Relativity Fest 2023 starts today, nearly a full month earlier than last year! Here’s what you can expect from Relativity Fest 2023 Tuesday sessions!

The conference is being conducted at the Hyatt Regency Chicago for the second straight year and begins with afternoon sessions and activities today before two full days Wednesday and Thursday. As usual, I’ll be covering educational sessions at the conference and reporting on whatever else seems interesting. Here are Relativity Fest 2023 Tuesday sessions of note (location in parenthesis):

1:00 PM-1:45 PM CT

Beyond Litigation: Serving More Practice Areas with Innovative Technology (Grand Hall IJ)

e-Discovery software is more than just for document review. Firms that get the most out of their in-house technology use it to solve more problems and meet more client demands beyond traditional e-discovery. From due diligence, investigations, and contract analysis to privacy reviews like breach response and DSARs, litigation support teams are identifying additional ways to add value to their firm and elevate their team as a strategic partner to other practice groups. In this session, panelists will share some of the innovative ways they’ve used their existing technology investment, including best practices on how to get started.

Speakers: David Disch, Senior Account Executive – Law Firm, Relativity; Kate Jansons Johns, Manager of Knowledge and Practice Support, Nutter McClennen & Fish LLP; Geoffrey Vance, Partner; Chair – E-Discovery Services & Strategy Practice Group, Perkins Coie LLP; Bryant Isbell, Managing Director, GEDA, Baker & McKenzie; Susan Wortzman, President, MT>3, a division of McCarthy Tetrault.

Concept Search: Collaboration (Michigan 1ABC)

How can I make a difference in my community? What can we do as an industry to impact systemic change? In e-discovery, collaboration is critical. By uniting our strengths, expertise, and resources, we can maximize our collective impact and forge paths toward a better future. Learn from a diverse set of stakeholders how the e-discovery industry is collaborating for good and ways you, your team, or your company can get involved.

Speakers: Beth Clutterbuck, CHRO, Relativity; Meredith Kennedy, Director, Network Support, Innocence Project; Marc Zamsky, Chief Executive Officer, Cimplifi; Jordan Quinn, Associate Incident Response Analyst, Relativity; Nisaini Rexach.

Expectations vs. Reality: Making Sense of Technology Hype (Crystal A)

The legal industry is grappling with a new wave of fear, uncertainty and doubt about how the impending reality of artificial intelligence and emerging data sources will impact disputes and investigations practices. At the same time, a seemingly endless cycle of hype about the power of technology is muddling the reality of day-to-day e-discovery practice. This session will be the calm in the storm, with a team of experts sharing their stories about maintaining best practices and meeting standards in disputes and investigations when faced with the disruption of generative artificial intelligence, emerging data sources and data privacy concerns.

Speakers: Wendy King, Senior Managing Director, FTI Consulting; Danielle Panetta, Senior eDiscovery Attorney, Goodwin Proctor LLP; Michael Rispin, Senior Director, Associate General Counsel, Sprout Social, Inc.; Lisa Lahey.

Saving the Data: In-House Teams vs. the Spoliation Menace (Grand Hall KL)

When it comes to spoliation, in-house legal and compliance teams are the first line of defense. From developing policies around records management, to determining what data is relevant, and leveraging technology to manage your policies, the quest to mitigate spoliation risk is heroic – not to mention how spoliation covers the strange and bizarre! Join us for this engaging discussion on how your team can become the heroes of defensible preservation.

Speakers: Amanda Williams, eDiscovery Manager, Exelon; Jonah Deutschman, Nirav Shah, eDiscovery Manager, The Home Depot; Paul Noonan, Managing Counsel – eDiscovery and Information Governance, United Airlines.

1:00 PM-2:00 PM CT

From AI to Short Message e-Discovery: 2023 Case Law Update (Crystal B)

From robots performing legal research to texts, Teams, and Slack supplanting email in many e-discovery matters, 2023 has been another active year in data law. For 2023, we bring Relativity’s annual Data Discovery Mid-Year Legal Update to Relativity Fest with perspectives from the judiciary, law schools, and the Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists (ACEDS). Join us for this update on what the case law tells us about e-discovery law in 2023.

Speakers: Hon. Allison Goddard, U.S. Magistrate Judge, Southern District of California; David Horrigan, Discovery Counsel & Legal Education Director, Relativity; Bill Hamilton, Senior Legal Skills Professor, University of Florida Levin College of Law; Kelly Twigger, Principal, ESI Attorneys LLC; Michael Quartararo, President, Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists (ACEDS).

