Find Stories Using Entities

This article provides both visual and written instructions for using entities to search and filter project data.

Introduction

Named Entity Extraction (Entity) applies statistical modeling to pick up text from documents such as emails, PII, etc. and lists them as metadata fields. An entity is a piece of data identified in Reveal by proper name. An entity can be a person, place, thing, event, category, or even formatted data such as a credit card number. These fields can be viewed on the Dashboard, allowing users to create queries from the terms gathered during the analysis phase.

Workflow Steps

Reveal extracts and presents a standard list of Entities within the Facets drop-down menu on the Dashboard. Each Entity has a set of unique values identified during ingestion. Each Entity Value will have a corresponding document count, representing the number of documents that include that specific Entity Value.

An Entity Value is a specific Entity. For example, for Entity Email, a specific Entity Value might be sara_shackleton@enron.com.

There is an option to select all the entities (see below) or a specific entity.

The current entities extracted are:

Search

With extracted entities, legal teams can perform more targeted searches, refining the discovery process and improving the efficiency of the review.

The entities are searchable in the Search Bar. There is an entities category in the Advanced Search Builder to locate all the available entities quickly.

1. Select Advanced Search.
2. Select +ADD.
3. Select the Entities category.
4. To search on a specific entity, select any of the available entities to search.
   NOTE: The entities are filter fields. You can select any of the available entities to filter (search).
5. To search or filter,
   1. select a desired entity,
   2. select your items to search, and
   3. click Add to Search.
   
   

Combining Entities with Other Reveal Features

Entities can be combined with other Reveal features, such as concept search, to identify hidden connections between:

• Terms and extracted entities, such as specific monetary values, people, URLs, etc.; and
• Emotional intelligence (such as Positivity and Negativity scores) to analyze the tone and sentiment of email communications. This can sometimes offer insights into the relationships and intentions of the parties involved.

Entities can assist with culling data faster or highlighting more relevant content to further filter selected data sets.

General Use

The extracted entities might be prioritized for review, especially if they pertain to significant disputes that are central to the case.

The extracted entities can aid in organizing and categorizing data, making the review process more efficient by allowing legal teams to access and analyze communication-related documents quickly.

• Credit Card Number - Identifying credit card number entities can be important for several reasons, particularly in financial transactions, fraud, compliance issues, or privacy breaches. Here are some critical reasons for identifying credit card numbers in eDiscovery:

  • Evidence of Financial Transactions: Credit card numbers can provide direct evidence of financial transactions, which can be relevant in disputes over payments, breach of contract, or financial fraud. Identifying these numbers helps in tracing transactions back to specific individuals or entities.
  • Fraud Investigation: In cases of suspected fraud, identifying credit card numbers can help uncover unauthorized transactions, identity theft, or patterns of fraudulent behavior. It can also assist in tracing the perpetrators and understanding the extent of the fraud.
  • Compliance and Regulatory Issues: Many industries are subject to regulations governing sensitive financial information handling, such as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). Identifying credit card information in documents can ensure compliance with these regulations and identify potential breaches.
  • Data Privacy and Security: Identifying credit card numbers in documents can highlight potential data privacy and security issues, especially if such information is not adequately protected. This can be particularly relevant in cases involving data breaches or the mishandling of personal information.
  • Consumer Protection: In cases involving consumer rights and protection, identifying credit card transactions can provide evidence of consumer purchases, warranties, guarantees, or misrepresentations. This can support claims related to consumer law, such as those involving false advertising or defective products.
  • Discovery Scope and Relevance: The presence of credit card numbers can help determine the relevance of certain documents to the case. Documents containing financial transaction information may be prioritized for review based on their potential evidentiary value.
  • Contractual Disputes: In contractual disputes, credit card transactions can serve as evidence of payments made or services rendered, supporting or refuting claims related to the fulfillment of contract terms. 

