Lighthouse Blog

Evolving analytics tools and methods can help expedite review.Analyze this! No, we’re not talking about the 1999 movie starring Robert DeNiro and Billy Crystal, but rather analytics mechanisms that many organizations are using today to streamline discovery. As these mechanisms become more sophisticated, it pays to keep abreast of the ways in which they can impact a review, including how data can be organized, visualized, identified and reduced.For example, conceptual clustering can identify groups of topics that might be clearly responsive or non-responsive. Communication visualization maps can identify communication patterns of key parties within a data collection And, of course, predictive coding can train a supervised machine learning algorithm to identify potentially responsive and non-responsive documents based on classifications of other documents.But there are other use cases for eDiscovery analytics many organizations aren’t taking advantage of that make eDiscovery workflows even more efficient and more cost effective. To improve the efficiency of eDiscovery workflows, organizations can now implement technology with the following analytics features.Email Threading and Near Duplicate IdentificationYou may have heard the famous phrase “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result.” But, in document review, insanity is simply doing the same thing over and over again. De-duplication using hash values identifies documents that are exact duplicates in content and format, but there is considerable additional content within document collections that is also duplicated within documents that aren’t exact matches. Email conversation threads contain considerable duplicative information, but conversations between multiple people can branch off, so you can’t just assume that the last message for the thread contains the entire thread discussion.Documents converted to PDF may be identical in content but not format, so they have different hash values and are not “de-duped.” ESI collections often include multiple drafts of documents that have both duplicative and unique content. To avoid over-capture of duplicates and gain visibility into email branches, organizations can now employ advanced analytics that can help in the following ways:Utilize advanced algorithms to identify email thread relationships and individual emails in a thread with unique contentGroup similar documents with flexible near-duplicate identification to easily review and compare to determine whether the differences are significantIdentify exact content duplicates with only formatting differences that hash de-duplication would not catch.Name Normalization and Entity AnalysisWhat’s in a name? Potentially, a whole lot of options! If the sixth US president were alive today and sending emails, here are some ways that you might see him represented within the collection:John AdamsJohnny AdamsJohn Q. AdamsQ. AdamsQuincy AdamsAdams, JohnAdams, John Q.Adams, J.Q.Adams, J. Quincyjadams@xyzcorp.com/O=XYZCORP/OU=EXCHANGE ADMINISTRATIVE GROUP (FYDIBOHF23SPDLT)/CN=RECIPIENTS/CN=jadamsAdams@gmail.comAnd potentially more…That’s a lot of variation – just for one person! Case teams often waste significant time and energy sorting through the numerous variations of names and email addresses for individuals in a matter. Advanced analytics solutions can be used to automated name normalization algorithms to link different name variations and email addresses to a single individual, format those names uniformly and aggregate the normalized participants that appear across an entire email thread group. The result? Refined results that streamline processes such as privilege logging without the intensive manual cleanup typically associated with the process.Metadata AnalyticsAI-driven analytics applied to the metadata can streamline eDiscovery by:a) identifying mass email communications so that reviewers can focus on more likely responsive emails;b) filtering email signature images and other extraneous embedded objects; andc) remediating data populations with missing or incomplete metadata by auto-detecting and populating email metadata fields on inbound productions.Privilege AnalyticsAutomated categorization and classification powered by advanced analytics can also be applied to privilege review to weed out non-responsive and non-privileged material early and rapidly identify, elevate and prioritize potentially privileged information. Customizable rules to exclude disclaimers and boilerplate language can also improve the accuracy of that identification process by eliminating many false positives.As most privilege determinations involve considerations of nuance and context, human judgments are a necessary part of the process. Pre-built and customized linguistic models, name normalization and email thread identification can extend those automated privilege determinations more quickly through the collection, with automated identification of legal concepts, privilege actors and law firms and a reusable asset with consistent propagation of privilege designations across matters.And clean name normalization outputs, along with automated and customizable privilege reasons assigned to each document expedite privilege log creation, significantly decreasing the manual cleanup often associated with this time-consuming task.Personal Identifiable Information (PII) DetectionFinally, with all of the data privacy requirements associated with recent regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), identifying and protecting PII has become a requirement within every phase of the eDiscovery lifecycle. Using analytics and pattern matching through regular expressions (RegEx) to identify common format numbers such as passport IDs, social security numbers, drivers license numbers and credit card numbers, as well as identification of common form types that often contain PII (such as loan applications or IRS forms) will help flag those documents so that they can be adequately protected throughout the process.Newer, more