As a continuation from Part 1, we move to the critical middle and final phases of the document review process: initial review, secondary review with quality control, and document production and presentation. Document review is a pivotal step in building an effective legal strategy, especially in antitrust cases, where the stakes are high and the volume of potentially relevant data can be overwhelming. These phases require a structured approach and a keen understanding of the case’s objectives. In antitrust litigation and government investigations, legal teams rely on this systematic review process to identify documents that demonstrate compliance or uncover evidence of anti-competitive behavior.
Phase 3: Initial Review for Relevance
In this phase, reviewers begin to examine the documents to determine their relevance to the case. For antitrust cases, the focus may be on identifying documents that may show evidence of anti-competitive behavior, such as collusion, price fixing, or market division. Reviewers will classify documents based on whether they are relevant, privileged, or confidential.
This phase can be time-consuming and requires legal expertise. Reviewers must have a clear understanding of the legal requirements and objectives of the case to identify which documents should be produced. Reviewers should also have an understanding of the issues involved in the case so that they can identify for counsel those documents that will help build the strongest case for the client.
Phase 4: Secondary Review and Quality Control
After the initial review, the legal team typically conducts a secondary review to verify the accuracy of the initial classifications. This is especially important in antitrust cases, where the stakes are high and errors in document production could lead to costly delays or even sanctions.
During secondary review, senior attorneys will look for mistakes or inconsistencies in the initial review. They will also conduct quality control checks to ensure that all relevant documents have been captured and that privileged or confidential documents are properly identified.
Phase 5: Production and Presentation
In the final phase of document review, the relevant documents are produced. For antitrust cases, this could mean providing evidence to support or refute claims of anti-competitive practices. In cases involving government investigations, the stakes are particularly high, as these documents are used to determine compliance with federal regulations or to defend against allegations of misconduct.
Legal teams must ensure that all documents are formatted according to the standards required for that specific case, with privileged or sensitive information properly redacted. Once produced, these documents become central to supporting legal arguments in trial proceedings, pre-trial negotiations, or responses to governmental inquiries.
The phases of document review, from identification and collection to production and presentation, are critical to the success of any legal case. Antitrust cases highlight the importance of an efficient document review process due to the sheer volume and complexity of the documents involved. For expert document review support for antitrust cases, contact Baer Reed today.
Mr. Reyes graduated with honors from the Ateneo de Manila University, where he received the Procter and Gamble Student Excellence Award. He obtained his Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo de Manila School of Law. During law school, Mr. Reyes was part of the Philippine delegation to the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot held in Vienna, Austria. He was also a member of the Ateneo Society of International Law and the St. Thomas More Debate Society. He completed his internship at the Public Attorney’s Office. He wrote a thesis entitled: “To Kill A White Elephant: An Analysis of the Fiduciary Exception to the Corporate Attorney-Client Privilege”. Mr. Reyes is admitted to practice law in the Philippines and the State of New York.
Ms. Lardizabal-Manzano is a graduate of San Sebastian College-Recoletos, where she earned her B.A. in Political Science. In 2003, she received her law degree from Lyceum of the Philippines and was admitted to practice law in 2004.
Matthew Hersh earned a B.A. in Political Science from Columbia University in 1990 and graduated cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 1999. He also holds a master’s degree in international relations from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service.
Cap. Avi Levak (Res. IDF) graduated from from Israel’s prestigious Ben-Gurion University of the Negev with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Mathematics. He is also a Leadership and Communication coach trained in TuT coaching by Alon gal in Israel. Avi specializes in high-level, in-depth analysis of business and client needs, within systems and software strategy and architecture.
Ms. Tyler graduated cum laude from Georgetown University and received her law degree, cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center. During law school, she interned at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. She also worked on The Tax Lawyer journal and was a member of the award-winning Barristers’ Council Mock Trial Team. Ms. Tyler is admitted to practice law in the State of California and the District of Columbia.
Ms. Cruz-Anonuevo graduated cum laude and top nine in her batch from Miriam College with a degree of Bachelor of Arts in InternationalStudies. She obtained her Juris Doctor degree from Ateneo de Manila University School of Law in Rockwell. During law school, she interned in Rivera, Santos, Maranan & Associates. She was also part of Ateneo’s Labor Law Bar Operations. She wrote her thesis on, “Stealing Privacy: Limitations on Media’s Photographic Invasion.,” Ms. Cruz-Anonuevo is admitted to practice law in the Philippines.
Ms. Aquino-Batallones obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Development Studies (with Minors in Global Politics and Hispanic Studies) from the Ateneo de Manila University. In 2011, she received her Juris Doctor degree from Ateneo de Manila University School of Law. During law school, she interned at Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & de los Angeles then became an intern of Ateneo Legal Services Center’s Clinical Legal Education Program.
Mr. De Guzman graduated from San Beda College with a degree of Bachelor of Arts Major in Economics and received his law degree from San Beda College of Law. He is multilingual and is fluent in three languages: Chinese, Filipino, and English. He was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 2003.