As organizations continue legacy-to-cloud data migrations, information governance and legal considerations should be addressed from the outset. Poor data quality, incomplete data mapping, and metadata loss can create significant risks, particularly where records may be needed for litigation, regulatory inquiries, audits, or internal investigations. Before migrating, organizations should inventory and assess their data, identify what should be retained or defensibly disposed of, and establish a clear plan for preserving critical records and metadata.

The legal risks of a poorly executed migration can be substantial. Data loss, altered metadata, gaps in chain-of-custody documentation, and failures to preserve responsive information may undermine an organization’s ability to meet regulatory obligations or defend its handling of records in litigation. Organizations should conduct test migrations, validate results, document data transformations, and verify that information remains accurate, complete, and accessible after the move. By treating cloud migration as both a technology and governance initiative, organizations can reduce compliance, discovery, and operational risks while maximizing the value of their cloud investment.

If your organization would like assistance in planning for a data migration, our team is ready to assist. At CODISCOVR, we deliver client-focused, defensible solutions that are tailored to each organization’s specific needs. Reach out to Nicholas Berenato, Information Governance Principal, CODISCOVR. Nick is an attorney that collaborates with clients to address legal and financial exposure from their information assets through information governance. He develops strategies and policies to enable clients to effectively manage their data in a manner that minimizes costs and allows clients to leverage their data to support their business processes.