advanced AI-driven analytics solutions go a step further by utilizing highly precise classifiers to model the way in which different forms of supported personal data appear in data populations. These automated solutions provide rapid identification of likely and potential PII, resulting in rapid insights and immediate access to the most relevant documents first.ConclusionYou may be using analytics to streamline parts of your eDiscovery process, but there are always new use cases being identified to leverage analytics to make your eDiscovery workflows more efficient. Even Analyze This had a sequel!For more information on ways H5 Matter Analytics® can assist your organization in creating efficiencies and expediting eDiscovery workflows, click here.ediscovery-reviewblog, -ediscovery, data-analytics, document-review, ediscovery-review, aiandanalyticsblog; ediscovery; data-analytics; document-reviewlighthouse

The Law & Candor podcast is back for season seven, with a special guest speaker twist! In celebration of Women’s History Month (March), this season features an all-female guest speaker lineup. Our esteemed guests will not only explore the hottest topics in legal tech, but also discuss how to champion the development and career growth of women within the space in each episode.Law & Candor co-hosts, Bill Mariano and Rob Hellewell, are back to help lead those discussions in six easily digestible episodes that cover a range of topics: from diversity within eDiscovery, to keeping up with M365 software updates, to a look at possible antitrust changes in a new presidential administration. Check out season seven's lineup below:Diversity and eDiscovery: How Diverse Hiring Practices Lead to a More Innovative Workforce Innovating the Legal Operations Model Efficiently and Defensibly Addressing Microsoft Teams Data Keeping Up with M365 Software Updates AI and Analytics for Corporations: Common Use Cases Antitrust Changes in a New Administration Listen now or bookmark individual episodes to listen to them later, and be sure to follow the latest updates on Law & Candor's Twitter. And if you want to catch up on past seasons or special editions, click here.For questions regarding this podcast and its content, please reach out to us at info@lighthouseglobal.com.diversity-equity-and-inclusionmicrosoft, ai-big-data, legal-ops, blog, antitrust, corporate-legal-ops, diversity-equity-and-inclusionmicrosoft; ai-big-data; legal-ops; blog; antitrust; corporate-legal-opslighthouse

In part one of this series, we described the state of the EU-US Privacy Shield and the mechanisms global companies have relied upon to transfer data from their multiple locations. In short, a recent decision – Schrems II – invalidated the Privacy Shield and shook the foundation of Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs). Companies are now left asking the question of how to respond.In this post, we will share our view on how to navigate forward. If your organization is not already highly reliant on cloud software, we recommend weighing the benefits and risks of making that move. As you assess your options, keep in mind that this move may come at a higher cost because of the need to do periodic risk assessments during this uncertain time. For those already in the Cloud, the motto here is “do everything that you reasonably can.” The position no company wants to find itself in is one of stasis. It is difficult to see such a position being looked upon favourably should regulators start to investigate how companies are responding to Schrems II and the consequences that go along with it.The touchstone is the EDPB guidance and its six-stage approach to assessing data transfers, which we recommend companies undertake:Identify your data transfers: It is an obvious first step, although in practice this could prove challenging. You’ll need to know all the scenarios where your data is moved to a non-European Economic Area (EEA) country (at the time of writing this article, the UK, although out of Europe, is still under the European umbrella until at least the 30th of June).Identify the data transfer mechanisms: You need to decide the grounds upon which the transfer is taking place, such as on the basis of an adequacy decision (this does not apply to the US), SCCs, or a specific derogation (such as consent).Assess the law in the third country: You need to assess “if there is anything in the law or practice of the third country that may impinge on the effectiveness of the appropriate safeguards of the transfer tools you are relying on, in the context of your specific transfer.” There is more guidance from the EDPB as to how the evaluation should be carried out (i.e., an independent oversight mechanism should exist). How effective or practical it is to suggest each company has to perform its own thorough legal assessment as the entire range of relevant legislation in any importing country is open to debate and might perhaps be considered further as these recommendations are refined.Adopt supplementary measures if necessary to level up protection of data transfers: The EDPB has published a non-exhaustive list of such measures, which essentially fall into one of three categories - technical (i.e., encryption), contractual (i.e., transparency), and organisational (i.e., involvement of a Data Protection Officer on all transfers). We’ll have a look at these measures in more detail below in relation to Microsoft 365.Adopt necessary procedural steps: If you have made changes to deliver the required level of protection, these need to be embedded into your operation (i.e.., by means of policy).Re-evaluate at appropriate intervals: This is not a job that can be completed and then left. It needs continual monitoring. There is no specific guideline as to what an appropriate interval is, but quarterly is probably a reasonable approach.Essentially this boils down to carrying out a risk assessment and taking steps to mitigate the risks that are uncovered. If your cloud strategy includes Microsoft 365, the next part of this blog series is a must-read. We will share what Microsoft has done in response to Schrems II as well as some specific configuration options that will influence steps 4 and 5, listed above. Bear in mind that these recommendations could change and you should watch the space. To continue the discussion or to ask questions, please feel free to reach out to us at info@lighthouseglobal.com.data-privacy; microsoft-365; information-governancemicrosoft, cloud, data-privacy, blog, corporate-legal-ops, data-privacy, microsoft-365, information-governance,microsoft; cloud; data-privacy; blog; corporate-legal-opslighthouse

