Senior Director, eDiscovery

ankura; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Ankura Bright Labs in Washington, DC seeks an eDiscovery Senior Director to lead client engagements and manage end-to-end data lifecycle tasks for litigation and regulatory investigations. You will direct collections, processing, review, and production while mentoring junior staff and coordinating with forensics and processing teams.

The role emphasizes strategic data reduction, technology configuration, and effective communication with clients and leadership.

Responsibilities

• Assist clients with finding, documenting, and preventing deletion of data potentially relevant to litigation, regulatory matters, or critical business operations
• Develop solutions and strategies to collect data with special considerations for the unique environment and project-specific complexities of an engagement
• Coordinate forensic collections with client and Bright Labs' forensics team and quality review collections documentation supplied by the forensics team
• Create and recommend pre-processing strategy to client
• Coordinate forensic pre-processing work (deNIST, file filters, etc.) with Bright Labs' forensics team, including documenting pre-processing workflow
• Advise client on data reduction strategies including deNISTing, file extension filtering, date culling, and search term filtering
• Coordinate (provide instruction, obtain status reports, etc.) processing work with Bright Labs' processing team
• Analyze exception reports, develop recommendations for handling each type of exception, and communicate plan to client
• Quality review search hit reports prior to sending to client
• Assist clients with the selection of the appropriate technology to meet specific project objectives.
• Assist with development of efficient work streams, batching strategy, and technology configuration for 1st, 2nd, 3rd tier review; as well as witness review, exhibit designation, and trial preparation.
• Conduct customized Relativity training sessions for clients, emphasizing appropriate add-on features as necessary.
• Advise clients regarding the efficient use of concept clustering, near duplicate identification, e-mail threading, and assisted review (predictive coding) within the Relativity tool.
• Design customized reports for clients.
• Troubleshoot Relativity issues and coordinate custom Relativity development work, as necessary.
• Coordinate data loads to the review tool with the Bright Labs' processing team.
• Demonstrate proficiency with eDiscovery analytics platforms and AI-assisted review tools, including hands-on experience designing, executing, and overseeing end-to-end analytics workflows spanning technology-assisted review, predictive coding model training and validation, quality control protocols, and defensible methodology documentation in support of complex litigation and regulatory matters.
• Assist with written collateral to support production process, such as motions, orders, or proposals to courts and opposing counsel regarding the form of production.
• Provide proactive guidance regarding format, strategy, and timelines for production of electronic data.
• Work with clients to develop production identification strategy.
• Assist in the management of finances of each engagement including developing, documenting, and tracking project budgets, adjusting budgets as appropriate, communicating changes in budgets internally and to the client, and managing the revenue forecasting and invoicing process.
• Review and discuss expectations, anticipated scope of work, and project timeline with client and Bright Labs' team.
• Manage project close-out process including data return and database archival, ensuring that clients understand the implications of on-going data retention relative to their company's policies.
• Provide clients and Managing Directors and Senior Managing Directors with periodic status updates, reports, etc. throughout the engagement.
• Generate consistent and thorough documentation to support processes executed throughout the project lifecycle. Specific tasks may include writing up interview notes and drafting emails, memorandum or reports that demonstrate specific processes followed.
• Mentor, lead, and delegate tasks to junior grade colleagues to support their training and professional development

Job description

Ankura is a team of excellence founded on innovation and growth.

Practice Overview:

Bright Labs, proudly a part of Ankura, is at the forefront of the eDiscovery industry, having contributed to some of the most significant and globally recognized eDiscovery investigations and litigations. Our eDiscovery team is renowned for its deep expertise and innovative approach, leveraging data, technology, and analytical thought to address complex client issues. We pride ourselves on a unique combination of technical skills, subject-matter expertise, and litigation technology experience, enabling us to deliver comprehensive, creative, and insightful solutions that guide our clients through the intricacies of eDiscovery challenges.

Role Overview:

We are seeking an eDiscovery Senior Director to join our dynamic team. This role will serve as the client's point of contact and Bright Labs' day-to-day leader in the management and execution of projects and workstreams involving the identification, collection, processing, review, and production of electronic data relevant to litigation or regulatory investigations.

Responsibilities:

Functional Discovery Tasks:

Collections/Pre-Processing

• Assist clients with finding, documenting, and preventing deletion of data potentially relevant to litigation, regulatory matters, or critical business operations
• Develop solutions and strategies to collect data with special considerations for the unique environment and project-specific complexities of an engagement
• Coordinate forensic collections with client and Bright Labs' forensics team and quality review collections documentation supplied by the forensics team
• Create and recommend pre-processing strategy to client
• Coordinate forensic pre-processing work (deNIST, file filters, etc.) with Bright Labs' forensics team, including documenting pre-processing workflow

Processing:

• Advise client on data reduction strategies including deNISTing, file extension filtering, date culling, and search term filtering
• Coordinate (provide instruction, obtain status reports, etc.) processing work with Bright Labs' processing team
• Analyze exception reports, develop recommendations for handling each type of exception, and communicate plan to client
• Quality review search hit reports prior to sending to client

Review:

• Assist clients with the selection of the appropriate technology to meet specific project objectives.
• Assist with development of efficient work streams, batching strategy, and technology configuration for 1st, 2nd, 3rd tier review; as well as witness review, exhibit designation, and trial preparation.
• Conduct customized Relativity training sessions for clients, emphasizing appropriate add-on features as necessary.
• Advise clients regarding the efficient use of concept clustering, near duplicate identification, e-mail threading, and assisted review (predictive coding) within the Relativity tool.
• Design customized reports for clients.
• Troubleshoot Relativity issues and coordinate custom Relativity development work, as necessary.
• Coordinate data loads to the review tool with the Bright Labs' processing team.
• Demonstrate proficiency with eDiscovery analytics platforms and AI-assisted review tools, including hands-on experience designing, executing, and overseeing end-to-end analytics workflows spanning technology-assisted review, predictive coding model training and validation, quality control protocols, and defensible methodology documentation in support of complex litigation and regulatory matters.

Production:

• Assist with written collateral to support production process, such as motions, orders, or proposals to courts and opposing counsel regarding the form of production.
• Provide proactive guidance regarding format, strategy, and timelines for production of electronic data.
• Work with clients to develop production identification strategy.

Managerial Tasks:

• Assist in the management of finances of each engagement including developing, documenting, and tracking project budgets, adjusting budgets as appropriate, communicating changes in budgets internally and to the client, and managing the revenue forecasting and invoicing process.
• Review and discuss expectations, anticipated scope of work, and project timeline with client and Bright Labs' team.
• Manage project close-out process including data return and database archival, ensuring that clients understand the implications of on-going data retention relative to their company's policies.
• Provide clients and Managing Directors and Senior Managing Directors with periodic status updates, reports, etc. throughout the engagement.
• Generate consistent and thorough documentation to support processes executed throughout the project lifecycle. Specific tasks may include writing up interview notes and drafting emails, memorandum or reports that demonstrate specific processes followed.
• Mentor, lead, and delegate tasks to junior grade colleagues to support their training and professional developm