• Email – Identifying email entity extraction from documents can significantly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the legal review process. Here are some critical reasons for identifying emails in eDiscovery:

  • Metadata support: The email content is generally captured in the metadata, but the email entity may provide additional emails that are not included.
  • Relevance Filtering: By extracting specific email entities such as sender and recipient, legal teams can quickly filter and prioritize emails most likely relevant to the case. This streamlines the review process by focusing attention on potentially significant communications.
  • Communication Network Analysis: Identifying email entities allows analysts to map the communication networks within and between organizations. This can reveal critical players, information flow, and the extent of knowledge or involvement in specific issues.
  • Cross-referencing: Extracted email data can be cross-referenced with other data sources or evidence to validate information, identify additional areas for investigation, or corroborate findings.

• Location - Identifying location entities within the text of documents during an eDiscovery review is crucial for several reasons, as it can significantly impact the understanding, strategy, and outcomes of legal cases. Here are key reasons why location entity identification is essential:

  • Jurisdictional Relevance: The mention of specific locations can have implications for jurisdiction, which is fundamental in determining the applicable laws and regulations, court venues, and legal procedures. Knowing the jurisdictions involved helps in assessing legal strategies and compliance requirements.
  • Event Contextualization: Locations provide context to the events or actions discussed within documents, offering insights into the circumstances and environment in which they occurred. This can be crucial for understanding the case's facts and nuances.
  • Evidence Corroboration: Locations mentioned in documents can be used to corroborate or refute claims, timelines, or alibis presented by parties in a case. Consistency or discrepancy in location information can significantly impact the credibility of evidence or testimony.
  • Discovery Scope and Relevance: Identifying locations can help narrow down the scope of discovery by focusing on documents and communications pertinent to specific geographical areas. This can make the review process more efficient and targeted.
  • Pattern and Trend Analysis: Analyzing location data across multiple documents can reveal patterns, such as the frequency of visits to certain places, meetings between parties, or the geographical spread of a business operation, which might be relevant to the case.
  • Regulatory and Compliance Implications: Certain locations might have specific regulations or compliance requirements, especially in industries like finance, healthcare, or environmental sectors. Identifying these locations can help assess regulatory compliance or potential violations.
  • Cross-border Considerations: For international cases, identifying locations is crucial for understanding cross-border elements, including international law implications, data privacy issues, and the logistics of handling evidence across jurisdictions.
  • Risk Management: Identifying locations can help assess and manage risks related to some geographical regions, such as political instability, natural disasters, or high-risk legal environments.
  • Cultural and Social Context: Understanding a location's cultural and social context can provide deeper insights into the behavior and intentions of individuals or entities involved in a case.
  • Resource Allocation: Knowing the geographical spread of a case can aid in resource allocation, such as determining where to deploy investigators, experts, or legal resources more effectively.

• Money - Identifying monetary entities provides a clearer picture of the financial dimensions of a case, aiding in the accurate analysis, strategic planning, and effective resolution of legal disputes. Here are key reasons why money entity is essential:

  • Financial Transactions Analysis: Identifying monetary values is essential for analyzing financial transactions within the documents. This can shed light on payments, transfers, financial commitments, and other monetary exchanges relevant to the case.
  • Fraud and Embezzlement Investigation: In cases of alleged fraud or embezzlement, tracing monetary entities can help uncover illicit financial activities, identify suspicious transactions, and establish patterns of behavior that might indicate wrongdoing.
  • Contract and Agreement Compliance: Many contracts and agreements involve specific financial terms and conditions. Identifying monetary entities helps verify compliance with these terms, such as payment amounts, due dates, and financial penalties.
  • Damage and Compensation Claims: In litigation involving claims for damages or compensation, monetary entities within documents are critical for quantifying claims, assessing losses, and determining appropriate compensation amounts.
  • Financial Due Diligence: During corporate litigation or mergers and acquisitions, identifying monetary figures is part of financial due diligence, helping assess the financial health and value of entities involved.
  • Budget and Financial Planning Insights: Monetary entities can provide insights into an organization's budgeting, financial planning, and allocation of resources, which might be relevant in various corporate disputes or investigations.
  • Regulatory Compliance and Auditing: For cases involving regulatory compliance, identifying monetary entities is crucial for auditing financial records, ensuring adherence to financial regulations, and identifying potential breaches.
  • Asset and Wealth Assessment: In matters such as divorce, estate disputes, or bankruptcy proceedings, identifying monetary entities helps assess the assets and wealth of individuals or entities.
  • Bribery and Corruption Cases: Identifying specific monetary figures can be crucial in bribery and corruption cases, where financial inducements are central to the allegations.

