P2P

37 I L T A N E T . O R G chooses to deploy. Users may see, and then want, the enhanced feature set but do not fully understand the underlying governance issues presented by the technology. Most firms also have disparate needs among their various practice groups; what may be considered essential for one is a non-starter for another. It may be useful to deploy the collaboration platform to beta groups that span several practice groups, but with governance controls in place. Start with smaller groups, or with small groups from those practices most vocal about their needs, and then adjust controls before deploying to a larger group. It's important to enforce the guide rails of governance controls in this process, even if it means altering the availability of some functionality. When ready to deploy to a wider audience, Beta group members can assist with adoption by serving as program evangelists. Conclusion Collaboration platforms can provide the opportunity to leverage what's already being done on the individual level, but it's essential to put the proper guardrails in place to ensure good governance from the outset. There are many things to consider, and the guidelines outlined above can help provide direction about what needs to happen and when those processes should be considered. Keep in mind that things change, sometimes daily, and while your implementation might be what you need in place today, it will almost certainly look different over time. Increased technology functionality, new or changed regulations, client demands, and even changes within the firm can lead to the need to consider whether the protocols you have in place are still effective in meeting your governance needs. Good information governance is a framework, and like a duck on the water, while it looks like it's moving effortlessly on the surface, the legs are churning furiously below to keep things moving. Keeping up with changes and implementing good governance can make sure your practitioners have smooth collaborative sailing and are blissfully unaware of its underpinnings. ILTA Johan T. Widjaja is the assistant director of information governance at Morgan Lewis, responsible for firm wide planning and implementation of the information governance program. Johan is also a co-Regional Member Liaison in Philadelphia and co-organizer of the local Legal Hacker's chapter. Brianne Aul, CRM is the Senior Manager of Information Governance Operations at Morgan Lewis, and is a Founding Steering Committee Member of the Law Firm Information Governance Symposium. Karen Allen is the Manager of Information Governance Technology at Morgan Lewis, with over 20 years of experience providing IT expertise within the legal vertical and is a member of the ILTA Program Planning Council on the Security/Compliance Content Coordinating Team.

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