Antitrust investigations present some of the most complex and resource-intensive challenges in litigation and regulatory enforcement. These matters often require large-scale document review under demanding deadlines, with potential stakes including multimillion-dollar penalties, reputational damage, and regulatory sanctions. For law firms and corporate counsel, finding a way to manage these reviews efficiently without sacrificing quality is essential. This is where managed review services play a central role.
The Challenge of Antitrust Investigations
Antitrust matters frequently involve vast volumes of documents, ranging from emails and internal communications to transaction records, board minutes, and data from collaboration tools. Regulators such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and international agencies expect timely, accurate responses to investigative requests.
The scale and complexity of these reviews pose significant challenges:
- Data Volume: Antitrust investigations often span terabytes of information across multiple jurisdictions.
- Tight Deadlines: Government inquiries require prompt compliance, leaving little room for inefficiency.
- Nuanced Legal Standards: Determining relevance often requires a thorough understanding of antitrust law, market dynamics, and industry-specific terminology.
- High Cost Pressure: Traditional review models using only in-house teams or law firm associates can be prohibitively expensive.
- Multiple Jurisdictions: Antitrust investigations can span multiple countries and jurisdictions, adding complexity to the processes for document review and production.
In this context, a managed review solution offers an attractive balance of scalability, cost-efficiency, and legal expertise.
What Is Managed Review?
Managed review is a structured, end-to-end document review solution that integrates advanced technology with highly trained legal professionals. Unlike ad hoc review teams, using a trusted managed review provider can deliver a fully supervised, quality-controlled process designed to reduce costs and accelerate timelines without compromising accuracy.
Key features of using a managed review team for antitrust investigations include:
- Specialized Review Teams: Attorneys trained in antitrust matters who understand competition law principles and industry nuances.
- Project Management Oversight: Dedicated project managers who ensure consistency, accountability, and clear communication with counsel.
- Technology Integration: Leveraging eDiscovery platforms, analytics, predictive coding, and AI tools to prioritize relevant documents.
- Scalability: The ability to quickly ramp up resources to meet regulator deadlines.
Benefits of Managed Review in Antitrust Investigations
1. Cost Efficiency
Antitrust investigations can involve millions of documents that must be reviewed in a timely fashion. Managed review teams provide a cost-effective solution, which frees up associates to focus on higher-value strategic analysis.
2. Speed and Scalability
When regulators issue civil investigative demands (CIDs) or second requests, the deadlines are nonnegotiable. Managed review providers can rapidly mobilize teams across time zones to handle large data sets quickly and accurately. This scalability reduces bottlenecks and ensures compliance with regulator timelines.
3. Enhanced Quality Control
Consistency is essential in antitrust investigations, where the interpretation of terms like “market power,” “pricing,” or “collusion” can determine relevance. Managed review teams work under rigorous quality control protocols, with multiple review layers, ensuring accurate and defensible results.
4. Advanced Technology Application
Modern managed review leverages AI-driven analytics, clustering, and predictive coding to surface the most relevant documents earlier in the process. This can narrow down the data set while also providing counsel with a variety of insights for strategic decision-making.
5. Global and Multilingual Capabilities
Given the international scope of many antitrust matters, managed review providers offer multilingual review capabilities and familiarity with cross-border data transfer issues. This ensures compliance with data privacy regulations while still meeting US or EU investigative requirements.
Best Practices for Leveraging a Managed Review Partner in Antitrust Matters
- Engage Early: Involve the managed review partner as soon as an investigation is anticipated. Early planning ensures smoother workflows and better use of technology.
- Collaborate Closely with Counsel: Regular communication between review teams and law firm counsel ensures consistent application of legal strategy.
- Use Technology Strategically: Employ predictive coding, keyword optimization, and data analytics to reduce volume and prioritize high-value documents.
- Implement Rigorous QC Protocols: Ensure multiple review layers and sampling to maintain accuracy.
- Plan for Cross-Border Data: Address international privacy regulations proactively to avoid delays.
At Baer Reed, we understand the unique pressures of antitrust investigations. Our managed review services are tailored to support both law firms and corporate counsel with:
- Deep expertise in antitrust law and industry-specific contexts.
- Cost-effective, scalable teams with multilingual capabilities.
- Integration with leading eDiscovery technologies.
- Rigorous quality assurance frameworks.
By combining specialized legal knowledge with efficient workflows, Baer Reed enables clients to respond confidently to regulatory demands while controlling costs and reducing risk.
Antitrust investigations demand a delicate balance of speed, accuracy, and cost control, where managed review provides a solution. For law firms and corporations navigating the complexities of competition law, partnering with an experienced managed review provider like Baer Reed can provide a strategic advantage, contact us 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.