Speaker Bios:
Neil Aresty, Esq., Senior Vice President, Merrill Legal Solutions
Neil Aresty is an internationally recognized author, speaker and subject matter expert on the application of computer technology to the practice of law. He has been a member of the legal community for 25 years and has extensive experience as a practicing attorney, with an emphasis on litigation. Currently, he is a Senior Vice President with Merrill Legal Solutions, a division of Merrill Corporation, a leading provider of document management and litigation support services.
During his career, Aresty has advised many federal, state and local government agencies, private law firms and corporate counsels on the strategic use of secure software in all phases of legal practice including billing, data management, legal research and courthouse automation.
He has extensive experience in the public sector including serving as legal counsel for the Boston Water & Sewer Commission, the Massachusetts Attorney General, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the United States District Court, where he worked on several high-profile cases including the Oklahoma Bombing Trial.
In 1992, Aresty co-founded Legal Computer Solutions (LCS), a Boston-based company that provided litigation support and project management consulting to law offices in both the public and private sector. In 1997, Aresty led LCS’development and launch of Lextranet®, a secure, Web-based litigation support and case management system now widely used in some of the world’s largest litigation matters.
Aresty earned a Bachelor’s degree from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and a law degree from Antioch School of Law, also in Washington, D.C. He is a founding member of Legal User Groups for the American Bar Association, the Massachusetts Bar Association and the Boston Computer Society.
Wayne A. Hill, Jr., Esq., Senior Training Consultant, Merrill Corporation
Wayne Hill is an experienced litigator who is committed to educating the legal community on the impact of technology on the practice of law, and particularly its effect on all facets of litigation. A member of the legal community since 1988, he brings extensive legal background and a deep understanding of technology to his current role as a senior training consultant for Merrill Corporation.
Prior to joining Merrill, Hill was employed by West, a Thomson Reuters Business, a large multinational corporation that serves the legal community. While at West, he and his team developed products and services specifically for litigators. He has also worked extensively with both trial and appellate courts to provide counsel access to valuable court documents. In addition, he has consulted with attorneys, judges and staff on the use of technology products, services and tools to maximize their practice or position.
A trial attorney with extensive litigation experience in both state and federal courts, Hill has handled complex criminal, civil and commercial litigation matters. He has tried hundreds of cases and understands the tools and resources legal counsel need in order to succeed in the changing practice of law.
Hill is licensed to practice law in the state of New York and within the federal courts. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association where he is an active member of numerous sections, including the Commercial and Federal Litigation section.
He graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree from Houghton College in 1988 and graduated from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 1991.
Roxanna Prelo Friedrich, Esq., Merrill Corporation
Roxanna Prelo Friedrich is an attorney with the San Francisco office of Merrill Legal Solutions. As an electronic discovery specialist, Ms. Friedrich counsels clients in electronic discovery matters, including data gathering techniques, maintaining proper chain of custody, e-discovery review alternatives, and producing data to outside parties.
Prior to joining Merrill Legal Solutions, Ms. Friedrich was with another of the largest e-discovery companies in the industry where she advised and consulted with in-house counsel of large corporations on electronic discovery strategies, she has also consulted with corporate legal departments on legal education and compliance training programs. Her clients included many Fortune 500 corporations. Prior to that Ms Friedrich practiced as a litigator and County Trial Judge for ten years in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is a frequent speaker on the topic of electronic discovery.