Eric Pender

About Eric Pender

Eric Pender is an expert in eDiscovery and Legal Analytics, and advises organizations on how to solve complex data review and analysis challenges. As a Senior Director of Review Intelligence at Lighthouse, Eric specializes in eDiscovery and information governance across highly regulated industries, including finance, healthcare, and pharmaceutical. He is a seasoned leader in data discovery, risk management, and predictive modeling, known for his ability to marshal resources effectively and oversee complex, multi-jurisdictional projects, with budgets exceeding $25 million annually. Eric is recognized for leading high-impact projects that leverage Lighthouse’s expertise in linguistics and information retrieval. He regularly leads projects for clients to reduce review populations to a manageable size using effective keyword strategies, predictive modeling, and swift and cost-effective retrieval processes that combine technology and linguistic expertise. He has assisted heavily regulated organizations such as medical services providers in using predictive modeling to meet their data retention obligations, thereby identifying data safe for disposal. His experience also includes standardizing best practices for eDiscovery via corporate playbooks and aiding the inception of in-house eDiscovery teams. Eric has spoken at Lighthouse Academy during Legal Week 2023 and at Lighthouse\'s premier thought leadership conference, Illuminations Summit, in 2022. His speaking engagements have shed light on utilizing AI technologies for corporate compliance, the interplay between intelligence amplification and artificial intelligence in decision-making for corporate legal teams, and optimizing technology from data collection to production. Eric is an innovative leader at the intersection of law and technology, adept at helping clients navigate through large and highly complex matters. He collaborates with clients to select the “right tools in the toolkit” to empower clients with cost-effective and results-oriented solutions.

Experience

1. Senior Director

   Lighthouse

   Aug 2021 — Present

   Project Leadership and Execution: Lead major projects such as the multi-district opioids litigation, involving work across 40+ jurisdictions and collaboration with up to 6 different parties. Managed a team of 50 at peak periods, achieving significant milestones including $23 million in project revenue for 2022.• Mentorship and Team Development: Transitioned into a leadership role overseeing associate engagement managers, providing guidance, mentorship, and training to enhance team capabilities and project outcomes.• Lead Generation and Sales Closure: Partnered with sales leads to guide client meetings, leading the discussion on problem-solving and solution offerings, and played a crucial role in developing pricing proposals and closing sales.• Marketing Collaboration and Material Development: Acted as a liaison with the Marketing team, providing expert insights to refine marketing materials and articulate service offerings effectively.• Pricing Strategy Innovation: Developed a Monte Carlo simulator to analyze potential pricing outcomes and articulate variables impacting project pricing, enhancing transparency and decision-making in sales negotiations.• Business Intelligence and Dashboard Development: Expert in creating comprehensive Power BI dashboards, integrating data from SharePoint, ServiceNow, Salesforce and others. Utilized Power Automate for efficient data integration and automation, and Power BI’s Query Editor for advanced data transformation and analysis. Enhanced communication and accessibility by automating dashboard refreshes and integrating into Microsoft Teams channels.• Financial and Resource Tracking: Designed dashboards to monitor project financials, including total billable amounts and profits, and managed billing structures to maximize profit margins. Additionally, developed dashboards for tracking the utilization of the Engagement Manager team, facilitating optimal resource allocation and project assignment.

Education

• Michigan State University

  Bachelor's, English

  2001 — 2005

• DePaul University

  Master's, Public Relations and Advertising

  2005 — 2007

• Michigan State University College of Law

  Juris Doctor

  2010 — 2013

Skills

• Editing
• Social Media Marketing
• E-Discovery Consulting
• Legal Writing
• Social Media
• Ediscovery Consulting
• Legal Issues
• Legal Research
• Litigation Support
• Ringtail
• Courts
• Cyberlaw
• Litigation
• Management