Chilli IQ’s Information Governance & eDiscovery Summit is only a few weeks away, taking place in Sydney on the 12th and 13th of June at the Sheraton on the Park. The Chilli IQ event has long been acknowledged as the leading event on the Australian eDiscovery scene.

New challenges – making informed decisions

The exponential growth in the sources and volumes of electronic information is causing far greater challenges for organisations and law firms alike. eDiscovery is increasingly becoming a more complex and complicated process for all involved. It is important to continuously keep up with the latest tools and practices to respond to eDiscovery obligations. These challenges are only going to escalate as the volumes and sources of information evolve even further.

At the same time we all face pressures to better utilise technology and practices to be able to manage this information proportionately, cost effectively and accurately. The utilisation of technology will ensure the cost of discovery is proportionate to the cost of the case.

In most matters it is not possible to make an informed assessment about proportionality, unless there is a greater understanding of electronic discovery issues.The importance of early planning to be more informed at an earlier stage is more critical than ever.

All of us involved in this ever evolving and important field have an obligation to continue to learn about the latest technology and practices available.

Impressive topics and speakers

Chilli IQ has set up a dedicated website for the event http://ediscoverysummit.com.au. The website provides all relevant about the event and will be updated further with confirmed speakers and further programme information.

Looking through the conference programme there are some excellent topics for a number of the sessions. Topics include Information Governance, Legal Process Outsourcing (LPOs), Predictive Coding and the Implications of Social Media.

It is a well-balanced list of speakers covering the judiciary, law firms (legal and technical) and service providers to the legal industry. 

Duke Alden of AON has been confirmed as the international keynote speaker. Duke Alden is the global lead of Information Governance Records Management, and eDiscovery for Aon. Duke will be presenting a couple of  sessions on Structuring an Information Governance practice and how to achieve some earlier wins while building influence in the organization and the connection conundrum: the information and eDiscovery risks of social media.

The summit once again has a judicial presence with Justice John Sackar of the Supreme Court of NSW. Justice Sackar will be discussing The use of technology by the judicial system.

Eddie Sheey of Nuix will be presenting a session on Apply your eDisovery skills to solve broader business problems.  Eddie and Nuix have been regular supporters of the Chilli IQ Information Governance and eDiscovery events for many years, as well as the many other global eDiscovery events that Nuix support.

Michael do Rozario of Corrs Chambers Westgarth will be presenting a session on Australian and International Developments in E-Discovery Law. Earlier this year Corrs were in the news for developing their own iPad App (Casefolio) for lawyers.

Scott Gillard of Minter Ellison (who has become somewhat of a Chilli IQ event stalwart), is back again to add his expert knowledge for a panel discussion. I will also be joining Scott on the panel.

In addition to these speakers, further confirmed speakers currently include –

• Cristina Libro, Legal Technology Solutions Manager – Henry Davis York
• Bronwyn Barker, Electronic Evidence Specialist Independent – Commission Against Corruption [ICAC]
• Chris McLean, General Manager – Technology, Knowledge & Legal – Energetics
• Matthew Westwood-Hill, Implementation Engineer – Nuix

A conference of this kind is not possible without the support of its sponsors. The summit is fortunate to have the involvement of market leaders like Nuix, eDiscovery Tools, Sententia Discovery and Law in Order. All of these firms are dominant players in the Australian and global eDiscovery scene.

Chilli IQ have been leading the way for a number of years developing a programme that is of considerable relevance to the Australasian market. It is an event that I have been fortunate to attend since my return from the UK (5 years ago now).

The event attracts delegates from all over Australia. Once again there will be a number of representatives from New Zealand heading across the Tasman to hear from industry experts.  I know from organising the inaugural New Zealand eDiscovery Conference earlier this year, there is much interest in this space. 

Those attending the event will once again benefit from continuing to learn about latest trends and practices from some of the industry leaders.