Seven Step Process : Orange Legal Technologies

Seven Step Process

Orange Legal Technologies has strong industry experience in large case, multi-terabyte inclusive electronic discovery tasks to include collection, analytics, processing, review, and production. With this industry experience in mind, and with the desire to ensure client understanding and confidence in the advanced approaches used by Orange Legal Technologies to maximize the efficiency of technology and client resources, this short information guide has been developed to serve as a planning and execution discussion guide to be considered jointly prior to the initiation of Orange Legal Technologies service in support of our clients.

Seven Steps to Client Success

Step 1 – Client Data Inventory

As part of initiating a project with Orange Legal Technologies, a full inventory of potential client ESI is undertaken using the following framework from which Orange Legal Technologies has both an understanding and experience in translating from client data stores into the Orange Legal Technologies Electronic Discovery Platform for the forensically sound conduct of electronic discovery. This inventory includes the following items to ensure a complete assessment of potential client needs:

What is the scope of the client’s data?
What is the structure of the client’s data?
What is the data format of potential client data?
What is data state of all potential client data?
How is the client’s data “interconnected”?
How does the client access active state data?
How does the client maintain the Static State data?
How much data will be acted upon?
Is the data encrypted?

What electronic media may need to be examined and potentially collected by Orange Legal Technologies?

Active, Online Data (Typically Accessible)
Nearline Data (Typically Accessible)
Offline Storage/Archives (Sometimes Accessible, Sometimes Unreasonably Accessible)
Backup Tapes (Typically Unreasonably Accessible)
Erased, Fragmented, or Damaged Data (Typically Unreasonably Accessible)

Step 2 – Data Collection

Upon completion of the data inventory and coupled with an understanding via client agreement on the scope of the data collection as it relates to electronic media, Orange Legal Technologies then utilizes the best available collection methods to ensure a proper data collection process is followed. This collection process includes the use of Orange Legal Technologies capabilities that allow for:

Fixed Storage Collection (Manual+Active Data Copy/Forensic Imaging)
Portable Storage Collection (Manual Copy/Forensic Imaging)
Back Up Tape Restoration
Automated Network Discovery of Devices/Repositories and Data

Orange Legal Technologies supports these capabilities with expertise and experience that encompasses:

Certified Collection Experts
Collection and Planning Consulting
Defensible Chain of Custody Procedures and Processes
Best of Breed Partnerships

Once a data collection plan is approved and executed, Orange Legal Technologies then conducts a data ingestion exercise to ensure all collected data is transferred in a chain-of-custody proven, forensically sound manner to Orange Legal Technologies.

Step 3 – Data Ingestion

Orange Legal Technologies has the capability to ingest data into the Orange Legal Technologies Discovery Platform from all major standard storage media formats, all common load file formats (examples: Encase Images, – whether proprietary or based on industry standard data transfer protocols (example – XML). Ingestion of client data into the Orange Legal Technologies Discovery Platform begins with Data Staging. Data staging is the process by which original ESI files are copied, isolated, and stored in a forensically sound manner for future use. This staging typically occurs in three phases:

1. Copying and storage of original ESI files on a closed and isolated network file server.

2. Storage of original media and ESI files in a forensically sound manner.

3. Storage of copied ESI files for use in further electronic discovery processing.

From this data staging, data is “pointed to” by the import utility and chain of custody information is entered into the Orange Legal Technologies Discovery Platform (date collected, date received, custodian, media id, processing technician, description, notes) so that the information can be associated with every document throughout all further stages of the electronic discovery process. Historical experience shows that average expansion volumes after further processing is approximately 125% for e-docs and 175% for e-mail. Orange Legal Technologies has the capability to ingest data into the Orange Legal Technologies Discovery Platform from all major standard storage media formats, all common load file formats (examples: Encase Images, – whether proprietary or based on industry standard data transfer protocols (example – XML).

Step 4 – Data Analytics

Analytics/Filtering: Orange Legal Technologies Analytics is fully accessible by the client and any number of key word searches, date filters, metadata filters, or full inclusions/exclusions may be performed. Ideal volume reduction rates through Analytics are 50% - 80%, though naturally the actual rates vary from 0% – 99% depending on the nature of the case and the amount of filtering desired. Note: After completion of data analytics, filtered data can be directly exported for any non-Orange Legal Technologies review tool at this phase. Alternatively the data can immediately be made available for further processing within the Orange Legal Technologies Discovery Platform. Key characteristics of Orange Legal Technologies Data Analytics Includes:

Data Indexing provides a comprehensive index that includes full text and metadata attributes and can quickly be queried online to organize, understand, and assess available data.
Data Reduction and Organization is accomplished through the combined used of culling and filtering technologies that provide system file, data range, extension, custodian, and key word filtering as well as the application of near duplicate identification.
Data Understanding is facilitated with unique features to include interesting phrase finder and conversation thread linking technologies allowing for analysis of data within context of its use.
Early Case Assessment is the combined leveraging of the preparation, indexing, organization, and understanding capabilities of Orange Legal Technologies Analytics to provide users with the ability to balance opportunities, risks, and costs in preparation for litigation, audits, and investigations.

