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Case Study

National Defense Litigation Firm Streamlines Storage, Outsourcing Costs with Cloud eDiscovery

After a legacy eDiscovery system resulted in lackluster user adoption, time-consuming manual processes, and increased costs, Hawkins Parnell Thackston & Young LLP, sought to start all over with a new solution.

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The firm chose IPRO OPEN DISCOVERY for its more modern and user-friendly interface when compared with the legacy tool, but also because the cloud functionality would improve user experience for all 130 attorneys and eDiscovery specialists, as well as eliminate the need for costly server storage and maintenance.

After migrating to IPRO in the cloud, the Atlanta-based firm not only has been able to increase the speed at which they surface and review evidence, but also save thousands of dollars in storage and outsourcing.

Data migration one office a time

As only four of the firm’s 10 locations were using the legacy eDiscovery tool, Hawkins Parnell moved a total of 11 TB of data out of the system one office at a time, then enlisted IPRO’s customer services team to help move it into OPEN DISCOVERY. They also worked with the CSM team to set up new workflows and templates in the solution to help organize and clean up the data to develop better processes for all locations, said Courtney Bristow, eDiscovery analyst.

The CMS team also worked with Hawkins Parnell to incorporate new features into their workflows as well as set up trainings for attorneys that weren’t using the legacy system, so they can better understand the capabilities of the new system that can help them with document reviews, he adds.

“Our goal is to have attorneys learn more about IPRO and trust it a little bit so they can use it better than they did the old system,” Bristow says. “We need them to be more educated on everything IPRO does.”

Immediate gains

After implementing OPEN DISCOVERY, Hawkins Parnell immediately realized the power of the new solution. Though it was difficult to get data in and out of their legacy system, the IPRO solution makes the process much smoother, says Bristow, who also used IPRO in a previous role and was brought into the firm to help with the transition and run the solution.

I’ve worked with other eDiscovery solutions and IPRO is much more intuitive and user friendly. We now have a smooth workflow, and it’s just a better process.

Courtney Bristow, eDiscovery analyst at Hawkins Parnell

Now when Hawkins Parnell acquires new evidence, Bristow loads it into IPRO, sets up permissions for attorneys to access, tag, and mark as responsive, then he processes it. Attorneys have commented on the speed and ease of use of the new solution, Bristow says.

“Things are so much faster now with IPRO. I’m happy with it because it makes my job easier,“ Bristow says. “It allows us to get to data on time now when we have tight deadlines.”

Supplemental cost savings

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Implementing IPRO OPEN DISCOVERY also has enabled Hawkins Parnell to save thousands of dollars
in recurring outsourcing and storage costs.

Prior to using their legacy solution, the firm hired a consultant to help convert and process data, and serve as Bristow’s backup, which resulted in a disjointed workflow. But with the improved processes, the firm was able to bring all eDiscovery in house, saving that expense.

Further, as Hawkins Parnell implemented the solution in the cloud, they no longer have to maintain server and storage for an on-premises solution, which also resulted in hefty cost savings, Bristow says.

Hawkins Parnell Thackston & Young LLP Moves to the Cloud

Hawkins Parnell Thackston & Young LLP Moves to the Cloud

  1. Customizable Migration With 10 offices but only four using eDiscovery tools, the firm needed flexibility in migrating data. It was able to go at its own speed, bringing up the offices that used technology first, then developing training for the other locations to get started.
  2. Immediate Benefits to Gain Buy-In With many attorneys still holding on to manual processes because of clunky legacy solutions, the firm was able to quickly show increased speed and ease of use with the IPRO solution to get them accustomed to the new process.
  3. Decreased recurring costs Moving to the cloud inherently helped the firm eliminate costs associated with maintaining an on-premises solution, but also reduced the need for external eDiscovery services, further reducing spend.
IPRO is reinventing the way organizations interact with their data.

IPRO revolutionizes the eDiscovery process by providing earlier, actionable insights before collection occurs, empowering legal teams to focus on what matters.

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