ReVia on Stage with ACEDS: Rethinking eDiscovery Challenges

Why “Reactive” eDiscovery Is Losing Pace

Traditional eDiscovery workflows have long followed a familiar pattern: identify, collect, review, and produce. While effective in isolated cases, this linear approach struggles to keep up with today’s decentralized data landscape. Files now live across cloud drives, chat platforms, and collaborative workspaces, making it increasingly difficult to maintain visibility and consistency.

ReVia co-founders, Frank Perrone and Ian Tighe, emphasized that in this environment, treating each case as a standalone project leads to inefficiency and missed insights. Instead, legal teams must learn from prior matters and build intelligence that informs future cases. Predictive eDiscovery represents that evolution, using historical data, patterns, and automation to move from reacting to issues to preventing them altogether.

Core Themes from the Webinar

A major focus of the discussion was how connectivity and visibility are redefining eDiscovery and information governance. Many organizations still struggle with fragmented systems, such as archives, document management platforms, and matter repositories that don’t communicate effectively. ReVia emphasized that true progress doesn’t come from centralizing all data, but from connecting and standardizing metadata across systems to create a unified view. 

The panel also explored how predictive intelligence is moving beyond document review. By analyzing trends and patterns across matters, teams can start identifying potential risks, bottlenecks, and cost drivers early in the process. This shift from reaction to anticipation allows organizations to strengthen defensibility while improving efficiency. 

Finally, the conversation underscored the importance of collaboration between legal, IT, and compliance. Predictive governance required shared definitions, aligned priorities, and clean, consistent data. These elements form the foundation of any successful automation initiative. 

What This Looks Like in Practice 

When implemented thoughtfully, predictive eDiscovery transforms how teams manage information. Instead of reacting to issues after they appear, legal and governance teams gain the ability to see patterns across data sources, detect anomalies earlier, and allocate resources more strategically.

During the webinar, ReVia discussed how automation tools like Hive Govern make this possible by simplifying metadata adjustments, tracking permission changes, and providing cross-platform visibility. Ian Tighe, CRO, stated, “The power is in planning. We believe Hive is the tool to be able to do that.” These capabilities enable organizations to continuously monitor their data environments, identifying risks before they escalate and reducing the time spent on repetitive manual work.

In practice, this means governance becomes a proactive discipline, not just a compliance requirement. By combining automation with analytics and collaboration, teams can move toward a more strategic, resilient, and data-driven approach to eDiscovery.

Key Takeaways You Can Act On

The discussion closed with several practical steps organizations can take to start building a more proactive data-driven approach to eDiscovery and information governance. 

The first takeaway was the importance of starting with visibility. Before introducing automation or advanced analytics, teams need a clear understanding of where their data lives, who has access to it, and how it moves across systems. Visibility forms the foundation for every other improvement in governance and compliance. 

Next, ReVia emphasized that automation should enhance control, not replace it. Tools like Hive Govern can help teams manage permissions, adjust metadata, and monitor activity at scale, but human insight remains essential. Automation allows teams to focus their attention on higher-value decisions rather than manual administrative work. 

The panel also highlighted the need for strong collaboration between departments. Effective governance depends on alignment across legal, IT, and compliance teams. When each function shares a common view of data and governance policies, organizations can reduce risk and respond to challenges faster and more consistently. 

Finally, the webinar encouraged attendees to view governance as an ongoing process rather than a one-time initiative. Building maturity takes time, and progress often starts with small wins such as improving data classification, cleaning up metadata, or establishing audit-friendly processes. Over time, these steps lead to measurable improvements in efficiency, defensibility, and overall trust in organizational data. 

Why This Shift Matters, Now More Than Ever

As data volumes grow and regulatory expectations tighten, reactive eDiscovery is becoming unsustainable. Frank Perrone, CEO, stated, “It’s important to look at your success as much as your failures to begin to learn and normalize the information to bring that back into your information governance process.” Predictive and proactive strategies are quickly shifting from competitive advantage to operational necessity. Teams that learn from the past and apply insights forward will be better equipped to manage cost, reduce risk, and demonstrate value to clients and stakeholders.