Integrated e-discovery solution to deliver predictability, defensibility and transparency
NEW YORK, NY, January 29, 2010 - Corporate legal departments face numerous challenges, but few cause as much frustration as escalating costs and accountability concerns associated with e-discovery. In response, Pillsbury is launching PEARL™ (Pillsbury’s E-Discovery Alliance of Resource Leaders), a transformative single-source solution to integrated discovery management to ensure predictability, defensibility and transparency at lower cost.
PEARL provides experienced guidance and a unique strategy for managing the entire e-discovery process from identification and collection of data (Protiviti); processing (ACT Litigation Services, Integreon); review and production (ACT,Discovery Services Inc, Integreon), including document translation and foreign language depositions (TransPerfect Legal); and court certification (Pillsbury). Its systematic approach leverages the respective strengths and capabilities of each alliance provider, and under Pillsbury’s clear legal guidance, offers a team of experts with diverse capabilities who collaborate to deliver efficient, streamlined results at per-page or per-gigabyte rates that create significant costs savings for clients regardless of size, scope of inquiry or location.
Pillsbury litigation partner Wayne Matus, the head of Pillsbury’s E-Discovery Practice, who originated the PEARL concept. “Engaging PEARL across multiple matters frees up corporate litigation departments and allows the company’s trial counsel, whether it be litigators from Pillsbury or another law firm hired for their subject matter expertise, to focus on case strategy and trial preparation rather than the administration of e-discovery-related tasks.”
Pillsbury litigation partner David Stanton states, “What also makes PEARL unique is Pillsbury’s supervisory role in unifying and integrating the resource team. Pillsbury, just one of
four law U.S. law firms to be recognized by Chambers USA as an e-discovery counsel leader, ensures that every step of the e-discovery process is completed in accordance with rapidly developing e-discovery law and the best practices established under The Sedona Conference Paper on Quality and Measurement, which explicitly calls for a senior, licensed attorney to oversee all e-discovery projects.”
For every project that PEARL undertakes, Pillsbury certifies the results and signs the client’s discovery responses; quickly provides the litigators with the right documents they need to prevail; and can even defend PEARL efforts in court if needed.
“We believe PEARL is the new model for e-discovery services—a streamlined, comprehensive model that is customizable for any organization’s needs,” said Frank Wu, managing director with Protiviti and leader of the consulting firm’s e-discovery practice. “This alliance reduces the inherent risks and limitations of current approaches to e-discovery, and drives better transparency, predictability and control over key issues in one unique, global solution.”
Ashish Prasad, founder and CEO of Discovery Services LLC, says that PEARL adds value in a way that ad hoc e-discovery vendors cannot, which is increasingly important to general counsel.
“PEARL will be highly effective for a single matter as it reduces the chaos and mistakes that often accompany the rush to satisfy civil procedure requirements, but the real value comes for those organizations which will deploy PEARL over multiple engagements, as it eliminates the need to retrain a new set of attorneys and providers with each case, provides cost transparency and predictability, helps clients better negotiate during the e-discovery planning conference and increases the chance of obtaining favorable protective orders. Companies deploying PEARL long-term will also receive feedback about their information management systems, retention policies and litigation readiness. This input can improve compliance and further reduce a company’s annual litigation costs and risks.”
Chris Egan, Senior Vice President at Integreon adds that “Integreon is excited to be part of this dynamic team that is taking the initiative to address and solve e-discovery and document review management challenges. PEARL’s innovative and collaborative approach provides corporations with a groundbreaking ability to both predict and manage costs.”
“TransPerfect Legal Solutions is proud to be a part of PEARL as it advances our long held belief that transparency and consolidation of services in global litigation support produces the most efficient and cost-effective results,” said TransPerfect Legal Solution’s Eric Elting, Director of Global Legal Business, while Macyl Burke, Director of Marketing for ACT, commented: “PEARL is the first time a leading US law firm has constructed a global alliance of leading e-discovery providers that offers a strategic approach to the discovery phase of litigation, using metrics and measurement to meet client expectations and produce superior results at lower costs.”
For more information about PEARL or learn how it benefits companies, visitwww.pillsburylaw.com/PEARL.
