ILTACON 2023 is On! The conference has already started with the Opening Reception last night, so here are Monday happenings at ILTACON 2023!

As I discussed here and here, the International Legal Technology Association’s (ILTA) annual conference ILTACON 2023 is being conducted this week at the WDW Swan & Dolphin Hotels and Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts in Orlando, FL. The conference has already started with the Opening Reception last night and today is the first day of sessions!

Each day at ILTACON 2023, eDiscovery Today will highlight notable sessions for the day – in most cases, those sessions will relate to eDiscovery, Information Governance, cybersecurity, data privacy, or artificial intelligence (as well as a few other happenings during the week). All times ET. Here are Monday happenings at ILTACON 2023!

9:00am-10:00am:

Keynote Session: Sara Ross: Reignite a Sense of Aliveness (Y&B Convention Center, Grand Harbor Ballroom)

TELECAST AVAILABLE FROM THE DOLPHIN 5th FLOOR ILTA HUB

Sara is on a mission to help organizations and their leaders reignite a sense of aliveness to reshape their work and refuel their life. She and her company do this by using brain science-based strategies to teach people how to amplify their vitality by strengthening their emotional intelligence, resilience, and well-being.

As a recognized leadership expert, Sara’s ideas and research have earned her a reputation as a fresh and thought-provoking voice in discussions focused on the future of work. As such, Sara is called on to work with clients such as Microsoft, PepsiCo., Cisco, Wells Fargo, T-Mobile, Rogers, Bell, Allstate, United Health, Fidelity, BMO, Stanford University, and as diversely as the U.S. Navy SEALs, among others.

In addition, Sara has worked with numerous government agencies, foundations, and associations as well as guest lecturing in the executive leadership program at Smith College. This broad perspective and diverse experience help explain why Sara is called on to work with some of the most senior, technically sophisticated, and skeptical audiences.

11:00am-Noon:

Keeping up with Changing Privacy Laws and Their Impact on Your Organization (Dolphin CC 5th Floor, Southern Hemisphere III)

Privacy laws are constantly emerging and changing – how do you keep up and understand the impact on your organization? In this session a panel of experienced privacy professionals will provide a common framework to understand most privacy laws, discuss strategies to overcome common challenges related to data protection practices, and make recommendations on locating resources to assist your organization manage privacy obligations. The panel will then have an interactive discussion providing market insight, best practices, and a conversation on current and potential future trends associated with privacy laws and practices.

Speakers: Carla Battilana, Partner, TozziniFreire Advogados; Tom Corey, Director, HBR Consulting; Todd Ruback, Managing Director – Privacy, FTI Consulting.

Science, Not Art:  Information Retrieval in Search and Review (Dolphin CC 5th Floor, Southern Hemisphere I)

Information retrieval (IR) has been an established science for at least 70 years, yet lawyers and legal professionals treat search and review in eDiscovery as if it were an art, failing to adhere to what is empirically established or to properly apply statistical techniques.  This session will address common errors and misunderstandings in search and review as applied in eDiscovery, and particularly with respect to technology-assisted review (TAR), including but not limited to how to correctly assess the quality of a search and review effort as well as checklists of things to look out for.

Speakers: Gordon Cormack, Professor, Cheriton School of Computer Science at the University of Waterloo; Dr. Maura R. Grossman, Research Professor, University of Waterloo; Bruce Hedin, President, Hedin B Consulting.

Picking the Right Tools to Integrate Existing Stack with Cloud Systems (Y&B Convention Center, Newport Ballroom West)

Interoperability between cloud systems and existing software stacks are a common concern. When rolling out a new cloud system or application, there are often several choices.  How do you know which solution will best fit your organization’s needs?  How do you best avoid any “gotchas”?  It’s important to look past the shiny sales pitch and take a good look “under the hood” before signing that 3-year contract.  Does the system work with your current APIs? Are your current tools compatible or would you need to purchase new tools? Find out what questions to ask, how to create an assessment, and what red flags to look for when considering a new solution.

Speakers: Ryan Colbert, IT Director, Morgan & Morgan; Wouter Ijgosse, Founder, DecisionVault; Oliver Silva, Director of Enterprise Accounts, Casepoint LLC; Jason Thomas, Chief Information Officer at Cole, Scott & Kissane.

2:00pm-3:00pm:

Data Mapping for 2023 and Beyond: What Is It and Why Is it Important? (Dolphin CC 5th Floor, Southern Hemisphere II)

Organizations must prioritize comprehensive data mapping to effectively address privacy requests, evolving regulations, and the emergence of LLMs.  A sophisticated approach is crucial to cover customer or client data, personal data, and more. As well, organizations need a plan to ferret out the many systems and databases this data reside in. This discussion aims to help organizations understand why data mapping is important and provides examples to a variety of tools and experts. This panel brings together diverse perspectives to explore fundamental elements of a good data mapping project.

Speakers: Rich Hale, Chief Technology Officer at ActiveNav; Priti Saraswat, Manager, Legal Tech Consulting, Baker Hostetler; Ariyah Mandel, VP of Discovery Services, Gulfstream Legal Group; Jim Priz, Vice President of Professional Services at iManage.

