Control over Your Data is the Ultimate Legal Ops Win

Control over Your Data is the Ultimate Legal Ops Win

In the world of Legal Operations, “efficiency" and "cost-savings" get thrown around as buzzwords–but often claims about them are vague or difficult to achieve. But for Alayne Russom, Director of Legal Operations at Thrivent, they aren't just buzzwords—they are the result of a fundamental shift in how a legal department views its most valuable (and expensive) asset: the data their organization produces.

During a recent appearance on the Data Xposure podcast, Alayne shared a masterclass in how legal departments can move from a passive, law-firm-reliant model to a proactive, in-house legal operations powerhouse. What was one of the most impactful strategies she discussed? 

Bringing document review and eDiscovery in-house.

If you’ve been on the fence about whether your team can handle the technical lift, Alayne’s insights provide a compelling blueprint for why you can’t afford not to.

If you’d rather listen to the podcast, you can do so here!

The Financial Case: Moving Beyond the "Pass-Through"

For years, the standard operating procedure for corporate litigation teams was simple: collect all the data that might be relevant, send it to the law firm, let them host it, and pay the invoice. But as Alayne points out, this autopilot model can kill your budget–especially since data sources and volumes are expanding while hosting costs aren’t going down.

"Hosting is the most expensive piece," Alayne explains. When you outsource your data to an outside firm, you aren't just paying for their legal expertise; you’re paying for:

• Data Ingestion and Processing: Fees just to move data into their systems.
• Monthly Hosting Fees: Per-gigabyte costs that pile up over years of litigation.
• Project Management: Paying an outside firm to manage their own process.

By bringing this process in-house, Alayne has seen savings that range from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars per matter. By hosting the data internally and letting the reviewers into your environment, you eliminate the "middleman" markups and regain control of the spend.

The Security Case: Ending the Risk Relay Race

Beyond the bottom line, there is a massive security advantage to the in-house model. In a traditional setup, sensitive data—often containing PII (personally identifiable information) or PHI (protected health information)—is collected, copied, and shipped to a third party. Alayne calls this a "risk relay race." Every time data moves, the risk of a breach or a privacy violation increases.

"We want to keep our data in our own environment," Alayne says. By maintaining a defensible, in-house eDiscovery program, the legal team ensures that sensitive information stays within the company’s secure perimeter. You aren't just saving money; you’re significantly hardening your data privacy posture.

Overcoming the Pushback

Transitioning to this model isn't without its challenges. Law firms, accustomed to the traditional billable-hour and hosting-fee structures, often push back. Alayne shares that firms sometimes try to bypass Legal Operations to speak directly to the attorneys, hoping to keep the old model in place.

Her advice? The data doesn't lie. Alayne uses a rigorous ROI spreadsheet to show stakeholders exactly what they are saving. When you can show a General Counsel or a CFO a side-by-side comparison of traditional law firm and LSP billing models vs. an in-house hosting and review model, the argument for change becomes undeniable.

A Smooth Transition: From Investigation to Litigation

Perhaps the most important takeaway from Alayne’s approach is the synergy it creates between different legal functions. When you own the eDiscovery process, an internal investigation doesn't have to be a separate, siloed event. If an investigation eventually turns into a litigation, the work is already done. The data is already in your environment, the initial review has been performed, and the transition is seamless. You aren't starting from scratch or paying a firm to re-learn what you already know.

Bringing document review in-house isn't just about a new piece of software; it’s about a change in mindset. It requires what Alayneintellectual curiosity"—the willingness to ask "stupid" questions about why things are done a certain way and the courage to propose a better path.

As Alayne puts it: "Don't be afraid to ask for things. The worst they can say is no."

Want the full breakdown of Alayne's strategy? This is just a glimpse into the wealth of knowledge Alayne Russom shared in the latest episode of Data Xposure. To hear her explain how she negotiates with outside counsel, her baseline method for managing rate increases, and how she uses AI tools like Copilot to transform legal data, listen to the full episode, Why Most Legal Departments Overspend—and How Legal Ops Can Help Fix It.

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