Overview
In a large record the same company or individual appears under several names, initials and email addresses, and the relationships that matter to liability are spread across contracts, correspondence and minutes. Entity & Relationship Mapping reconciles those names to the party behind them and sets out the parties, the individuals who acted for them and the dealings between them.
Counsel sees who contracted with whom, who gave notice to whom and who acted for which side, and can open any party to see everything the record holds on it, in date order.
Where it is used
Witnesses
Identifying the individuals who took the decisions in issue, and the documents each of them wrote, received or signed.
Liability
Tracing the contractual chain that frames indemnity, contribution and third-party claims.
Disclosure
Identifying the custodians whose documents the case turns on.
Witness preparation
Everything the record holds on one person, in one place and in date order, before that person gives evidence.
In practice
The principals to the dispute in the matter shown, by side and role.
The map
Each side’s dealings can be followed on their own by hiding the other groups.
One party, opened
Defendant, Facade Subcontractor
Atlas Curtainwall Systems Inc.
Mentioned in 92 places in the recordAtlas Curtainwall: its role, its appearances across the record in date order, and the parties it dealt with.
A chain of connections
The contractual chain from owner to manufacturer that frames the indemnity and third-party claims.
How it works
The map is built from what the documents say, so contracts, certificates, correspondence and scanned letters all contribute, not only email traffic. Names are joined only where the record connects them. Counsel can merge, split or correct any party, and those decisions are kept as further disclosure is added.