About TransPerfect Legal Solutions
TLS is the industry leader in multilingual legal support services. Since 1992, we have been providing a comprehensive suite of solutions that facilitates every aspect of our clients' legal matters. From court reporting and e-discovery for litigation to virtual data rooms for M&A and bankruptcy cases, TLS is a one-stop-shop for the global legal industry. As a specialized division of TransPerfect Inc., the world's largest privately-owned language services provider, TLS is the only legal support services provider that also offers a full array of translation, interpretation, and other multilingual solutions.
Supported by over 50 offices on 4 continents, TLS is a trusted provider of every Am Law 200 and Global 100 law firm, as well as the majority of the Fortune 500 companies. To learn more about TLS and our full suite of legal support services, please visit legal.transperfect.com.
About Pillsbury
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP (www.pillsburylaw.com) is a full-service law firm with market-leading strengths in the energy, financial services, real estate and technology sectors. Based in the world's major financial and technology centers, Pillsbury counsels clients on global corporate, regulatory and litigation matters. We work in multidisciplinary teams that allow us to anticipate trends and bring a 360-degree perspective to complex business and legal issues—helping clients to take greater advantage of new opportunities and better mitigate risk. This collaborative work style helps produce the results our clients seek.
About ACT Litigation Services, Inc.
Established in 1986, ACT Litigation Services (ACT) provides electronic discovery, document review and litigation management consulting to clients from the country's largest law firms and corporations. A private company based near Los Angeles, California, ACT was founded by engineers to offer a deep understanding of technology and process control in managing high profile, complex litigation. The company offers a full range of discovery-related services, including consultation, collection, conversion, hosting and production, as well as metrics-driven document review. For more information about ACT visit www.actlit.com.
About Discovery Services Inc.
Discovery Services is a document review and electronic discovery company founded and led by Ashish Prasad, who is widely recognized as among the leading experts on discovery in the United States. Discovery Services guarantees the accuracy of its document reviews, utilizes flat fee, per gigabyte pricing to reduce reduces the cost over hourly pricing models, and it provides expert validation and defense-of-process services if the discovery compliance is challenged. To learn about Discovery Services go to www.discoveryservices.com.
About Integreon
Integreon is the global e-discovery and Legal Process Outsourcing (LPO) partner trusted by the world's leading corporations. It is the only legal services provider in the world to receive top marks in both the Socha-Gelbmann Electronic Discovery Survey and the Black Book of Outsourcing LPO Survey. To most efficiently, accurately and defensibly identify responsive data from even the largest data sets, the company provides an integrated approach to all stages of the discovery process, across scalable operations and technology: unified project management, consulting, forensics, data analytics, processing, hosting, and review services. Experienced document reviewers, working on-site at client offices or at any of Integreon's secure review centers worldwide, following ISO 9001-certified best practices, deliver high-quality, repeatable review results. For more information about Integreon, please visithttp://www.integreon.com.
About Protiviti
Protiviti (www.protiviti.com) is a global business consulting and internal audit firm composed of experts specializing in risk, advisory and transaction services. The firm helps solve problems in finance and transactions, operations, technology, litigation, governance, risk, and compliance. Protiviti's highly trained, results-oriented professionals provide a unique perspective on a wide range of critical business issues for clients in the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. Protiviti has more than 60 locations worldwide and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Robert Half International Inc. (NYSE: RHI). Founded in 1948, Robert Half International is a member of the S&P 500 index.
About TransPerfect Legal Solutions
Founded in 1992, TransPerfect Legal Solutions (TLS) is a specialized division of TransPerfect, the world’s largest privately held language services provider. Backed by our ISO 9001:2008 and EN 15038:2006 certified quality management system, TLS combines unparalleled linguistic expertise with the industry's most advanced technologies to provide comprehensive multilingual legal support in over 100 languages. And with over 50 offices spanning 4 continents, we offer 24/7 client support and production capabilities as well as the scalability to manage projects of any size under even the most aggressive deadlines. To learn more about why TransPerfect Legal Solutions represents the world's highest standard for multilingual, multinational legal support, visit our website atwww.transperfectlegal.com.
Contact:
Sandi Sonnenfeld
Director of Public Relations
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
212.858.1741
sandi.sonnenfeld@pillsburylaw.com