Is DAT it? Document Production in 2023 (Y&B Convention Center, Newport Ballroom West)

Several years ago, there was buzz in the eDiscovery community about changing the default mode of production. Suggestions included all-native or a movement to the EDRM XML standard. Yet, the most commonly used formats for production still continue to cater to decades-old legacy applications. How did we get to this point? Are we stuck? Has anyone in the world (literally) found a production format that makes sense? Join a panel of production experts to discuss how we ended up here, production practices around the world, and where we might be heading next.

Speakers: Michiko Goto, Litigation Support Technology and Operations Senior Manager at Winston & Strawn LLP; Sonali Ray, Managing Director of eDiscovery Services, Nextpoint Law Group; Rachel Tausend, Partner, K&L Gates; Danny Thankachan, Chief Operations Officer for Intrepid Managed Discovery.

The 2023 Lit Support Survey: Lit Support and Evolving Technologies (Dolphin CC 5th Floor, Southern Hemisphere IV)

The all-new Litigation Support Survey, which launched in July of 2023, looks at recovery models, discovery and support services, perseveration methods, tackles tool and processing, and much more. Survey results will be discussed onsite at ILTACON 2023 during the Litigation Survey session and a lively discussion on lit support, with ACEDS, will take place!

Speakers: Ann Halkett, Director, SOLVED Discovery Services, Alexander, Holburn, Beaudin + Lang LLP; Beth Anne Stuebe, Director of Publications and Press, ILTA; Cindy MacBean, Litigation Support Manager, Honigman LLP; Stephanie Mills, Law Clerk, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP; Michael Quartararo, President, Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists (ACEDS); Monique Sever, Litigation Support & eDiscovery Supervisor; Harper Grey LLP.

4:00pm-5:00pm:

Embracing Information and Data Governance to Improve Business Value (Dolphin CC 5th Floor, Southern Hemisphere IV)

In this session, we will discuss the differences and commonalities of Information and Data Governance and the benefits of adopting a data governance framework with key areas of focus for improving search effectiveness. In today’s modern law firm, there is an increased requirement to govern client and firm information assets, effectively. There is also a need for firms to better govern data to extract insights that help serve clients and achieve strategic objectives. Come learn how to reduce inconsistencies across systems and improve the accuracy of BI, analytics, and search. 

Speakers: Julie Brown, Director of Practice Technology at Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP; Andrew Keller, Director, Information Governance at eSentio Technologies; Nitza Medina-Garcia, Founder, Records and Information Management Consultant at InfoCompass, Inc.; Sean Monahan, Senior Director – Data Modernization, HBR Consulting.

Fostering Excellence: Leveraging DEI as Drivers of Improved Teams, Initiatives, and Organizational Performance (Y&B Convention Center, Newport Ballroom West)

This panel discussion offers examples and perspectives from a variety of organizations about how they engage and elevate diverse teams. Speakers share how they have applied approaches to create psychological safety, inclusion, engagement, improved performance, and greater innovation. Several case studies will be shared in which the application of these principles resulted learning, identifying the challenges, and impacting positive outcomes. Attendees will participate in a hands-on exercise to apply these principles and deepen professional relationships.

Speakers: Chris Boyd, Chief Operating Officer at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati; Maribel Rivera, Senior Marketing & Operations Leader, Maribel Rivera Marketing and Event Services; Julia Satov, Global Director of Diversity & Inclusion, Litera.

Safety Dance – Advising Clients with Self-Collection (Y&B Convention Center, Asbury Hall A/B)

We are all aware of the pitfalls awaiting parties in collecting for an eDiscovery matter.  Many times this task is best left to an expert collection vendor.  However, clients often wish to take advantage of their technology staff and platforms by collecting internally.  Sometimes they even insist on selecting which material is relevant.  How can eDiscovery professionals manage these often risky procedures while maintaining positive and productive client dialogues?  When should teams push back on their clients about their methods?  What are some illustrative examples of self-collection projects gone wrong but also those which were successful and beneficial?  Explore effective techniques that clients can use themselves to reduce risk.

Speakers: David Greetham, Vice President of Digital Forensics, Level Legal; Rachael Jastrzembski, eDiscovery Strategist, Torys; Andy Kim, eDiscovery Counsel, Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP.

Here’s a link to the detailed agenda for the week.

In addition to those Monday happenings at ILTACON 2023, there is also the Exhibit Hall Opening Reception – The Ultimate Tailgate Party! in the Dolphin CC 1st Floor, Atlantic and Pacific Hall, from 7pm to 9pm, sponsored by KLDiscovery!

So, what do you think? Are you checking out the Monday happenings at ILTACON 2023? If you’re here in person, look me up!  And please share any comments you might have or if you’d like to know more about a particular topic.

Disclaimer: The views represented herein are exclusively the views of the author, and do not necessarily represent the views held by my employer, my partners or my clients. eDiscovery Today is made available solely for educational purposes to provide general information about general eDiscovery principles and not to provide specific legal advice applicable to any particular circumstance. eDiscovery Today should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a lawyer you have retained and who has agreed to represent you.