Extract from Frank Ready’s article “ACEDS President’s E-discovery Market Prediction: Same Skills, Different Jobs”
Mike Quartararo, president of the Association of E-Discovery Specialists (ACEDS), won’t officially celebrate a year on the job until October, but he’s had more than a year’s worth of work in that time. COVID-19 has sent ripples throughout e-discovery and the legal industry general, prompting a litigation slowdown and subsequent layoffs.
Fortunately, ACEDS’ status as an online education provider has made it easier to adapt to a new world where business, industry conferences and even certifications are conducted online. Quartararo, who before coming to ACEDS served as managing director at eDPM Advisory Services and director of litigation support services at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, believes the e-discovery sector will eventually bounce back.
However, the same jobs might be located in different places when it does. Below, Quartararo discusses why he thinks e-discovery gigs are headed away from law firms and what e-discovery professionals may need to know in a post-pandemic world.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