• Nationality - Identifying nationality entities within eDiscovery documents helps legal teams navigate the complex interplay of jurisdictions, regulations, and cultural contexts. This ensures a thorough and informed approach to legal review and strategy development. Here are key reasons why nationality entity identification is essential:

  • Jurisdiction and Applicable Law: Nationality can determine which legal jurisdiction and laws apply to an individual or case. This is particularly relevant in international law, immigration cases, and cross-border disputes, where the legal rights, obligations, and protections might differ based on an individual's nationality.
  • Compliance with International Regulations: Identifying nationalities can be crucial for compliance with international regulations, such as sanctions, export controls, and anti-money laundering (AML) laws. Specific laws or regulations may apply differently to individuals or entities based on their country of citizenship.
  • Diversity and Inclusion Analyses: In corporate litigation or investigations related to workplace issues, identifying national entities can help assess compliance with diversity and inclusion policies and identify potential biases or discriminatory practices.
  • Understanding Cultural and Social Contexts: Nationality can provide insights into cultural or social contexts that might be relevant to a case. Understanding these contexts can aid in interpreting communications, behaviors, and motives more accurately.
  • Conflict of Interest Checks: In legal proceedings, identifying nationalities can be part of the conflict-of-interest checks, especially in cases involving foreign governments, international organizations, or geopolitical considerations.
  • International Transactions and Operations: For cases involving international business transactions, trade, or corporate operations, the nationalities of the parties involved can influence legal considerations, tax implications, and regulatory compliance.

• Organization – Identifying organization entities can provide valuable insights into the case, helping legal teams to develop strategies, identify potential risks, and better understand the context of the dispute or investigation. Here are key reasons why location entity identification is essential:

  • Entity Names and Affiliations: Identify the full names of all companies mentioned, their relationships, and the case at hand. Understanding these affiliations can help clarify the context of communications and transactions.
  • Roles and Relevance: Determine each company's role in the context of the documents and the legal matter. Are they partners, competitors, suppliers, or clients? Understanding their roles can provide insights into their relevance to the case.
  • Locations and Jurisdictions: Identify the geographic locations of the entities and the legal jurisdictions under which they fall. This can have significant implications for legal strategies, especially in international law cases, regulatory environments, or jurisdictional disputes.
  • Date and Timeframes: Look for references to specific dates or timeframes associated with each company's actions or mentions within the documents. This can help construct timelines and understand the sequence of events.
  • Specific Individuals Connected: Identify critical individuals associated with these entities mentioned in the documents. Knowing who was involved in the company can help pinpoint witnesses, potential deponents, or subjects for further investigation.
  • Nature of Mention: Analyze the context in which each company is mentioned to understand the nature of the involvement or the nature of the mention — whether in a positive, negative, or neutral context and what implications this might have for the case.
  • Contracts and Agreements: Identify any references to contracts, agreements, or transactions involving the entities. These documents can be crucial in understanding the legal obligations and rights of the parties involved.
  • Disputes or Legal Actions: Look for any mentions of disputes, legal actions, or potential conflicts involving the entities. This can help identify areas of legal risk or contention relevant to the case.
  • Communication Patterns: Understanding how and when entities communicate with each other or other parties in the documents can provide insights into their relationships and intentions.
  • Financial Transactions: Identify any mentions of financial transactions involving the entities. This can be relevant in cases dealing with financial fraud, breaches of contract, or other financial matters.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Look for any information related to regulatory compliance or non-compliance by the entities. This can be particularly relevant in industries that are heavily regulated.
  • Intellectual Property: Identify any references to intellectual property owned by, licensed to, or disputed by the entities. This can be critical in cases involving patents, trademarks, copyrights, or trade secrets.

