Litigation Analytics: An Advantage For In-House Counsel

When a contract dispute arises, in-house attorneys may have to decide whether litigation is worth the time, cost and human resources that would be required to take on the case. This decision is often based on some combination of experience, anecdotal information and instinct, but that’s hardly an exact science. Legal analytics can help in-house counsel make these kinds of strategic decisions by illuminating big-picture trends and relevant cases to predict outcomes, create a plan of action, and coordinate with outside counsel or other business leaders. Litigation analytics can also reveal specific information about the prospective litigation opponent and its litigation history, as well as the prospective venue and the likely opponent law firms. This Today’s General Counsel article explains what this process entails, what kind of information it can reveal, and how it can be used to advantage by in-house legal, not only when contemplating litigation, but also when formulating or executing a litigation strategy.