2:15 PM-3:00 PM CT

Collaboration Tools: The Challenges and Opportunities Facing Law Firms (Grand Hall IJ)

The world of short message communication and collaboration is evolving more rapidly than ever before, and the e-discovery industry is faced with a challenge: what should we be focused on when it comes to short message data, and how do we search, review, and produce it? Join us for a discussion on these challenges and the opportunities to efficiently and effectively manage short message data. You will also learn about the best practices for searching short message communication, the role AI plays in analyzing short messages, current RelativityOne capabilities for reviewing short messages, and what’s next on the horizon.

Speakers: Ann Marie Lane, Senior Manager, Law Firm Strategy Marketing, Relativity; Martha Louks, Director of Technology Services, McDermott Will & Emery; Ryan Schwalbe, Operations Manager – EDATA Consulting Group, Mintz; Phil Weldon, Director of eDiscovery and Litigation Support Technology, Kaplan Hecker and Fink LLP; Justin Turnofsky, E-Discovery Review Technology Manager, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP.

Measure What Matters: Developing and Understanding In-House Metrics (Grand Hall KL)

As more organizations build out their in-house e-discovery programs, understanding how to track and measure performance effectively is critical for optimizing workflows, identifying areas for improvement, and demonstrating internal value. In this panel discussion, learn what metrics your peers are using, benchmarks to watch as your program matures, and how to use metrics to drive better outcomes. Whether you are just starting to build your in-house e-discovery program or you are looking to enhance your existing program, this discussion will provide valuable insights and actionable strategies for measuring and improving the performance of your team.

Speakers: Adam Rouse, Director and Sr. Counsel, eDiscovery Operations, Walgreens; Briordy Meyers, Discovery Counsel, Google; Michallynn Demiter, eDiscovery Expert, Bayer; Whitney Fogerty, Managing Director, Legal, Federal Express Corporation; Phyllis Strader, Manager Legal Technology and Electronic Discovery Operations, Constellation Energy.

2:15 PM-3:15 PM CT

Law and Technology: Security in the Public Cloud (Crystal B)

Concerned about putting your data in the public cloud? Worried security is not the same compared to when you are leveraging on premises software? Join us for an enlightened discussion on the state of security for platforms built for legal teams. Topics will include how data is being protected, how security through obscurity is not the most secure approach, security approaches for start-ups and government, five things you should ask about cloud security, and where you and your clients can find comfort within today’s public cloud.

Speakers: David Horrigan, Discovery Counsel & Legal Education Director, Relativity; Devon Crosbie (Esq., CIPP/US/E), Director of Professional Services, Complete Discovery Source; Marcin Swiety, Chief Security Officer, Relativity, Jenna Rooney, Director, Client Services | Data Breach Analysis, Arete; Kenya Parrish-Dixon.

3:30 PM-4:15 PM CT

How to Stand Out in a World of Automation: Skills You Need for the Future (Michigan 1ABC)

Organizations have rapidly increased their utilization of AI driven augmentation and technology. By 2025, 85 million jobs that existed in 2020 have been displaced, with over 95 million new jobs being created. The rapid change in technology will force human skill development to complement and optimize technology. Humans are the key to taking the data driven insights to solve problems and identify opportunities. Join our panel as we discuss the current state of AI and automation, the future, and how you play into it all.

Speakers: Farrah Pepper, Chief Legal Innovation Counsel, Marsh McLennan; Lauren Roso, Principal, US Southeast Geomarket Leader, Control Risks; Lauren Janosko, Chief of Staff, Relativity; Michael Briggs, Solutions Delivery AVP, Deloitte.

Innovating In-House: Leveraging Technology to Do More with Less (Grand Hall KL)

The data landscape has changed astronomically in the last few years, and the amount of data generated by personal and professional activities each day is set to reach 463 exabytes. At its core, eDiscovery is data: how you use, store, collect, and analyze it; and with so much data to manage, it is critical for in-house teams to have effective strategies in place. Technology is exactly what in-house teams need to manage the influx of data while eyeing the budget line. In this session, we’ll discuss how in-house legal teams are embracing automation and AI to confront growing data volumes, strained resources, and the value teams can provide cross-functionally outside of litigation.