• Person - Identifying person entities within eDiscovery documents is vital in constructing a comprehensive understanding of the case, enabling targeted investigation, informed strategy development, and adherence to legal and ethical standards. Here are key reasons why person entity identification is essential:

  • Establishing Connections: Identifying individuals mentioned in documents can help map connections between parties involved in a case. This includes understanding relationships, hierarchies, and networks that may be relevant to the issues at hand.
  • Witness Identification: Through the process, potential witnesses can be identified. Understanding who is mentioned and in what context can aid in determining who might have relevant information or insights into the investigated matter.
  • Credibility and Reliability: Analyzing how and in what context individuals are mentioned can provide insights into their credibility and reliability. This can be critical in assessing testimonies or statements provided during legal proceedings.
  • Understanding Roles and Responsibilities: Identifying individuals and their roles within organizations or events can clarify their responsibilities and involvement in the matters under investigation. This can be particularly important in corporate litigation, employment disputes, and organizational compliance issues.
  • Evidence Corroboration or Contradiction: Mentioning individuals in specific documents can corroborate or contradict claims, timelines, or narratives presented by parties in a dispute. This can be crucial for building or dismantling a case.
  • Privacy and Sensitivity Considerations: Identifying personal information within documents is crucial for adhering to privacy laws and regulations. Sensitive information may need to be redacted or handled with additional care to comply with legal standards and protect individual privacy.
  • Regulatory Compliance and Liability: In regulatory compliance cases or investigations, identifying individuals involved in decision-making processes or actions can be crucial for determining liability and compliance with laws and regulations.

• Personal ID Number - identifying Personal Identification Number (PIN), including SSN entities, in documents during an eDiscovery review is vital for several reasons, particularly in contexts involving privacy concerns, identity verification, and compliance with legal and regulatory standards. Here are key reasons why PIN entity identification is essential:

  • Privacy and Data Protection: PINs are considered sensitive personal information. Identifying and properly handling these entities is crucial to protecting individuals' privacy and complying with data protection laws like GDPR in Europe or CCPA in California. Mishandling such data can lead to legal penalties and reputational damage.
  • Identity Verification: In legal cases involving identity verification, such as fraud, identity theft, or disputes regarding eligibility for benefits or services, PINs can be critical pieces of evidence. They can help confirm or refute the identities of individuals involved in the case.
  • Fraud and Financial Crime Investigations: PINs are often targeted in financial crimes. Identifying these entities in documents can help uncover fraudulent activities, trace illicit transactions, and identify perpetrators of identity theft, financial fraud, or unauthorized access to financial accounts.
  • Litigation Involving Personal Records: In litigation related to employment, taxation, social security, or other personal records, PINs can be relevant to the case, serving as critical identifiers in personal records, employment files, tax documents, or benefit claims.
  • Redaction Requirements: During the discovery process, documents may need to be shared with opposing counsel or submitted to the court. Identifying PINs is essential for redacting these sensitive identifiers to prevent unauthorized disclosure and protect individuals' privacy.

• Phone Number - Identifying phone number entities within documents during an eDiscovery review is critical for several reasons, each enhancing the understanding and management of the case. Here are key reasons why Phone Number entity identification is essential:

  • Evidence of Communication: Phone numbers can be direct evidence of communication between parties involved in a legal case. Identifying these numbers helps reconstruct communication timelines and networks, which can be pivotal in civil and criminal cases.
  • Witness and Stakeholder Identification: Phone numbers can help identify potential witnesses, stakeholders, or other relevant individuals who might possess critical information related to the case. This can expand or focus the investigation as needed.
  • Corroboration or Contradiction of Testimonies: Specific phone numbers in documents can corroborate or contradict testimonies and statements. For instance, a claimed lack of contact between parties can be challenged if their phone numbers are found in communication records.
  • Privacy and Confidentiality Concerns: Identifying phone numbers is crucial for privacy protection. Sensitive personal information must be handled according to legal standards, often requiring redacting phone numbers from documents that will be shared outside the legal team or submitted to the court.
  • Link Analysis: Phone numbers can be used for link analysis, connecting disparate pieces of information across multiple documents or data sources. This can uncover hidden relationships or patterns relevant to the case.
  • Authentication and Verification: In some cases, phone numbers can be used to verify the authenticity of documents or communications by matching them with the parties' known contact information.
  • Regulatory Compliance: For regulatory compliance cases, phone numbers in documents can indicate compliance or non-compliance with communication protocols, record-keeping requirements, or privacy regulations.
  • Fraud Detection: In cases of suspected fraud, phone numbers can be vital in tracing fraudulent activities, identifying involved parties, and understanding the methods used in the fraud scheme.

• Product - Identifying product entities within documents during an eDiscovery review is crucial for cases where products are central to litigation or investigation. Here are vital reasons why Phone Number entity identification is essential:

  • Product Liability Cases: In litigation involving product liability, identifying specific products mentioned in documents is essential to establish connections between the product in question and reported issues, injuries, defects, or damages.
  • Intellectual Property Rights: In cases involving patents, trademarks, or copyrights, identifying product entities can help determine whether intellectual property rights have been infringed upon. Establishing which products are involved in the alleged infringement is crucial.
  • Regulatory Compliance: For cases related to regulatory compliance, identifying products can aid in determining whether products meet regulatory standards and requirements, such as safety, labeling, and marketing regulations.
  • Contract and Warranty Disputes: In disputes involving contracts or warranties, identifying the products in question is critical to understanding the terms of agreements, warranty coverage, and potential breaches.
  • Supply Chain and Vendor Disputes: Identifying products can provide insights into supply chain issues or disputes with vendors or suppliers, particularly in cases where the quality, delivery, or conditions of products are in question.
  • Consumer Protection and False Advertising Claims: In cases involving consumer protection laws or false advertising claims, identifying the products and how they were represented to consumers is essential for assessing the validity of claims.
  • Market Competition and Antitrust Investigations: For antitrust cases or investigations into market competition, identifying specific products can help analyze market dynamics, competition levels, and potential anti-competitive practices.
  • Recalls and Safety Notices: In situations involving product recalls or safety notices, identifying the products involved is crucial for assessing the scope of the recall, compliance with safety regulations, and potential legal liabilities.
  • Financial Valuation: In commercial litigation or mergers and acquisitions, identifying product entities can be necessary for valuing assets, assessing revenue streams, and understanding the financial impact of specific products on a business.
  • Due Diligence: During the due diligence process, identifying products mentioned in corporate documents can provide insights into a company's product portfolio, innovation pipeline, and strategic focus areas.
  • Environmental and Health Compliance: In cases involving environmental laws or health and safety regulations, identifying the products and their components can be crucial to determine compliance with environmental standards and health regulations.

• Religion - Identifying religious entities within eDiscovery documents requires sensitivity and an understanding of the legal implications, given the protected status of religious beliefs under many jurisdictions' laws. This process can aid in ensuring that legal strategies are informed, respectful of individuals' religious rights, and compliant with relevant laws and regulations. Here are some critical reasons for identifying religious entities:

  • Discrimination and Civil Rights Cases: In litigation involving allegations of discrimination or civil rights violations, identifying religious references can be crucial. This includes cases where individuals or groups may have been discriminated against based on their religious beliefs or practices.
  • Employment Law: In employment-related disputes, references to religion in documents may be relevant to claims involving workplace discrimination, harassment, reasonable accommodations for religious practices, or wrongful termination based on religious beliefs.
  • Freedom of Religion and Expression: In cases that involve the freedom of religion and expression, identifying religious entities can help assess whether there has been an infringement on individuals' rights to practice their religion or express their religious beliefs freely.
  • Hate Crimes and Bias Incidents: In criminal cases involving hate crimes or bias incidents, identifying references to religion can provide evidence of motive, bias, or prejudice based on religious affiliation.
  • Asylum and Immigration Cases: In asylum and immigration proceedings, references to an individual's religion can be critical in establishing a basis for asylum, mainly if the individual is fleeing persecution based on religious beliefs.
  • Contractual Disputes Involving Religious Institutions: In legal disputes involving religious institutions or organizations, identifying religious entities can be relevant to understanding the context of contracts, agreements, or obligations influenced by religious considerations.
  • Compliance with Religious Accommodations: In legal reviews related to compliance with laws and regulations that require accommodations for religious practices (such as in schools, workplaces, or public services), references to religion in documents can be vital in assessing compliance.
  • Historical or Cultural Context: In some cases, identifying religious entities can provide important historical or cultural context that may be relevant to understanding the nuances of a case, such as disputes involving historic properties, cultural heritage, or traditional practices.

• Title - Identifying title entities in the text of documents during an eDiscovery review is crucial, especially in legal contexts where the roles, positions, or formal designations of individuals or legal instruments are relevant to the case. Here are critical motivations for focusing on title entities:

  • Understanding Roles and Responsibilities: Titles can indicate the roles and responsibilities of individuals within an organization or a legal context. This is crucial in cases where the job functions or authority levels of specific individuals are relevant to the matters at hand, such as employment disputes, corporate governance issues, or organizational compliance investigations.
  • Hierarchy and Reporting Structures: Identifying titles can help map out an organization's hierarchy and reporting structures. This can be important in cases where understanding the chain of command or decision-making pathways is critical to the issues being investigated.
  • Expertise and Qualifications: Titles such as "Dr.", "Professor," or professional designations can indicate an individual's expertise, qualifications, or professional standing. This can be relevant in cases where individuals' credibility, expertise, or professional judgment is at issue.
  • Credibility and Influence: Titles can confer credibility or influence, which might be relevant in understanding specific individuals' persuasive impact in the context of the litigated or investigated issues.
  • Protocol and Formality: In legal contexts where protocol or formality is relevant, such as in diplomatic or governmental communications, titles can be important in understanding the formality of relationships or the propriety of communications.

• URL - Identifying and analyzing URLs during the eDiscovery process allows legal teams to access a wealth of external data and digital content to supplement the internal documents being reviewed, offering a broader understanding of the case and supporting stronger legal strategies. Here are some critical reasons for identifying URL entities:

  • Source of Information: URLs can lead to external sources of information that may be relevant to the case, such as articles, reports, company websites, or social media pages. This information can provide context, support claims, or offer additional evidence.
  • Digital Footprints and Online Activities: Identifying URLs can help reconstruct the digital footprints and online activities of individuals or entities involved in the case. This can be crucial in cybercrimes, intellectual property infringement, defamation, or online transactions.
  • Communication Evidence: URLs shared in emails, messages, or documents can serve as evidence of communication, indicating the sharing of specific information or resources relevant to the case.
  • Compliance and Regulatory Matters: For cases involving regulatory compliance, URLs might lead to pages that demonstrate compliance with legal requirements, industry standards, or company policies or, conversely, evidence of non-compliance.
  • Contractual Agreements: In contractual disputes, URLs referenced in agreements or communications can point to terms of service, product descriptions, or other online content that forms part of the contractual obligations or understandings between parties.
  • Cybersecurity and Data Breach Investigations: In cybersecurity cases, URLs can indicate phishing attempts, malware distribution sites, or links to unauthorized data access points, providing crucial evidence in data breach investigations.
  • Reputation and Brand Management: In cases involving defamation, slander, or brand reputation management, URLs can point to the source of defamatory content, unauthorized use of brand assets, or misleading information affecting a brand's reputation.
  • Market and Competitive Analysis: In antitrust or market competition cases, URLs can provide insights into market behavior, competitive strategies, or evidence of anti-competitive practices.

Last Update 3/25/2024