In 2016, European companies doing business in the US were able to breathe a sigh of relief. The European Commission deemed the Privacy Shield to be an adequate privacy protection. For the next half a decade, this shield, as well as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), created the foundation upon which most global businesses were able to manage the thousands of data transfers that occur in each of their business days.Everything changed in July 2020 when the Court of Justice of the European Union gave its seismic judgment in a case generally known as Schrems II. As we will see, the decision has a particular impact on any companies relying on, or moving to, a cloud computing strategy. Businesses have been left needing to make a risk decision with seemingly no ideal outcome. Some legal, privacy, and compliance teams may be advocating for staying away from a cloud approach in light of the decision. The business teams, however, are focused on the vast array of benefits that cloud software offers.So what is the right decision? Where does the law stand and how do you manage your business in this uncertain time? In this four-part blog series, we’ll explain the impact of Schrems II, provide practical tips for companies in the midst of making a cloud decision, give specific advice regarding companies who have, or are implementing, Microsoft’s cloud offering (M365), and offer our view as to the future.Schrems II and Its ImpactFirst, let;s look at the Schrems II decision. The background to the case is well worth exploring but for the sake of brevity and providing actionable information we’ll focus on the outcome and the consequences. The key outcomes impact the two primary ways in which most data transfers between Europe and the US:The EU-US Privacy Shield was invalidated with immediate effect.SCCs (the template contracts created by the EU Commission which are the most common way in which data is moved from the EU) were declared valid, but companies using SCCs could no longer just sign up and send. A company relying on SCCs would have to verify on a case-by-case basis that the personal data being transferred was adequately protected. This process is sometimes called a Transfer Impact Assessment, although the court did not coin that phrase. If the protection is inadequate, then additional safeguards could be needed.The consequences of the decision are still revealing themselves, but as things stand:The Privacy Shield (used by more than 5,000 mostly small-to-medium enterprises) has gone with no replacement in sight (although the Biden administration appears to recognise its importance with the rapid appointment of the experienced Christopher Hoff to oversee the process).There have been significant developments in relation to SCCs, additional safeguards, and transfer impact assessments:The US published a white paper to help organisations make the case that they should be able to send personal data to the US using approved transfer mechanisms.The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) published guidance on how to supplement transfer tools.The European Commission published draft replacement SCCs.The EDPB and the European Data Protection Supervisor adopted a joint opinion on the draft replacement SCCs requesting several amendments.There is not a clear timetable as to when the replacement SCCs or EDPB guidance (which has completed a period of publication consultation) will be finalised. The sooner the better because there seem to be inconsistencies between them. For example, the Schrems II judgment and draft replacement SCCs permit a risk assessment (i.e., it is possible to conclude that personal data might not be completely protected, but that the risk is so small that the parties can agree to proceed), whereas the EPDB recommendations seem to deal in black and white with no shades between (i.e., there is either adequate protection or there is not). It will be important to monitor which, if any, of these drafts moves and in which direction. Whether the SCCs are supported with a risk assessment or analysis along the lines of the EDPB recommendations (or perhaps both), going forward using SCCs may be rather cumbersome particularly in a cloud environment where the location and path of the data is not always crystal clear. Companies are therefore in something of a grey triangle, the sides of which are a judgment of the highest European Court, a draft replacement to the SCCs the Court reviewed in its judgment, and draft guidance about additional safeguards. In part two </span><span>of the series, we will offer companies some practical guidance on how to move forward in light of this grey triangle.To discuss this topic further, please feel free to reach out to us at info@lighthouseglobal.com.data-privacy; microsoft-365; information-governancemicrosoft, data-privacy, blog, privacy-shield, data-privacy, microsoft-365, information-governance,microsoft; data-privacy; blog; privacy-shieldlighthouse

