Litigation support: Approaches
No litigation support project can hope to succeed if equal account is not given to technology, process and people. Technology is nothing without method or switched-on users; process is rather derailed by lack of tools or followers; and people stand to be overwhelmed without enabling systems and workflows. That’s why Legal Inc focuses strongly on the relationship between the three elements, an holistic approach that means we’re not just consultants, not just technologists, not just litigators – more a specialist partner with a 360° take on things.
Our work tends to fall into five categories:
Pure consultancy Insourced litigation support services End-to-end project leadership Specific service delivery Bespoke application development Pure consultancy
Even for those with large in-house litigation resources, keeping abreast of IT developments and best practice can be onerous given the sheer range and scope of litigation support services. From forensics and data processing at one end to electronic presentation of evidence at the other, with tangential issues such as client litigation readiness and document retention/destruction policies in the middle, it’s clear why some clients choose to tap into Legal Inc’s knowledge base.
‘Insourced’ litigation support services
For small to medium sized law firms offering litigation services, Legal Inc acts as an on-demand litigation support team, who effectively operate as an internal unit for the duration of the project. Relationships can start earlier with consultancy-cum-workshop initiatives designed to create or improve litigation processes, highlight available technologies and share know-how and best practice.
Project leadership
While some clients prefer to manage multiple suppliers themselves, others like to appoint a project leader who can coordinate their own activities and those of approved third parties to deliver a turnkey litigation support solution. Through a number of key relationships and our own core expertise, we can engineer a complete supply chain, from forensics and scanning to court summation and presentation.
Specific service delivery
Having always taken a best-of-breed approach to our work, many of our projects revolve around the delivery of a specific solution. We have an established reputation as technologists, harnessing class-leading litigation support software and optimising returns on client investment. We are a rare breed in that we favour the ‘local delivery’ model over the remote set-up alternative – we have invested in the human and IT resources to facilitate our own hosting and management of best-of-breed software platforms, thereby providing a much more responsive, client-oriented offering. We are also acknowledged as one of the UK’s foremost authorities on eCourt services and the electronic presentation of evidence.
Bespoke application development
As a technology-oriented consultancy, we regularly undertake commissions to design and develop bespoke applications including sophisticated e-Bibles and managed electronic disclosure suites. These involve not just the specification and build of tailored platforms and databases but complete process control and workflow systems, plus the provision of training and on-going support.