Leading eDiscovery firm Recommind held the New Zealand launch of their new Axcelerate 5 eDiscovery software last week in Auckland. The launch was in the form of a sit down lunch with many of New Zealand’s leading law firms present.

I was invited by Recommind to present a session on how eDiscovery has evolved in New Zealand, which was then followed by Recommind’s Vice President of Product Marketing Neil Etheridge who provided a demo of Axcelerate 5.

Changing practices and tools

With all firms experiencing an exponential increase in document volumes on all matters, my session provided an insight into what was currently happening in New Zealand with practices and the tools available. My presentation covered –

• More upfront work is required with the High Court discovery rules, together with the importance of devising a Discovery Strategy at an early stage
• Traditional practices are no longer feasible, and adding needless burden and expense to the discovery process
• Issues with legacy software which may no longer suit requirements. Many firms are shaping practices around the capabilities of the software rather than their needs
• We need to think differently – we need tools and practices to get to the important documents quicker, cheaper and more accurately
• The NZ discovery rules are software neutral and all products now talk to each other
• There are now increasing software options available in New Zealand which provides an opportunity re-evaluate options, especially with most software options having annual licences
• Pay as you go, hosted options are effective pricing models for firms who have peaks and troughs in their litigation
• Many of the tools with sophisticated capabilities are providing firms with a real competitive advantage and level the playing field with firms that may have more resources at their disposal.

Axcelerate 5 takeaways

Recommind’s Vice President of Product Marketing Neil Etheridge provided a demo of Axcelerate 5, together with an overview of some of the points of difference in the eDiscovery offering of Recommind.

During the demo Neil Etheridge showcased some practical examples of how Axcelerate 5 could drill down the data and isolate key documents. Speaking to some of the attendees during and after the lunch, they were impressed with how easy the tool was compared to what they currently do.

In addition Neil Etheridge provided an insight into the Predictive Coding process and what makes Recommind’s process different to some other options. It was refreshing to hear the emphasis on prioritisation and certainly not any exaggeration of ‘black box’ technology making calls for lawyers. All the software is doing is identifying the key documents at an earlier stage, it is the lawyers choice how far they want to go reviewing other documents – often that may still be a linear review. 

As I mentioned in my earlier post, I was fortunate myself to spend time with Recommind at LegalTech to get a first-hand glimpse of the new Axcelerate 5 platform.

Talking points

Many in attendance mentioned they are still undertaking a linear document review (looking at document by document), as that was what they were either use too, or all that their legacy software was capable of.

Many of the practices discussed and further comments illustrated how existing legacy options were perhaps no longer satisfying current needs or expectations.

One point that was evident, was the further explanation of how a hosting model works. For many they had not outsourced their eDiscovery requirements previously, so there were questions around the practical logistics. The ease and simplicity of the process without any drain on internal resources and the firm not having to carry the cost was an attraction for many.

Recommind’s commitment to the New Zealand market

During the lunch Recommind made it clear that they were going to be returning to New Zealand regularly to develop further their relationships with New Zealand firms. 

Since the 2nd Annual New Zealand eDiscovery Conference we have observed many of the leading eDiscovery software and service providers making a committed effort in offering their solutions to the New Zealand market. The more options available to assist New Zealand clients the better, as for a long time there were only a couple of legacy options around, which did not assist an industry that needs to look at more contemporary practices.

Those attending the lunch left with final message that there are now alternatives to their legacy options.