A time-saving tool that consolidates different names for the same entity can make all the difference. One of the many challenges of electronic information and messaging rests in ascertaining the actual identity of the message creator or recipient. Even when only one name is associated with a specific document or communication, the identity journey may have only just begun.The many forms our monikers take as they weave in and out of the digital realm may hold no import for most exchanges, but they can be critical when it comes to eDiscovery and privilege review, where accurate identification of individuals and/or organizations is key.It’s difficult enough when common names are shared among many individuals (hello, John Smith?), but the compilation of our own singular name variations and aliases as they live in the realm of digital text and metadata make life no less complicated. In addition, the electronic format of names and email addresses as they appear in headers or other communications can also make a difference. Attempts to consolidate these variations when undertaking document review is painstaking and error-prone.Not metadata — people. Enter “name normalization.” Automated name normalization tools come to the rescue by isolating and consolidating information found in the top-level and sub-level email headers. Automated name normalization is designed to scan, identify, and associate the full set of name variants, aliases, and email addresses for any individual referenced in the data set, making it easier to review documents related to a particular individual during a responsive review.The mindset shift from email sender and recipient information as simply metadata to profiles of individuals is a subtle but compelling one, encouraging case teams and reviewers to consider people-centric ways to engage with data. This is especially helpful when it comes to identifying what may be—and just as importantly what is not—a potentially privileged communication.Early normalization of names can optimize the privilege workflow.When and how name normalization is done can make a big difference, especially when it comes to accelerating privilege review. Name normalization has historically been a process executed at the end of a review for the purpose of populating information into a privilege log or a names key. However, performing this analysis early in the workflow can be hugely beneficial.Normalizing names at the outset of review or during the pre-review stage as data is being processed enables a team to gain crucial intelligence about their data by identifying exactly who is included in the correspondence and what organizations they may be affiliated with. With a set of easy-to-decipher names to work with instead of a mix of full names, nicknames, initials without context, and other random information that may be even more confusing, reviewers don’t have to rely on guesswork to identify people of interest or those whose legally-affiliated or adversarial status may trigger (or break) a privilege call.Name normalization tools vary, and so do their benefits. Not all name normalization tools are created equal, so it is important to understand the features and benefits of the one being used. Ideally, the algorithm in use maximizes the display name and email address associations as well as the quality and legibility of normalized name values, with as little cleanup required as possible. Granular fielded output options, including top level and sub-header participants is also helpful, as are simple tools for categorizing normalized name entities based on their function, such as privilege actors (e.g., in-house counsel, outside counsel, legal agent) and privilege-breaking third parties (e.g., opposing counsel, government agencies). The ability to automatically identify and classify organizations as well as people (e.g., government agencies, educational institutions, etc.) is also a timesaver.Identification of privilege-breaking third parties is important: although some third parties are acting as agents of either the corporation or the law firms in ways that would not break privilege, others likely would. Knowing the difference can allow a team to triage their privilege review by either eliminating documents that include the privilege breakers from the review entirely, significantly reducing the potential privilege pile, or organizing the review with this likelihood in mind, helping to prevent any embarrassing privilege claims that could be rejected by the courts.Products with such features can provide better privilege identification than is currently the norm, resulting in less volume to manage for privilege log review work later on and curtailing the re-reviews that sometimes occur when new privilege actors or breakers come to light later in the workflow. This information enables a better understanding of any outside firms and attorneys that may not have been included in a list of initial privilege terms and assists in prioritizing the review of documents that include explicit or implied interaction with in-house or outside counsel.Other privilege review and logging optimizers. Other analytics features that can accelerate the privilege review process are coming on the scene as AI tools become more accepted for document review. Privilege Analytics from within Lighthouse Matter Analytics can help review teams with this challenging workflow, streamlining and prioritizing second pass review with pre-built classifiers to automate identification of law firms and legal concepts, tag and tier potentially privileged documents, detect privilege waivers, create privilege reasons, and much more.Interested in how Name Normalization works in Privilege Analytics? Let us show you!ediscovery-review; ai-and-analyticsblog, name-normalization, privilege-review, ediscovery-review, ai-and-analyticsblog; name-normalization; privilege-reviewlighthouse

