W. Erin M.

E-Discovery Specialist

Chicago, Illinois, United States

About

With over two decades in the legal field, my career is distinguished by a commitment to excellence in e-discovery and legal operations. I am dedicated to refining review services for end-clients and leveraging my expertise to enhance data protection strategies. My mission is to deliver top-tier legal solutions, and I am driven by the goal to cultivate a diverse and dynamic team that thrives on innovation and operational efficiency.

Experience

  • Staff Attorney, McDermott Discovery at McDermott Will & Emery
    Oct 2024 - Present · 1 yr 10 mos

  • Consilio LLC (Chicago, Illinois, United States · Remote)
    • Sr. Director, Review Solutions
      Nov 2023 - Oct 2024 · 1 yr

    • Sr. Director of Managed Review, Temporary Professional Development
      Mar 2022 - Nov 2023 · 1 yr 9 mos

      Oversaw high-performing staff of 23 Temporary Managing Attorneys (MAs), reviewing assignments, prioritizing tasks, and providing coaching to build key skillsets. Supervised Temporary MAs leading e-discovery teams of contract review attorneys and varied non-billable activities, collaborating with permanent staff to identify and develop diverse talent. Directly managed complex, e-discovery reviews and complete e-discovery workflow consulting for Fortune 500 clients. · Scaled Temporary MA team to meet organizational growth, leading recruiting, hiring, and onboarding activities to grow team from 7 to 23 Temporary MAs. · Authored and presented Professional Development Trainings, delivering organizational insight and informative feedback to temporary assets, as well as tracking measurable growth. · Revamped training metrics for Temporary MAs, defining key goals and implementing new processes. Mentor Temporary MAs and collaborate with Permanent MAs to foster positive learning experiences and build skillsets. · Championed process and product standardization across teams, building and maintaining information and template repository utilized by both Temporary and Permanent MAs to produce uniform deliverables. · Promoted through roles of increased scope and accountability, moving through roles from Associate to current position requiring extensive technical knowledge and exceptional leadership skills. · Played key role on Special Counsel, Inc. team that led MAs through acquisition and integration process by Consilio, LLC in January 2022.

  • Special Counsel (Chicago, Illinois, United States · Hybrid)
    • Director of Managed Review, Temporary Professional Development
      Aug 2021 - Feb 2022 · 7 mos

      Oversaw high-performing staff of 23 Temporary Managing Attorneys (MAs), reviewing assignments, prioritizing tasks, and providing coaching to build key skillsets. Supervised Temporary MAs leading e-discovery teams of contract review attorneys and varied non-billable activities, collaborating with permanent staff to identify and develop diverse talent. Directly managed complex, e-discovery reviews and complete e-discovery workflow consulting for Fortune 500 clients. · Scaled Temporary MA team to meet organizational growth, leading recruiting, hiring, and onboarding activities to grow team from 7 to 23 Temporary MAs. · Authored and presented Professional Development Trainings, delivering organizational insight and informative feedback to temporary assets, as well as tracking measurable growth. · Revamped training metrics for Temporary MAs, defining key goals and implementing new processes. Mentor Temporary MAs and collaborate with Permanent MAs to foster positive learning experiences and build skillsets. · Championed process and product standardization across teams, building and maintaining information and template repository utilized by both Temporary and Permanent MAs to produce uniform deliverables. · Promoted through roles of increased scope and accountability, moving through roles from Associate to current position requiring extensive technical knowledge and exceptional leadership skills. · Played key role on Special Counsel, Inc. team that led MAs through acquisition and integration process by Consilio, LLC in January 2022.

    • Senior Managing Attorney
      Jan 2017 - Jul 2021 · 4 yrs 7 mos

      Spearheaded team of 5 Staff Attorneys, establishing and managing e-discovery workflows to meet client deadlines, as well as developing staff for career advancement within organization. Liaised with clients, defining timelines, deliverables, and scopes, as well as managing expectations and delivering daily reporting metrics. Identified and mitigated risks resolved issues quickly, and reviewed staff work products to ensure quality and timeliness with focus on outstanding client satisfaction. · Trained Staff Attorneys, resulting in promotions for 2 employees, 1 to Managing Attorney of e-Discovery and 1 to Director, e-Discovery. · Leveraged e-discovery review platforms such as Axcelerate and Relativity, including add-on packages Blackout and Exolution, to complete e-discovery workflows. · Recognized for outstanding performance and promoted from Managing Attorney to Senior position within one year, after receiving previous promotion from Contract Associate. · Directed e-discovery teams of 9 to +100 contract attorneys, heading review projects including legal hold preparation, class-action litigation, ANDA litigation, trade secret, copyright infringement, breach of contract, product liability, pharmaceutical litigation, RMBS litigation, estates and trusts, and insurance coverage. · Reviewed and redacted discovery documents as Contract Associate beginning in 2014, working across healthcare insurance industry, multi-district federal litigation, federal antitrust litigation, medical device and pharmaceutical patent litigation for relevance, privilege, confidentiality, and issue tag coding. · Consistently appointed Team Lead as Contract Associate, managing diverse personnel to finalize discovery and fact-based, research projects and collaborating closely with Project Managers, outside counsel, and clients to support quality assurance and fact development activities.

  • Principal Attorney at Morris Campbell LLC
    Jan 2013 - Mar 2015 · 2 yrs 3 mos

    Drove operations for virtual law practice. Advised clients on start-up, small business, consumer, bankruptcy, and commercial laws. · Honored as Illinois Rising Star, Super Lawyers from Thompson Reuter in 2015.

  • Associate, Bankruptcy, Reorganization and Creditors’ Rights at Formerly Freeborn & Peters LLP (now part of Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP)
    Jan 2008 - Jan 2013 · 5 yrs 1 mo

    Guided commercial clients through legal actions across varied matters including bankruptcy and insolvency laws, employee fraud and embezzlement, preferential transfers, contract interpretation, WARN Act liability, ERISA, D&O liability, real estate auctions, commercial leases, business operations, federal banking laws, residential and commercial mortgages and tax issues. Drove full cycle of federal litigation and mediation from initial pleadings, motion practice, and electronic discovery, to trial, appeal, settlement, and collection. · Designed M.B.A., law school, and international conference, seminar, and course materials, covering restructuring, insolvency, and ethical topics. · Supported in-house counsel with interactions with insolvent clients and vendors, offering coaching and writing customized handbooks. · Awarded Illinois Rising Star, Super Lawyers from Thompson Reuter in 2011 and 2012.