No file is too big or too complex
Years ago, armies of lawyers (usually junior lawyers) were required for certain types of files: where tens of thousands of documents required dozens of lawyers to review, at great expense to the client. This system was inefficient, costly and uncontrolled.
Fortunately, times have changed. Stevenson Whelton applies the latest in document management technology on document-heavy files to limit the amount of review time and work necessary, while controlling the process and minimizing the risk of overlooking the “smoking gun”. These include targeted searches, data analytics tools like email threading and near-duplicate elimination, and where necessary machine learning/artificial intelligence tools like technology-assisted review (TAR). Stevenson Whelton lawyers have used a wide variety of case management software including Everlaw, Relativity, Encase, Concordance and Summation. Where the document production is particularly large, some tasks can also be outsourced to document review companies (many of the largest law firms outsource this type of work to the same companies.)
Stevenson Whelton also benefits from using internal file management systems including Worldox and Automated Civil Litigation, which provide quick access to precedents and avoid “reinventing the wheel” for each file.
The ultimate outcome is that small, focused firms are now on a level playing field with the big firms in complex, document intensive litigation. There is no disadvantage to using a boutique litigation firm, unless you prefer to pay higher legal fees.
Stevenson Whelton regularly litigates successfully against the biggest firms in Canada.