Sr Counsel & Director, eDiscovery

Senior Counsel & Director Ediscovery

The Senior Counsel & Director eDiscovery is responsible for working with Legal Division professionals, outside counsel, vendors, and other stakeholders in connection with the development, implementation, and management of Abbott's eDiscovery program and initiatives. The Senior Counsel & Director eDiscovery will report to the Director and Senior Counsel Information Governance and eDiscovery. In addition to collaborating with Senior Counsel, eDiscovery Managers, eDiscovery team, Litigation attorneys, paralegals, and other professionals, the Senior Counsel & Director eDiscovery works with outside counsel and vendors to facilitate efficient, effective, and defensible eDiscovery efforts.

Main Purpose Of Role:

• Collaborate with stakeholders to create, refine and implement controls, processes, and business requirements related to eDiscovery and considerations for evaluating recent technologies.
• Engage with attorneys, paralegals, vendors, IT, and information governance to assist with identification, collection, processing, review, and production of ESI.
• Work with Litigation team and outside counsel to manage and advise on all electronic discovery issues and matters including scoping initial litigation holds, identifying locations for relevant data, coordinating collection of data and coordinating with vendors, developing discovery plans with paralegals and attorneys; assisting the legal team with early case assessment (ECA) by conducting database inquiries and developing reports for litigation team.
• Work with Litigation team to coordinate and manage electronic data processing and electronic document reviews with contract attorneys at off-site locations, with discretion for hiring, training, and terminating contractors and electronic discovery vendors.
• Advise business partners, internal and external counsel, and Litigation on legal hold preservation obligations throughout the information management lifecycle.
• Oversee the administration and monitoring of legal holds in eDiscovery process management system and follow-up on legal hold compliance and questionnaire responses.
• Develop and maintain written guidance, including policies and procedures, on eDiscovery obligations.
• Develop and present educational/training sessions to internal stakeholders on the data preservation process and its importance for legal matters.
• Address inquiries from stakeholders and internal and external counsel to facilitate compliance with eDiscovery and record retention requirements for legal holds, including data disposition.
• Confer with service providers and eDiscovery team on creating and ensuring adherence to client and industry specifications for data collection, processing, productions, and disposition.
• Coordinate across teams to drive automation and continuous standardization in methodologies, practices, and workflows.
• Direct electronic discovery technology initiatives from planning to vendor evaluation and selection to implementation.
• Coordinate IT efforts across the Company to achieve successful integration of technology tools.
• Create innovative and defensible solutions to complex business questions and challenges.
• Follow and stay current on legal developments related to discovery, retention, and information governance.
• Develop eDiscovery budget and facilitate budget and eDiscovery technology needs.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Work closely with Litigation and Investigations teams on setting and managing eDiscovery strategy on legal matters and investigations.
• Independently develop, implement, and oversee eDiscovery collection strategies and processes to ensure that information is collected, processed, reviewed, and produced in a legally defensible manner.
• Provide legal counsel and support for Litigation in creating eDiscovery strategy, including collaborating closely with outside counsel on all eDiscovery-related matters and investigations.
• Assess and update eDiscovery processes, workflows, and policies, as necessary.
• Manage eDiscovery vendor relationships.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to review eDiscovery technology that provides analytical, early case assessment, and review efficiencies.
• Participate in cross functional meetings to evaluate preferred enterprise settings (including retention) and to implement new or modified applications or features.
• Analyze functionality available under different vendor license schemes to ensure Abbott data is fully collected and analyzed in legal matters and investigations.
• Evaluate and provide feedback on new or proposed software and technology to ensure they meet Abbott's eDiscovery data collection requirements.
• Participate in cross functional meetings and pilots to evaluate the potential eDiscovery concerns and requirements on topics such as data protection controls, new tools, or functionality, and provide feedback to IT and Cybersecurity teams.
• Work with Procurement and Legal teams to create, edit, finalize eDiscovery vendor MSAs.
• Oversee and provide guidance on eDiscovery related metrics.
• Manage a team of 7-10 people and conduct Abbott people management activities.

Education:

• Juris Doctor from an accredited law school.
• Admitted to practice and member of the bar in good standing.

Minimum Experience:

• Minimum of 10 years of experience practicing law within a law firm or corporate legal department.
• At least 510 years of specialized experience in litigation and eDiscovery.
• Efficiently and effectively manage competing priorities and projects.
• Ability to collaborate in a cross functional manner but also function well independently.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills to advise all levels of personnel on complex technical issues.
• Ability to communicate effectively to diverse audiences as well as senior management.
• Strong interpersonal, analytical, and organizational skills.
• Excellent time management, organizational, and analytical skills and ability to manage multiple concurrent projects including prioritizing or shifting tasks in a fast-paced, environment.
• Strong attention to detail, ability to keep project documentation and communicate status updates timely.
• Experience and interest in all facets of discovery including, eDiscovery, process improvements, records management, information governance, information technology, defensible data disposition and data privacy.
• Demonstrated passion for driving process improvements, collaboration, and innovation as part of a cross-functional team.
• Understanding of the EDRM, Litigation processes, eDiscovery concepts and technology, including data security, and alternative data sources such as mobile devices, ephemeral messaging applications, and social media data.
• Ability to solve problems and prioritize work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Strong understanding of Microsoft Office/Office 365 applications.
• Experience with and understanding of forensic collection processes and analysis, predictive coding, CAL, TAR, AL, prioritization review and other data analytic techniques.
• Working knowledge of various litigation support and eDiscovery software applications (NUIX, Everlaw, Relativity, Venio, Exterro, Brainspace, etc.).

The base pay for this position is $147,300.00 $294,700.00. In specific locations, the pay range may vary from the range posted.