The Rise of Alternative Legal Service Providers & Their Impact on How Legal Work Gets Done

A nearly ten year veteran of the company, Tom Finke is Managing Director, West Region Operations at Axiom, overseeing the teams that serve some of the company’s largest clients. Tom is also an Adjunct Professor of Law at Northwestern University, from which he received his JD/MBA, and a recipient of the ACC Value Challenge Award. Prior to Axiom, Tom was a senior executive at Tribune Interactive, the online division of Tribune Company responsible for online revenue growth across newspapers such as the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times and over 30 broadcast stations.

Sylvie Stulic is the Manager of Legal Operations and Litigation for Electronic Arts Inc. Ms. Stulic has been with Electronic Arts for the past 15 years. Ms. Stulic is responsible for the eDiscovery procedures and technology for all litigation and investigations at Electronic Arts. Ms. Stulic also manages the eDiscovery service providers for Electronic Arts. Additionally, Ms. Stulic oversees the daily operation, maintenance, and customization, training and support of Electronic Arts’ eBilling and matter management system. She works with department heads on departmental budgets, manages all legal department site logistics and administrative staff, and plans and organizes all departmental events.

After taking over Electronic Arts’ legal eBilling system, Ms. Stulic reconfigured the eBilling solution to provide the legal department with a better overview of the spend to budget and has started to review ways to best reduce outside counsel spend.

Ms. Stulic is a graduate of San Francisco State University.

As Executive Director of Hickey Smith, Howard is responsible for all of the business related functions of the firm. He is a senior executive with over 35 years of financial, operational and general management experience in a wide range of industries. Howard serves on the Executive Committee of the firm.

He has extensive experience in driving operational efficiencies through the use of disciplined processes enabled by technology, implementing financial, accounting and security controls and procedures, and fostering high performing cultures, both domestically and internationally. During his career, Howard has also helped companies navigate through complex litigation (single plaintiff, class action and government) and government investigation matters.

Howard is also Chief Executive Officer for EXTEND Resources, a professional services and solutions company specializing in business and legal process optimization, eDiscovery, contract management, and cybersecurity.

Gail Gottehrer’s practice focuses on emerging technology and innovation, and the related potential legal and regulatory obstacles. She is a frequent speaker and recognized thought leader, on the effect of technology on the law, business operations, and the digital workplace, including autonomous vehicles, biometrics, drones, robots, artificial intelligence, the GDPR, wearables, the Internet of Things, and electronic evidence.

With extensive experience navigating the legal and regulatory challenges that arise from technology, Gail designs social media policies, BYOD policies, and records retention policies, as well as providing training for managers and employees on cybersecurity practices. She also counsels clients on eDiscovery practices, defensible disposition of electronically stored information, and information governance. She teaches an eDiscovery and technology course (Law for Knowledge Innovation and Practices) at Columbia University and is a Fellow at the Center for Legal Innovation at Vermont Law School.

Gail is one of the few defense lawyers to have been involved in the trial of a class action to verdict before a jury. In addition to defending companies in class actions, she represents management in labor and employment litigation, including responding to union organizing campaigns, negotiating union contracts, and defending against discrimination, retaliation, and whistleblower complaints. She advises multistate employers on compliance matters, investigates complaints, and provides training on prevention of sexual harassment and bullying.

Mr. Munro has more than 17 years of experience building organizations dedicated to the principal of delivering exceptional customer value. His breadth of experience includes strategic Computer Forensics, Information Governance and Litigation Readiness, eDiscovery consulting and services, and expert witness testimony. This diverse skill set grants Mr. Munro the ability to guide clients through reducing their risk and costs when responding to investigations and eDiscovery obligations. His dedication to delivering the optimal solutions and information has made him a valued partner in his many long-term client relationships.

Prior to joining BlackStone Mr. Munro was Vice President of Managed Services Operations at Discovia, where he focused on designing and implementing eDiscovery and litigation readiness solutions for many cutting-edge technology companies and top law firms. For 10 years prior, Mr. Munro was a critical component of the organic, client-supported growth of Orange Legal Technologies. As COO of OrangeLT, he led by empowering the company’s most critical assets, its employees, to create their own success. After completing his BA in Management Information Systems from Washington State University, Mr. Munro began his initial foray into eDiscovery by building custom eDiscovery software, which led to a role at Lighthouse eDiscovery where he facilitated the company’s rebranding and entrance into the eDiscovery market.