Robert Ambrogi Blog
The C-suite at the law firm Milberg LLP just got a little cozier. Recently, the firm announced that it had appointed Paul H. McVoy the newly established position of “chief discovery officer.” He will be responsible for guiding the firm’s lawyers, clients and co-counsel with regard to the technical aspects of discovery, the announcement said.
Not only is the position new at Milberg, but it also appears to be a first for any law firm, from what I can find.
There are a few chief discovery officers in fields outside law. There is this guy, for example, who is in charge of discovering new discoveries. There is also this woman who is in charge of discovering new products.
In the legal field, I found only one other chief discovery officer, Alan M. Winchester. He holds that title as an e-discovery consultant at the consulting firm HB Solutions. Winchester is also a lawyer at Harris Beach, where he heads the firm’s e-discovery practice. But his chief discovery officer title at HB Solutions does not carry over to Harris Beach.
McVoy, therefore, appears to be the first CDO at a law firm, joining the ranks of law firm CEOs, COOs, CFOs, CMSs, CTOs and whatever other C_Os there may be. It is an appropriate recognition of the expanding importance of e-discovery within the legal field and of the growing significance of e-discovery expertise within a law firm.
Congratulations to Paul McVoy on his new position and to Milberg for stepping out ahead of the pack.