Do you ever feel like you are spending your day firefighting and wish you could spend more time planning and executing all the great ideas you have? Do you wish the business came to you first to ask for input so they could be prepared rather than rushing in once the alarm bells are already ringing? You are not alone. These are common refrains heard from legal operations professionals. Here are some ways to change that and go from a tactical resource to a strategic partner.Make Time for Strategic PlanningEven if the majority of your role calls for real-time execution, you can still showcase your strategic side. First, make sure you are spending time thinking strategically. I would recommend blocking out time at least once a month to do this work. During each of your thinking sessions, focus on just one idea. If you have too many ideas, your sessions will not be as productive. If you have multiple ideas you need to work through simultaneously, do so in multiple sessions. Or, if you don’t have any ideas, identify a need or frustration in your department. You can focus on a broad need (i.e. how to organize the department most efficiently) or a more narrow need (i.e. how to understand the company’s legal spend). When choosing what to focus on, choose something that you would be comfortable sharing with someone else. This will ensure that you can demonstrate the great strategic thinking you have done. Once you have selected the need you are going to think about, divide your time into three parts. Spend the first part brainstorming around all of the details of the specific need. Identify the problem and the potential causes. You can also identify related problems. Jot down the impact of the issue with as much detail as possible.In the second third, brainstorm potential solutions. Jot down anything that comes to mind. If this is an issue you have already thought about, you may even be able to identify how long each solution might take and/or the potential associated cost. If you have this information, note it. If not, that is ok too. The focus of the first two-thirds of your time should be to let the ideas flow. In the last third of your time, organize your thoughts on the first two sections. I find it easiest to do my organizing in a presentation software like PowerPoint, Google Slides, or Canva. You can follow the below outline or check out more details in my prior blog on getting your ideas approved at your organization.Problem Statement – Identify the issue in 1-3 sentences.Impact Statement – Identify the impact of the issue. You want to quantify this in some way, although at the early stages you might just put a placeholder or blank in here.Cause(s) – Identify the top 3-5 causes of the problem.Potential Solutions – How much you put here will really vary, but try to at least get your top idea into writing.Next Steps – Identify the next steps. If you’re not sure here, leave this blank. When you have your first conversation (more on that below), you can add information here. If you are clear about what you want to do, spend time on this section. This is an area where you can make any asks you have.Once you have completed your strategic thinking time, decide whether you want to share this plan. You may not do so with each monthly idea but you should share at least two outputs of your strategic thinking each year if you want to demonstrate your strategic ability. When you are sharing, I recommend starting with your boss. If that feels too vulnerable, you may decide to share with a co-worker first, but you will want to go to your boss next. Make sure you make clear that the goal of the session is to get their feedback. During that presentation, ask for feedback on the idea, next steps, as well as who else’s input might be valuable. If things go well, you will likely go forward with presenting to others. If your boss feels like this idea is not viable at this time, make sure you ask if there are any other similar projects that you can get involved in? Note that it might feel like a letdown if your boss says this isn’t the right time for this project. Keep in mind, however, that your goal was to showcase your strategic thinking and you will have accomplished this goal by presenting. I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention the primary obstacles I hear from people who “want” to do such an exercise. I don’t have time. I hear you – this is not something that is necessarily part of your day job, and if you’re fighting fires, you’re likely at your maximum capacity. However, think of this as a career investment. If you want to get out of the firefighting mode, invest in this work even if it is outside of your typical work hours or job responsibilities. I can’t take on the solution I’m suggesting. You can always have this discussion with your boss. It may be that there are resources that can help you or perhaps someone else takes on driving the solution. Either way, you will be able to showcase your strategic thinking.I’m worried that I will damage my reputation because this isn’t part of “my job.” Each organization is different and values this type of work differently. I will say that if this is something you really enjoy and is important to you, and your organization or role doesn’t value this work, you should consider whether your passions align with your current role.How to Show Up as Strategic in Tactical SituationsIf you can’t take on the strategic thinking right now, or if you want to press fast forward on you being seen as a strategic resource, there are ways you can show up strategically in your day-to-day interactions. When someone comes to you with a specific request for action, pause and ask yourself these three questions:“why” are we doing this;“what” broader impact will this have; and“how” does this relate to other things going on inside the organization? Take the example of a lawyer coming to you holding their latest law firm bill – fuming! “I just heard that we are paying twice on our matter for Firm ABC than Jane is paying on her matter for similar Firm ABD. Firm ABC’s rates are ridiculous – please negotiate them down right away.” You could absolutely pick up the phone and call Firm ABC. Or, you could think about the above questions. In doing so, you may realize that we are due for an annual firm rate adjustment across all our firms and that this firm has a very specialized area of expertise. If you share with this lawyer that the department has an overall rate discussion coming up that would potentially impact all of their matters, rather than just this one, as well as positively impact other matters with this firm. You can share that your preference would be to not make a phone call now but instead work this into a broader more strategic conversation with the firm. This second response showcases how you are thinking about the bigger picture and longer-term consequences for the organization. It also shares with the lawyer that you have proactive measures that you are working on that positively impact their world.legal-operationslegal-ops, blog, legal-operations,legal-ops; bloglighthouse