Step 5 – Data Processing

The post analytics data set can be further processed as - determined by client needs - within the Orange Legal Technologies Discovery Platform. Key processing characteristics and procedures within this processing stage include but are not limited to:

Data Filtering provides the capability to filter data by date ranges, extensions, custodians, and key words as well as allows for system file filtering against the NIST database using the MD5 hashing algorithm.
Data Deduplication is provided using the MD5 hashing standard and can be accomplished throughout processing at both the global and/or the document family group level.
Metadata Extraction allows for the efficient capture of system, file, and field metadata for most unstructured data formats.
Full Text Extraction is conducted automatically in Orange Legal Technologies Processing and is augmented as required by streamlined exception handling procedures to support secondary extractions via OCR and print driver text recognition.
Data Conversion allows for the full conversion of native file formats into high quality TIFF images and PDF documents while also supporting native file linking.
Load File Preparation allows for the seamless production of standard output files based on XML, Pass Through, Image, Native, and Proprietary Database Load Formats to ensure ease of use with industry standard review tools to include Orange Legal Technologies Review.
Custom Database Development allows for the proactive development of custom databases that enable the usage of non-standard review tools and technologies with Orange Legal Technologies Processing.

When used in conjunction with OneO® Analytics, clients may experience additional data reduction rates of up to 15% - however, the actual rates may vary depending on the nature of the case and the processing procedures used in this stage. Additional considerations that provide for client ease and efficiency in processing include:

Attachment Handling - Orange Legal Technologies handles attachments using industry-standard methods, extracting them from their parent e-mails and utilizing database field values to maintain the parent/child relationship. One unique feature of Orange Legal Technologies Review is the ability to “tag family summaries”, which will automatically apply tags to all family members upon the application of a tag to a document within the family. This option can be disabled.
Exception Reporting - Orange Legal Technologies allows the client to generate numerous reports on the fly through the Orange Legal Technologies Discovery Platform. In addition, Project Managers can generate fully customized reports with the assistance of database technicians. Finally, Orange Legal Technologies takes a consultative approach with every report and explains in detail all types of exceptions encountered, what causes them, why they occur, what can be done to remedy them, and what can be done to prevent them in the future. There are standard processes in place to re-process exceptions in place after they have been repaired, decrypted or otherwise remedied.
Justifying Procedures in a Court of Law - Orange Legal Technologies has certified technicians that are familiar with its electronic discovery processes that can and have explained processes in detail and in layman’s terms to stand up in a Court of Law via verbal testimony, affidavit or declaration. Absent the need for specific testimony, Orange Legal Technologies’ standard project documentation can be provided to explain the processes and methodologies used throughout all phases of a project.

Upon completion of either the analytics or processing stage of Orange Legal Technologies Discovery, client data can be made available to client specified reviewers for the conduct of legal review activities.

Step 6 – Data Review

Key review characteristics of Orange Legal Technologies Review includes:

Foreign Language Support is enabled through integrated Unicode Consortium standards and covers 52 worldwide writing systems allowing for the scoping, searching, and review of data sets without the requirement for additional translation modules or services.
Web Based User Access allows for secure access of data sets and the full conduct of review from any geographical location with Internet access without the requirement for additional client-side applications or programs. This capability allows for the use of geographically dispersed review teams that can be quickly pulled together virtually to manage and complete time-sensitive, coordination-intensive review requirements.
Integrated Collaboration between reviewers increases the collective experience and knowledge of legal review teams while decreasing the time it takes to communicate and coordinate review issues.
Integrated Workflow allows for the proper coordination of documents, reviewers, and technology by allowing for the automation of review processes to include reviewer roles, responsibilities, tasks and timelines.
Audit and Reporting features allow users to customize and automate review reports to support both scheduled and real-time status updates.

In addition to the individual attributes of Analytics, Processing, and Review, the Orange Legal Technologies Discovery Platform provides users with increased efficiency and decreased risk based on the following benefits:

Implementation: Quickly deploy, customize, and securely access a hosted data repository that may immediately be used by multiple individuals from multiple locations to analyze and review data.
Centralization: Allows for time efficient complex searches against large volumes of documents from a centralized electronic discovery platform architecture.
Defensibility: Chain of Custody tracking down to the file level, to include extracted compound files and embedded files, throughout the discovery process ensures that both the discovery process and the data are defensible.
Scalability: Provides capability to take full advantage of all available processing power regardless of the size of the data set being reviewed or the complexity of the review queries. The investment protection provided by scalable and centralized server architecture ensures that growing capacity requirements do not adversely affect electronic discovery capability.
Security: Provides for secure online access to a centralized hosted and secure data repository with forensically sound processes and protocols to ensure both physical and digital security.
Usability: Developed using industry accepted and user understood graphical user interface metaphors to ensure easy and intuitive use by end users.

Step 7 – Data Production

In moving data from review into production, Orange Legal Technologies has project managers available to assist with the creation of production sets when review has been completed. Productions can involve the burning-in of redactions, bates numbering of documents, application of confidentiality designations, and export of the data in TIFF, native, near-native, or any other format per the production specifications.

Tying the Steps Together

The Orange Legal Technologies Advanced Approach to Electronic Discovery - In order to maximize the intrinsic benefits of Orange Legal Technologies’ discovery capability, clients typically employ an advanced electronic discovery approach consisting of the following seven key actions – all conducted from within the Orange Legal Technologies Discovery Platform:

1. Joint Client/OrangeLT™ Team completes a client data inventory.

2. Litigation Support Manager provides ESI to the team/organization handling ESI analytics, processing and review.

3. ESI is indexed, culled in preparation for a 1st pass, high-level, issue-based review.

4. 1st pass, high-level, issued based review is conducted by legal team.

5. Remaining ESI is processed in preparation for final review by the legal team.

6. Processed ESI is provided to clients for hosted review, full linear review.

7. Client ESI is produced to client specification.