lead global marketing and communications. Brown brings more than a decade of deep experience in the eDiscovery industry and will be integral in Inventus’ efforts to continue to build global brand awareness.

CHICAGO – Feb. 26, 2019 – Inventus, a leading international legal support services provider, today announced that Scott Culbertson has joined Inventus as senior director of managed services. Culbertson brings deep experience in finance, technology, and eDiscovery processes and infrastructure to his role solving complex eDiscovery challenges for Inventus clients.

 

The world has never had a more truly global economy than present day.  We are able to order goods and services from practically any country and have it all shipped to our doorstep in a matter of days - exactly what we want, when we want it.  We are able to invest in growing economies, and there are new forms of currency being developed to make trading goods and services even easier.  So what does this mean for companies wanting to expand into new markets and do business outside of their home country?  These businesses will be subjected to many new regulatory, civil and criminal laws to which they must comply, as well as observing cultural differences, in order to start and maintain their business in the new market. Finding answers or even simple guidance in these matters can be challenging enough, but ending up in litigation due to oversight could be catastrophic.  For eDiscovery- having to learn new systems for the review of data, and understanding the various capabilities and organization of those systems, can pose additional challenges and unnecessary frustration that can lead to delays; or other issues that can be costly in more ways than just money.

An Inventus Senior Project Manager shares tales of data processing and Barbados.