Tech Talk: The Collaboration between IT and Legal Teams

Tech Industry Alliance is delighted to announce our next in-person Tech Talk is on ‘The Collaboration between IT and Legal Teams’ which is kindly sponsored by KPMG.

This event will take place on Thursday 21 September from 7.30am to 9am in the KPMG offices on the South Mall, (refreshments & networking from 7.30 am, panel discussion from 8am – 9 am).

When a firm is given notice of potential legal action it’s time to “lawyer up”, it is vital that employees familiarise themselves with their company’s policies as well as understanding the necessary documentation required. As an employer have you provided your employees with knowledge of company policies, relevant documentation and given employees a understanding of the difference between a legal hold and forensic collection?

During this panel discussion, we aim to provide valuable insights on what you should know before, during, and after the initiation of the legal process. Our panel of experts will guide you through the end to end process to do’s and don’ts of ITs role in the process, what happens after the data leaves IT and enters the world of legal discovery/eDiscovery and talk through issues that bad process and execution can cause. Expert panellists include: 

• Ciaran Kelly, Associate Director (Forensics) at KPMG Ireland
• John Michael Harkness, Director (Forensic Technology and eDiscovery) at KPMG Ireland
• Mark Horan, Certified Insurance Practitioner  (CIP)  – Commercial Account Executive at MBC Insurance
• Tom O’Byrne, Partner (Litigation and dispute resolution department) at O’Flynn Exhams LLP

More speakers will be announced soon.

During this Tech Talk we will discuss how bringing together both IT and Legal teams can ensure better outcomes for your organisation and help to smoothly  navigate any potential legal dispute.

Digital Forensics: This is the repeatable scientific process of gathering and analysing digital evidence to provide a digital time line of events and actions.

eDiscovery: This is the process of carrying out the legally required process of discovery on digital documents in order to satisfy court orders of pending legal action, while not releasing information that does not pertain to the case.

Event Sponsors- KPMG

KPMG in Cork has been advising businesses of every size and sector across the region for over forty years. From start-ups and high potential companies to established global names – KPMG provide audit, tax and advisory services to help their clients achieve their business objectives in all sectors.

Overview of speakers

Ciaran Kelly (BSc (Hons) Computer Science, MSc (Hons) Digital Investigations and Computer Forensics)

Ciaran joined KPMG in 2019 and has been working in the Forensics and eDiscovery space since 2011 having worked in London, Dublin, Zurich, Killorglin (all the hubs) for various firms across multiple industry sectors including banking, technology, tax and corporate governance. Over the last decade Ciaran has worked on projects servicing regulators (Central banks, SEC, CCPC), courts dealing with millions of documents. He is a subject matter expert in computer assisted learning and has developed many techniques to assist and enhance the review of documents during the discovery process.

John Harkness

John specialises in digital forensic and eDiscovery and leads KPMG’s Forensic Technology practice. He has over 13 years of experience in the professional services sector and has led many complex forensic investigations, eDiscovery matters and Cyber incidents. John has provided services across multiple sectors including banking, retail and insurance. John is also an adjunct lecture for MTU Cork, where he teaches on their Cybersecurity master’s program.

Mark Horan 

Hailing from the shores of Passage West in Co Cork , Mark holds a Bachelor of Business Degree in Management from Munster Technological University.  He is also a  Certified Insurance Practitioner (CIP). Over the past two years Mark has excelled in increasing the  Techinsure.ie brand with MBC Insurance and has an in-depth knowledge of technology insurance policies.

Tom O’Byrne

Tom O’Byrne is a partner in the litigation and dispute resolution department of O’Flynn Exhams LLP.  He specialises in commercial dispute resolution. Tom acts for a broad range of domestic and international corporate clients, as well as public sector bodies and private individuals.

Tom has particular expertise in complex contract disputes. He acts in real estate disputes, judicial review proceedings, professional negligence actions, shareholder disputes, contentious insolvency matters, IP disputes, transactional fraud claims, regulatory prosecutions, and disputes in the energy, construction and TMT sectors.

Alternative dispute resolution is a core facet of Tom’s practice. He is experienced in the field of commercial arbitration. He assists clients in availing of mediation and expert determination, as well as other innovative means of efficiently resolving disputes.