A Ukrainian finance group found itself being de-risked by Western financial institutions as a result of allegations made in the public domain accusing it of being complicit in financial wrongdoing notably on behalf of Ukrainian PEPs, including former presidents. The client disputed these allegations and sought an independent review to clarify the position.
The audit gathered all of the allegations in the public domain relating to the client and which would be visible to potential counterparties. The client was then interviewed to understand their response to the allegations and why they considered them to be inaccurate. A forensic investigation of the allegations followed based on unfettered access to client records, access to current and former client employees, open source research, and human source intelligence gathering. The local context – including political and business influences – was examined and an independent review into each of the allegation was prepared and submitted to the client’s legal advisers.
The report documenting the findings of the review was shared with the compliance functions of counterparties which allowed for a more nuanced assessment of the risk position relating to the client.
The Future of eDiscovery: Generative AI’s Impact
Generative AI is transforming eDiscovery, reshaping legal document review with greater efficiency and scalability. But as with predictive coding, technology alone is not enough. Human expertise remains essential to ensure accuracy, mitigate bias, and uphold ethical standards.
The 2025 Artificial Intelligence Report, conducted by Secretariat in collaboration with ACEDS, has revealed groundbreaking insights into the rapidly evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the legal industry. With a focus on Generative AI (GenAI) and its increasing integration into legal workflows, the survey provides essential data for organizations navigating the future of legal practice and technology. Now in its third year, the report’s research and analysis was once again led by legal AI expert Richard Finkelman in collaboration with ACEDS. This year also marks the first partnership with Secretariat to sponsor this comprehensive study.
Secretariat and ACEDS 2025 Artificial Intelligence Report
We’re excited to announce the launch of our latest Artificial Intelligence (AI) global report in collaboration with ACEDS, providing a critical snapshot of industry sentiment, adoption trends, and the evolving role of AI in legal practice.