The International Women’s Day (IWD) theme for 2021 is “choose to challenge.”What a fitting theme for a year when 5.4 million women lost their jobs and over 2.1 million women left the workforce, while the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc, and social and racial inequity issues were raised to the forefront of the international consciousness. There was certainly no shortage of challenges for women to choose from this past year.However, the IWD initiative website elaborates on the “choose to challenge” theme by noting that “a challenged world is an alert world and from challenge comes change.” It is that idea that should really resonate with us, as we move past 2020 and into 2021. There have been many examples this year of women who have chosen to rise to the challenges presented in 2020 and by doing so, have created change for other women.In keeping with this theme, Lighthouse is featuring five such women in the legal and technology fields. Five women who have risen to the challenges presented this year and created change. Those five women are:Laura Ewing-Pearle, eDiscovery Project Manager at Baker Botts LLPJenya Moshkovich, Assistant General Counsel at GenentechGina M. Sansone, Counsel – Litigation Support at Axinn Veltrop & Harkrider LLPAmy Sellars, Director, Discovery Center of Excellence at Cardinal HealthRebecca Sipowicz, VP and Assistant General Counsel at Ocwen Financial CorporationWe had the honor of interviewing these inspirational women about the “choose to challenge theme” – including the stressors of 2020, how to empower other women, how to leverage innovation to shape a more gender-equal world, and how to address social justice issues. That discussion led to some powerful lessons on how to rise to our current challenges and create meaningful, lasting change.Empowering Women Durning a PandemicLike any societal change, empowering women starts small, at the individual level. We do not have to wait for some grand opportunity or postpone our effort until we have the time to volunteer – especially during a pandemic when our personal time may feel even more precious and many in-person volunteer opportunities have halted. Empowerment can happen by simply reaching out to the women around us – women we work with, women in our personal lives, and women within our own families.Laura Ewing-Pearle noted, “One principle to keep in mind is that women are not a monolithic bloc, and that empowering women usually means empowering the individual. A woman with twenty years’ experience in the legal world caring for aging parents has a different set of stressors and goals than a woman fresh out of school with a toddler, especially under the new Covid protocols…Seeing past “woman” to the individual brings us all closer to a more gender-equal world.”In our professional lives, empowering at the individual level can mean reaching out to our women co-workers, teammates, and those that may be on “lower rungs” of the corporate or law firm ladders and offering them a chance to sit down (virtually) for a cup of coffee to talk about their personal goals and challenges. This provides women a space to be heard and seen, first and foremost. It is from these conversations that the seeds of change are often planted.Rebecca Sipowicz stated, “During the summer I became responsible for co-oversight of our back-office team in India, which is approximately 25% female. For at least the past 10 years, the India team has not reported, directly or indirectly, to a woman. I have reached out on an individual level to these women to discuss their career goals and how we can work together to achieve them. I also started a monthly “catch-up” where, in this virtual environment, we can meet for 30 minutes to talk about work, life, and the state of the world. Through these conversations, I have not only gotten to know better my colleagues who are located off-shore but also have been able to share life experiences, such as how to take advantage of our remote work world while parenting and managing online school. The continued growth of this group of employees is one of my most important goals for 2021.”These conversations often help us learn not only about individual ambitions and challenges, but also may help us learn about unsung accomplishments and milestones that women often are less apt to tout about themselves within their own organizations and networks. In turn, this can provide an excellent opportunity to be a champion for those women, by calling out successes that would otherwise go unrecognized.Gina Sansone said, “I am a strong believer in being a vocal cheerleader for the women around me who may be less comfortable with promoting their strengths and accomplishments. Women often play multiple roles at work and at home that are not obvious to others and get overlooked because they tend to be less measurable in a traditional sense. These contributions are nonetheless valuable and crucial to an organization and the lives of others, and it’s really important to notice and appreciate them along the way.”Empowering at the individual level also means leading by example during these conversations. The stressors of the pandemic have changed our lives dramatically, both professionally and personally. It is unchartered territory for everyone, and studies are showing that women are shouldering the brunt of the burden at home – often juggling full-time virtual schooling with children while working full-time jobs or dealing with the bulk of household maintenance. Leading by example and being honest about ourselves and our own hurdles during our conversations can