Time for another thought leader interview on eDiscovery Today! This time, I’m interviewing Rick Weber, Managing Partner of Arbor Ridge Partners!

Rick Weber started as an attorney at an AmLaw 50 law firm and then became a federal prosecutor for the SEC. In 2000, Rick left the practice of law and co-founded Advocate Solutions – becoming one of the pioneers in the eDiscovery industry with the creation of Discovery Cracker. Since then, Rick has personally sold three other litigation technology companies – having led negotiations and due diligence for all of them.

Having started and sold several litigation technology companies, Rick has deep industry contacts and an inside working knowledge of legal technology mergers and acquisitions. Rick’s background as an attorney and prosecutor for the SEC allows for a skillful understanding for how best to structure mergers and acquisitions.

Rick is also an arbitrator for FINRA and is frequently invited to speak as an expert in the field of Electronic Discovery and Litigation Data Management at conferences and CLE seminars sponsored by corporations, law firms, the American Bar Association, and state bar associations. Rick’s overall experience has generated relationships and connections outside of the legal technology industry – thereby creating expanded opportunities for clients.

Many of my thought leader interviews in the past have been published in print form, but Rick agreed to conduct and publish this one as a video interview! Rick and I discussed several topics, including:

• How the roles that Rick has held over the years prepare him for M&A advisory in legal tech and legal services.
• The difference between Venture Capital (VC) and Private Equity (PE) and how M&A advisory fits in.
• Why companies need an M&A advisor when considering investment.
• The factors that Rick thinks caused investment to slow last year and what the provider landscape will look like in the next few years.
• Current trends in legal tech and eDiscovery that will influence investment and M&A in the industry in 2023 and beyond.
• The influence that outside investment has on staffing and potential layoffs.
• Advice for a company that is thinking about selling and trying to position for the best success.

You can check out the interview with Rick Weber below and also in the eDiscovery Today YouTube channel here!

So, what do you think? Are you looking for guidance on navigating the eDiscovery and legal tech investment landscape today? If so, check out the interview with Rick! And please share any comments you might have or if you’d like to know more about a particular topic.

Disclaimer: The views represented herein are exclusively the views of the author, and do not necessarily represent the views held by my employer, my partners or my clients. eDiscovery Today is made available solely for educational purposes to provide general information about general eDiscovery principles and not to provide specific legal advice applicable to any particular circumstance. eDiscovery Today should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a lawyer you have retained and who has agreed to represent you.