Types of investigation
Regulatory investigations
When a regulator makes a request or opens an investigation, the organisation needs to respond quickly, accurately and completely. The scope is often broad and the consequences of an inadequate response significant. We help legal teams get on top of the document population fast, identify what is responsive and manage the review to a defensible standard.
Competition investigations
Competition investigations frequently involve large volumes of internal communications across multiple custodians and jurisdictions. Regulators are looking for evidence of coordination, pricing discussions or other conduct. Finding it, or demonstrating it does not exist, requires more than keyword search. Everlaw’s analytical tools are particularly well suited to this type of review.
Internal misconduct investigations
Speed and discretion are paramount when an allegation arises internally. The organisation needs to understand quickly what the documents show before deciding how to respond. A poorly managed review risks both the integrity of the investigation and unnecessary disclosure of sensitive information.
The challenge: searching without a map
In a disclosure exercise, the issues are defined and the search parameters follow from them. In an investigation, the starting point is often the opposite: a complaint, an allegation or a regulatory request that may be vague, contested or both.
Keyword search is particularly limited in this context. If you do not know what you are looking for, you cannot define the terms to find it. A search designed around known facts will miss the unknown ones. And a nil response to a poorly designed search does not mean there is nothing to find.
Everlaw’s Deep Dive functionality changes this. Using large language model technology, Deep Dive allows investigators to search across enormous document sets using natural language questions rather than keywords. A question such as “find examples of knowingly unlawful behaviour” will surface documents that are conceptually relevant, regardless of the specific language used by the authors. It can identify patterns, anomalies and connections that keyword search would miss entirely.
The result is a search capability that is as useful for proving a negative as it is for finding evidence of wrongdoing. When the review is complete, you can have genuine confidence in the conclusion, whichever way it falls.
Speed and discretion
In an investigation, time matters from the moment the issue surfaces. A regulator’s request carries a deadline. An internal allegation needs to be understood before decisions are made about how to respond. Delay creates risk: evidence may be lost, the narrative may harden, and the organisation loses control of the process.
Discretion matters equally. Investigations are sensitive. The subject may not yet know they are under scrutiny. Wider disclosure of the fact of an investigation, let alone its contents, can cause damage that is difficult to undo. Our team is small, experienced and operates with appropriate confidentiality at every stage.
We can mobilise quickly. A scoping conversation, data collection and early case assessment can begin within days of instruction. Where the matter requires a larger review team, we can provision secure virtual machines and bring experienced legal reviewers on board at short notice, all working within Everlaw under a single point of contact.
How we work
Data collection
We work with your IT team or forensic providers to collect data from the relevant custodians and systems. In sensitive matters, the collection process itself requires discretion: who knows about the investigation, and when, can be as important as what the documents show.
Processing and early
case assessment
Once data is loaded into Everlaw, we analyse the document population before the review begins. Early case assessment using Everlaw’s analytical tools can surface patterns, key custodians and relevant concepts quickly, giving the legal team an early read on the matter.
Review design and management
We design the review methodology to suit the specific nature of the investigation, combining keyword search, concept search, Deep Dive and human review in whatever proportion the matter requires. Where a larger review team is needed, we can mobilise experienced legal freelancers at short notice, all working within Everlaw under a single point of contact.
Reporting
We work closely with the legal team throughout to ensure findings are understood in context. Our output is designed to support the decisions the organisation needs to make, whether that is responding to a regulator, taking internal action or concluding that there is nothing to find.
Our investigations service
Jandr has experience across regulatory, competition and internal misconduct investigations. Our team understands the legal objectives, the pressures that come with an active investigation and the standard of work that regulators and courts will scrutinise.We are an Everlaw partner and reseller, and Everlaw’s Deep Dive and analytical tools are central to how we approach investigations work.
We are Cyber Essentials certified, all work is performed on secure Microsoft 365 cloud infrastructure, and Everlaw is ISO 27001 certified and SOC 2 Type II compliant.
Our pricing is flexible and designed to reflect the unpredictable nature of investigations. Time and materials with detailed estimates, fixed fees and retainer arrangements are all available. Whatever structure we agree, we track and report against estimates so there are no surprises.
Talk to us about an investigation
Whether you have an active matter, a regulatory request has just landed or you want to understand your options before an issue arises, we are happy to have a no-obligation conversation. We can also arrange a demonstration of Everlaw’s platform or an AI in investigations demo so you can see the technology in action before committing to anything.
Schedule a conversation
Schedule a conversation
Book an Everlaw demo
Book an Everlaw demo
Book an AI in investigations demo
Book an AI in investigations demo
Contact Ryan Hockley at ryan@jandr.legal or call 0800 772 3386.