empower women to be honest about their own struggles and needs.Jenya Moshkovich stated, “[I empower other women by] being honest about my own challenges and creating and holding space for others to be their true, authentic selves with all the complexities and messiness that can bring. The line between our private lives and work is blurrier now than it has ever been and we have to let go of trying to pretend that we have it all together all the time because no one does, especially these days.”The example we set and the honesty with which we portray ourselves can especially be important for those closest to us – the people within our own families and homes.Rebecca Sipowicz mentioned, “…Having my children home from school for six months enabled my 11-year-old daughter to witness firsthand how involved my job is and to learn how difficult but rewarding it is to juggle parenting and a career. This is a valuable lesson for all children, not just girls.”Leveraging Innovation to Shape a More Gender Equal WorldIf the legal and technology industries have anything in common, it is that women have been historically under-represented in both spaces. Fortunately, technological innovation can help close the gender gap in both industries:Rebecca Sipowicz shared, “The pandemic really pushed all of corporate America to take steps that will help to advance gender equality in the workplace – namely the move from in-office to remote work. This unquestionably provides working mothers with more equal access to the workplace. Through the use of video software such as Zoom and Teams, and the ability to work around parenting responsibilities, fewer women should feel the pressure to leave the workforce in order to parent….This flexibility allows women to continue to contribute to the workforce and grow in their careers while caring for their families, without feeling like they are short-changing either side. This should enable women to continue to take on more prominent roles and push women throughout the world to request an equal seat at the table.”Technological innovation can also help people push their organizations and law firms to empower women and support equality. Many companies have seen how innovation and technology can help close the gender gap, and we can work within those systems to further those efforts.Gina Sansone said, “I really don’t know how we can begin to work toward a gender-equal world without leveraging innovation. To me, innovation means creating a dynamic work environment that encourages everyone to move forward, which could mean training and managing members of the same team differently. While consistency is important, recognizing differences, being flexible, and empowering people to think differently and not simply check a box are steps toward shaping a more gender-equal world.”Laura Ewing-Pearle added, “Encouraging and leveraging more on-line training certainly helps anybody juggling family and career to keep pace with new technology and change. I’m grateful that Baker Botts as a firm encourages everyone to create new, innovative ideas to improve business processes and culture.”Jenya Moshkovich mentioned, “I am very fortunate to work for a company that has started innovating in this space years ago and where I am in the position to benefit from these efforts. Since 2007, Genentech has more than doubled the percentage of female officers from 16 to 43% and today over half of our employees and over half of our directors are women. In our legal department, ALL of our VPs are women. Genentech’s efforts to move towards gender equality have included senior leadership commitments, programs to drive professional development and open up opportunities for career advancement, among others.”Going forward, it will be equally important to continue efforts to support changes in our industry. While we have come a long way and made considerable progress, it is still important to push companies and law firms to recognize equity gaps and encourage the use of innovation and technology to help close those gaps.Amy Sellars stated, “Corporate practices favor men, and Covid exacerbates this problem. Will companies acknowledge that women took on most of the additional burdens of children at home, education at home, of people at home all the time (more dishes, more cleaning, more cooking, less dry cleaning, and more laundry)?”Rebecca Sipowicz said, “It is up to all of us to make sure that the realization that flexibility can result in increased productivity and satisfaction continues long after the pandemic, allowing women (and men of course) to have the best of both worlds.”Addressing Social Justice and Equality Issues2020 was also a devastating year for people of color, as well as underrepresented and low-income communities. The tragic events throughout the year brought social inequality issues and systemic racism to the forefront of the conversation in many families, workplaces, and social circles. Many of the lessons learned in the fight for gender equality can also be applied to the fight for racial and social equality. For instance, just as empowering women can start at the individual level, the fight for social and racial equality can also start with small, individual acts.These acts can be as simple as personally working to educate ourselves on the work to be done, so that we can act on social justice issues in the most impactful way:Jenya Moshkovich said, “2020 was a difficult year in so many ways including the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery and many incidents of xenophobic violence against Asian Americans. My personal focus has been on educating myself, speaking up for others, listening, and fostering belonging. And there is so much more that needs to be done.”Gina Sansone added, “The social issues raised in 2020 were unfortunately just a magnification of issues that have existed for a long time. It was a perfect storm of events that certainly made me and others face the thought patterns, inequalities, and general civil unrest that has been festering in our society. It is very easy to live in a bubble and lose sight. I think one of the most important things that happened was people stopped being quiet and just accepting. Change will not happen unless it is absolutely forced and we need to continue recognizing that the world is not equal.”Creating social justice change also can mean utilizing the education we do have about these issues, and working within our communities to help in any way possible – both at the individual level and on a broader scale:Amy Sellars stated, “My husband and I have always been passionate about voting rights and participate in get out the vote efforts. 