Law firms sit on some of the richest written records of any business: precedents, know-how notes, drafting, research and years of carefully reasoned correspondence. They also carry the strictest duties of confidentiality. Both things are true at once, and the order you deal with them matters.
Confidentiality comes first
Nothing about a client matter should leave the firm in a form that identifies the client, the other side or anyone involved. Privileged material needs particular care. Any review starts with what your professional obligations and client terms allow, and anything that can’t be cleared is left out.
What can have value
- Internal know-how, practice notes and training material written by the firm
- Precedent banks and template documents, with client details removed
- Anonymised examples of drafting and how documents changed between versions
- Research memos where the legal reasoning matters more than the facts
- Workflow and matter-management records that show how work was organised
What usually stays out
Client identities, personal data, special category data, anything under a court order or restriction, and matters where the client hasn’t agreed or the position is unclear. Many firms find the firm’s own know-how and precedents are the simplest place to start, because the firm usually owns them.
How it’s handled
We assess rights and personal information before any detailed review. The steps for removing identifying details are written into the agreement, and records go only to the named buyer, for the uses the agreement allows. Nothing is shared until you’ve signed.
See also our page for law firms and how to anonymise data before a sale.
Questions about a particular archive? Email [email protected] or tell us what you’ve got.
Got records you think might be worth something? A short description is enough for a free first look.