Speakers: Chad Jones, Senior Customer Success Manager, Relativity; Henry Link, Associate General Counsel – eDiscovery & Information Governance, Meta Platforms; Kacey Hall, Counsel, Verizon; Michelle Lange, eDiscovery Manager, Volkswagen Group of America; Erica Hawthorne, eDiscovery Manager, Salesforce.

Law Firms, Generative AI & The Future of e-Discovery (Grand Hall IJ)

Overnight, the virality of ChatGPT has added terms such as “large language models (LLMs)” and “generative AI” into the cultural lexicon. Across industries, there is a palpable awareness that we are in a seminal moment in history, not dissimilar to the early days of the internet. But what does this mean for our industry? What are the possibilities for e-discovery when it comes to generative AI? Join us for a fireside chat with law firm customers who have spent the past few months piloting GPT-4, OpenAI’s latest generative model, in RelativityOne. They will share their experiences from the pilot and predictions for the future when it comes to this new technology. 

Speakers: Cristin Traylor (she/her), Director, Law Firm Strategy, Relativity; Michael Cichy, Jason Lichter, Principal, Troutman Pepper eMerge; Matthew Jackson, Counsel Data Analytics and eDiscovery, Sidley Austin LLP; Melissa Dalziel, Of Counsel, Quinn Emanuel.

Moving to the Cloud: Flying High or Freefall? (Crystal A)

The four forces of flight—lift, weight, thrust, and drag—apply to our discussion on moving your e-discovery program to the cloud. What migration strategies will help you create lift and get your project off the ground, and what weight must you overcome? How do you keep your project moving once you have liftoff, and who or what might slow you down? Join us as we share real-world examples from successful migrations. We’ll discuss streamlining complex matters, identifying stakeholders, communication frameworks, scoping, data migration, workflow design, and project execution. Set yourself up for success when taking the leap!

Speakers: Chris Acosta, Director, eDiscovery Resources, Morrison & Foerster LLP; Brandon Hollinder, Vice President, eDiscovery and Cyber Solutions, Epiq; Jessica Balmes, Client Services Manager, Epiq; Josh Cornett, Implementation Consultant, Epiq; Susan Usatine, Litigation Shareholder/Founder and Chair eDiscovery Services, Cole Schotz P.C.

Navigating the Data Crisis: Tips & Tricks for Building Out Your Strategy (Plaza B)

As data volumes and data types continue to grow, agencies are feeling the impact. From the time and effort it takes to ingest, process, and prepare the data, to the growing infrastructure budgets to store the data, and the importance of information governance at the agency, there’s a lot to consider when building out your strategy. You’ll walk away from this session with practical tips and tricks to make the most of your people, process, and technology.

Speakers: Meredith Perry, Senior Sales Engineer – Public Sector, Relativity; Lisette Howells, Angela Camus, eDiscovery Project Coordinator, Southern District of New York; Scott Geer, Technical Director, eDiscovery, NYS Office of Information Technology Services; Jeaneen Kappell, Senior Counsel, Division of Enforcement, U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission.

3:30 PM-4:30 PM CT

Beer and Basics: The Artificial Intelligence Edition (Crystal B)

In this session, we aim to demystify the world of artificial intelligence by discussing its benefits, risks, and common misconceptions. Participants can expect to: 1) understand key concepts around AI, including advantages, and ethical and societal implications; 2) gain insights on potential privacy and security concerns associated with AI tools and learn about best practices to mitigate risks and ensure responsible AI implementation; 3) learn how peers are navigating the challenges of this new environment. You will walk away from this session empowered with knowledge about AI and its practical applications in the legal industries.

Speakers: Nathan Reff, Senior Applied Scientist, Relativity; Nicole Serafino, Cloud Solution Architect – AI/ML, Microsoft; Ivan Alfaro, Senior Product Manager, Relativity; Ashley Picker Dubin, Counsel, Day Pitney LLP; Rachel Koy, Solutions Engineer, JND eDiscovery; Daniel Kazup, KPMG.

In addition to all these sessions, the Relativity Innovation Awards will be held in the Grand Ballroom from 4:45 PM-6:00 PM CT. Good luck to all the nominees!

Pricing is available here for either in-person or digital pass, with registration links for each option as well. If you’re here at the conference, say hi!

So, what do you think? Which Relativity Fest 2023 Tuesday sessions are you attending? 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.