2020 was a particularly important year for voting issues, as so many people were isolated and had even less access to register to vote or get to polls than normal. Working with the League of Women Voters, we did neighborhood registration drives, and we volunteered as non-partisan poll watchers. We also picked up Meals on Wheels shifts. All around the country, meal recipients who used to be fed at central locations were transitioned to home deliveries, and it has taken an army of volunteers in personal vehicles…We are also volunteering on the domestic crisis hotline.”We can also leverage the networks and programs put in place within forward-thinking organizations to help bring about social change. More and more law firms and organizations are working to help close the gender gap and fight racial and social inequity. Employees of those organizations are in a unique position to join those initiatives to make more of an impact:Laura Ewing-Pearle said, “While (Baker Botts) had resources in place prior to the events of last year, the firm has also increased efforts over the past twelve months to address social issues including greater outreach to diverse communities, and creating a significant pro bono partnership with Official Black Wall Street, among other major initiatives.”Rebecca Sipowicz added, “I am a member of the Ocwen Global Women’s Network (OGWN), which supports the attainment of Ocwen’s goals in diversity, inclusion, and talent development. I am also on the planning committee for the National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL) mid-year meeting. NAWL’s mission is to empower women in the legal profession, while cultivating a diverse membership dedicated to equality, mutual support and collective success. Membership in and support of organizations such as NAWL and OGWN provide me with a platform to address the diversity and social issues that permeated 2020.”‍ConclusionThe lesson learned from these strong women during a year full of challenges is that seemingly “small” acts can have big impacts. Change starts with all of us, at an individual level, working to empower women and make impactful societal changes – one person, one organization, and one community at a time.Thank you to the five women who participated in our 2021 International Women's Day Campaign! Take a look at our 2020 and 2019 International Women's Day campaigns for more inspiring stories of women in our industry making bold moves to promote gender equality.For more information, please reach out to us at info@lighthouseglobal.com.diversity-equity-and-inclusionblog, diversity-equity-and-inclusion,bloglighthouse

Lighthouse Microsoft 365 (M365) experts, John Holliday and John Collins, recently teamed up with Reed Smith to present the M365 in 5 Foundation Series on Reed Smith’s Tech Law Talks podcast. The series dives into operational considerations when rolling out M365 tools related to governance, retention, eDiscovery, and data security across a broad range of applications, from Exchange and SharePoint to all things Microsoft Teams.Check out the lineup below and click the titles of each podcast to give them a listen.M365 in 5 – Part 1: Exchange Online – Not just a mailboxDiscover the enhanced functionality of EXO, including new data types and the potential for enhanced governance.M365 in 5 – Part 2: SharePoint Online – The new file-share environmentHear about the enhanced file share and collaboration functionality in SharePoint Online, including real-time collaboration, access controls, and opportunities to control retention and deletion.M365 in 5 – Part 3: OneDrive for Business – Protected personal collaborationLearn about OneDrive for Business and how organizations can use it for personal document storage, such as giving other users access to individual documents within an individual’s OneDrive and acting as the storage location for all Teams Chats.M365 in 5 – Part 4: Teams – An introduction to collaborationListen to an introduction to Teams and how it is transforming the way organizations are working and communicating.M365 in 5 – Part 5: Teams Chats – Modern communicationsUncover the enhanced functionality of M365’s new instant messaging platform, including persistent chats, modern attachments, expressive features, and priority messaging, which enhance communication but can bring increased eDiscovery or regulatory risks.M365 in 5 – Part 6: Teams Channels – The virtual collaboration workspaceHear how Teams Channels are changing not only the way organizations work and collaborate, but also key legal and risk considerations that should be contemplated.M365 in 5 – Part 7: Teams Audio/Video (A/V) ConferencingDive into the functionality and controls of audio/video conferencing capabilities, including the integration of chats, whiteboards, translation, and transcription services.The Tech Law Talks podcast hosts regular discussions about the legal and business issues around data protection, privacy and security; data risk management; intellectual property; social media; and other types of information technology. For more information regarding the show, follow the link here: https://reedsmithtech.podbean.com.If you have questions about how to develop and maintain legal and compliance programs around M365, reach out to us at info@lighthouseglobal.com.microsoft-365; information-governancemicrosoft, blog, microsoft-365, information-governancemicrosoft; bloglighthouse