Announcing a Smarter Approach to Linked Files in Microsoft Purview

Summary: As cloud data reshapes eDiscovery, traditional attachment workflows are no longer enough. Lighthouse’s new solution for Microsoft Purview data offers a smarter, more flexible way to manage linked files, without locking teams into early, irreversible decisions.

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Lighthouse is excited to announce the availability of our new Linked Files – Relational solution for Microsoft Purview, a modern approach to cloud-linked files designed to give clients greater flexibility and control over how those files are handled throughout the eDiscovery lifecycle.

This new Lighthouse solution supports Microsoft Purview PRX exports (Purview Review Set Exports) containing cloud attachments, and it allows clients to determine (and pivot) their linked file handling approach mid-matter, without reprocessing data. By using a many-to-many relational model rather than a traditional document family structure, this solution offers Lighthouse clients earlier insight into collected data, more efficient processing, and an enhanced review and production experience.
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What the solution does

At a high level, Lighthouse’s Purview Linked Files – Relational solution separates linked files from rigid family relationships while preserving their association to source documents through relational metadata. This gives clients three defensible options for handling linked files out of Purview, which can be selected or adjusted as a matter evolves:

• Relational: Linked files are treated as associated relational data, with linking metadata maintained and available for review and production.
• Standalone: Linked files are treated as independent records with no produced association to the source document.
• Not in scope: Linked files can be set aside entirely if they are collected but determined to be out of scope for review or production.
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Solving an industry-wide eDiscovery problem: cloud data doesn’t fit old rules

As companies shift to cloud-based collaboration tools, the concept of an “attachment” has fundamentally changed. Files are no longer copied and sent: they are shared, linked, and updated dynamically in the cloud.

Yet many eDiscovery workflows still rely on legacy assumptions, treating linked files like traditional attachments and forcing them into fixed document families. That approach often requires legal teams to make irreversible decisions at the very beginning of a matter, before they fully understand the scope, risks, or downstream production requirements.

Expectations around linked files can vary significantly depending on the regulator, jurisdiction, opposing counsel, or even the phase of the matter. What works for a government investigation may not be appropriate for related litigation. What seems reasonable during collection may change once negotiations begin or regulatory guidance is clarified.

The result? Costly remediation, lost time, and even the risk of missing production deadlines or discovery requirements.
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Why Lighthouse built this solution

Over the past year, Lighthouse has heard consistent feedback from clients facing these exact challenges. We’ve also seen broader industry trends moving toward greater scrutiny of cloud data handling and increased demand for defensible, auditable flexibility.

Our Linked Files – Relational solution for Purview was built to address a simple reality: There is no single, universally correct way to handle cloud-linked files. What matters is the ability to adapt to client needs and matter-specific requirements without disrupting the workflow.

By decoupling linked files from rigid family structures and preserving their relationships relationally, Lighthouse enables clients to make informed decisions when the time is right, not before.
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Differentiated by design

What sets this solution apart is not just the technology, but the philosophy behind it. Lighthouse believes that our technology should adapt to our clients and their challenges, not the other way around. As data continues to evolve, Lighthouse will continue to innovate new solutions to our clients’ biggest challenges.

To learn more about how Lighthouse helps organizations navigate modern data sources across eDiscovery, compliance, and investigations, visit our modern data page.