header-logo header-logo

19 January 2012 / Robert Brown
Issue: 7497 / Categories: Features , Training & education , Profession
printer mail-detail

Lost in translation

Robert Brown provides a lesson on multi-lingual e-Discovery

 

Traditional e-Discovery exercises are often based on an assumption that the documents of interest are in the English language. However, in today’s globalised business environment, companies have multinational corporate parents, subsidiaries, suppliers and customers, and frequently conduct business in languages other than English. 

This situation is exacerbated by the increase in cross-border disputes and regulatory investigations, which leads to companies needing to locate and retrieve data from local offices and subsidiaries in multiple countries. Alarmingly, many organisations have no strategy in place for dealing with non-English documents. For example, if, at the disclosure stage, a company claims they have disclosed everything of relevance, without taking adequate measures to search any foreign language documents, and later review reveals documents that are relevant but have not been disclosed, the repercussions can be serious. It is, therefore, imperative that legal professionals are prepared to deal with multilingual document review projects as a matter of course.

Effect of language on review

When it comes to
If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Ogier—Martin Livingston

Ogier—Martin Livingston

Martin Livingston joins Ogier in Cayman to strengthen regulatory support

Blake Morgan—47 promotions

Blake Morgan—47 promotions

Blake Morgan announces 47 summer promotions across UK offices

NEWS
Consultant-led law firms should prepare for closer regulatory attention as oversight evolves
Artificial intelligence may draft workplace grievances, but employers cannot treat them any differently from conventional complaints
From dishonest claimants to judicial promotions and procedural skirmishes, the latest legal developments offer plenty for litigators to digest
Fresh guidance is set to influence how courts decide whether hearings take place online or in person
County Court judges remain divided over whether landlords can lawfully force entry to carry out essential safety inspections after tenants ignore access injunctions
back-to-top-scroll