Information Governance Advisory Services
Balance Between Use & Security
The Evolution from Records Management to Information Governance in Law Firms
The legal information management landscape is undergoing a significant transformation. Traditionally, law firm Records and Information Management (RIM) focused on maintaining matter files, managing retention schedules, ensuring regulatory compliance, and organizing physical and digital records. These efforts-while essential-often operated in silos, with responsibilities split among records departments, IT, risk, and legal teams.
TDS develops and manages Information Governance (IG) programs that balance the use and security of information. Our consultative approach develops structure, policies and procedures to build a compliant framework. We have our client’s best interest in mind with every recommendation.
Modern Information Governance in law firms enables:
- Defensible retention and disposition of both client and administrative records
- Effective legal hold implementation and tracking
- Streamlined e-discovery and litigation response
- Proactive privacy and breach notification compliance
- Readiness for client audits and regulatory inspections
- Improved collaboration and knowledge reuse
- Reduced operational and reputational risk
Strategic Information Governance for Modern Law Firms
Today’s law firms face increasing pressure to reduce risk, prepare for AI, control costs, satisfy client security expectations, and modernize decades of accumulated information.
Our Certified Information Governance Professionals (IGP), Certified Records Managers (CRM), and legal information governance specialists help firms build practical, defensible Information Governance programs that align people, policies, technology, and operations.
Whether your firm is beginning its IG journey or looking to mature an existing program, TDS provides the expertise to help you move from strategy to execution.
Our Information Governance Services:
Information Governance Needs Assessment: Understand where your program stands today.
Our comprehensive assessment evaluates:
- Governance maturity
- Policies and procedures
- Physical and electronic records
- Matter lifecycle practices
- Retention schedules
- Email governance
- Off-site storage
- Digital repositories
- Security and access controls
- AI readiness
Deliverables
✔ Executive Findings Report
✔ Risk Assessment
✔ Governance Maturity Score
✔ Prioritized Recommendations
Information Governance Program Audit: Validate that your existing program is working as intended.
Many firms have governance policies-but don’t always know whether they’re consistently followed.
We review:
- Policy compliance
- Operational workflows
- Departmental consistency
- Retention implementation
- Records disposition
- Matter closing procedures
- Legal Hold integration
- Vendor management
- Information security alignment
The deliverable is a practical evaluation identifying gaps, strengths, and opportunities for improvement.
Information Governance Roadmap: Turn strategy into an achievable implementation plan
An effective Information Governance program isn’t built overnight.
Our Roadmaps provide a phased approach that aligns governance initiatives with your firm’s priorities, budget, and available resources.
Typical roadmap phases include:
Phase 1 – Governance Foundation
Phase 2 – Policy Modernization
Phase 3 – Matter Lifecycle Governance
Phase 4 – Retention & Disposition
Phase 5 – AI Readiness
Phase 6 – Continuous Improvement
Every roadmap includes measurable milestones, estimated timelines, and recommended ownership.
Information Governance Program Development
Need an Information Governance Program-but don’t know where to start? We help firms establish:
- Governance Charter
- Steering Committee
- Roles & Responsibilities
- Policies
- Standards
- Procedures
- Metrics
- Reporting Structure
The result is a governance framework that is sustainable-not just compliant.
Matter Lifecycle Governance Consulting
We help firms design governance around:
- Matter opening
- Workspace creation
- File organization
- Security
- Client requirements
- Matter closing
- Retention triggers
- Final disposition
Records & Retention Modernization: Many firms operate with retention schedules that have evolved over decades.
We help modernize:
- Retention schedules
- Records classifications
- Departmental schedules
- Client-specific requirements
- Regulatory obligations
- Disposition procedures
