Blackwell Burke P.A. will host the inaugural meeting of the Twin Cities E-Discovery Forum on October 16th, 2012. The forum will be a quarterly gathering of local outside counsel, in-house counsel, public-sector attorneys, the judiciary, technologists, and IT professionals dedicated to sharing knowledge and experiences about e-discovery best practices to create a stronger Twin Cities e-discovery community.
At our meetings and at other select events, we will cooperatively discuss current e-discovery issues, educate the local legal community about the challenges posed by electronic discovery, and arrive at cost-effective, ethical, and practical solutions. The Twin Cities are home to some of the nation’s e-discovery's top talent. The opening meeting participants will include these Twin-Cities-based, national e-discovery thought-leaders:
• George Socha: President of Socha Consulting LLC, Co-Founder of EDRM, and Co-Founder of
Asperee.
•David Yerich: Director of E-Discovery, United Health Group.
•Michael J. McGuire: Shareholder and eDiscovery Counsel, Littler Mendelson.
Format
Each meeting will have a different topic. There will be a meet and greet with a continental breakfast between 7:30–8:00am, followed by a presentation and a question-and-answer period ending at 9:00am.
Vision
The forum is:
Free: There will be no charge, no dues, and no fees for our quarterly meetings. Each meeting will be hosted by a different participant.
Open: The forum is an open-source e-discovery program. Anyone interested may attend. Advance RSVP is preferred.
Flexible: Because e-discovery is constantly evolving, the forum will be decentralized, voluntary, and nimble. Without a rigid agenda and formal structure, it can adjust to meet the ever-changing needs of the legal and technology communities.
Collaborative: As the experience of other cities’ e-discovery groups with this format show, the forum is not a CLE—it is a group discussion. Because our discussions are confidential, and because we know and trust our neighbors in the legal community, the forum will foster a more unified, more effective, and more collaborative Twin Cities e-discovery culture.
Origin
The forum is modeled after the Friends of E-Discovery groups that Karl Schieneman, Tom Allen, Pete Pepiton, and other lawyers have helped form in Pittsburg, Cincinnati, Columbus, Indianapolis, Cleveland, and Nashville. They have had great success, particularly in bringing together the judiciary, lawyers, IT staff, and technologists.
For more information about these groups, go to www.friendsofediscovery.com.
Opening Meeting Logistics
Our first meeting will be from 7:30–9:00am on October 16, at 431 South 7th Street, Suite 2500, in Minneapolis. Blackwell Burke P.A. will host the meeting.
Opening Meeting Topic
After Brendan Kenny’s opening presentation, Karl Schieneman will share some of the successes that e-discovery groups with this format have had. This will lead to a roundtable discussion on our most pressing e-discovery issues, and what we hope to gain from the forum.
About Blackwell Burke P.A.
Blackwell Burke P.A., a litigation and trial boutique in Minneapolis, Minnesota, serves as national trial and litigation counsel for numerous Fortune 500 companies. The firm has extensive experience in class action defense, commercial litigation, food industry defense, labor and employment, and products liability. The firm has represented corporate clients in practically every jurisdiction in the country, as well as several foreign countries.
About Karl Schieneman
Mr. Schieneman is a nationally recognized e-discovery thought-leader. He is president and founder of ReviewLess LLC (www.reviewless.com), an e-discovery provider. And he hosts the popular, always insightful, and always free ESI Bytes podcasts (www.esibytes.com).
About Brendan Kenny, Founder of the Twin Cities E-Discovery Forum
Brendan M. Kenny joined Blackwell Burke P.A. as an associate in 2012. Before joining the firm, Mr. Kenny was a Deputy Attorney General in the California Attorney General’s Office in San Francisco. As a Deputy Attorney General, Mr. Kenny gained first-chair trial experience in complex litigation in federal court, wrote and argued dispositive motions, drafted mediation and settlement conference statements, took and defended depositions, and prepared all forms of trial documents, including motions in limine, jury instructions, voir dire questions, and verdict forms. Since joining Blackwell Burke, Mr. Kenny has focused his practice on toxic tort, products liability, and other complex litigation.
Questions?
Please contact the Twin Cities E-Discovery Forum founder Brendan Kenny if you are interested in helping with the forum, if you plan on attending the October 16 meeting, or if you have any questions. Mr. Kenny may be reached at 612.343.3211 or by email at bkenny@blackwellburke.com.
