Our Team
KI YUN HWANG, ESQ.
President & General Counsel
khwang@blackletterdiscovery.com
Ki is responsible for company-wide business development. He is also responsible for managing strategic partnerships and evaluating domestic and international business opportunities and markets. In his dual position as General Counsel, he additionally manages BLD's legal issues. Prior to joining BLD, he was the promotional partner at a boutique law firm that represented Fortune 500 companies and international clients. He also has experience working at international law firms. Education: J.D., University of Minnesota Law School; B.A., U.C.L.A. Languages: Korean.
GEORGE MANDELLA
COO
george@blackletterdiscovery.com
George manages BLD's business and technology operations, and oversees the management of the company's off-site review facilities. He consults our clients on network deployment and security. Prior to BLD, George was CTO of an internet communications company that serviced the world's largest life sciences companies. He managed the IT and engineering team and oversaw the company's project management, engineering, strategic and technical consulting, and R&D. George directed product development efforts including a website content management system and a website traffic analysis suite, and was responsible for the deployment of new technologies. Education: B.A., USC (Honors).
GEOFF WILCOX, ESQ.
VP of Discovery Operations
geoff@blackletterdiscovery.com
Geoff has successfully led review teams in multidistrict and other complex litigation, and has experience working with large document databases numbering in the millions of pages. He advises our clients in a process-driven approach to document review engagements. Geoff works with project managers to implement coding manuals, streamline the review process, maximize productivity, build clear lines of communication with litigation counsel, and to deliver effective litigation databases that enable attorneys to access key documents throughout the litigation process. Geoff also designs and teaches BLD's Continuing Legal Education seminars focusing on document review practice. Prior to joining BLD, Geoff worked as a management consultant in the Bay Area and supervised technology licensing for a Silicon Valley software firm. Clerkships: U.S. District Court, Northern District of California; Massachusetts Appeals Court. Education: J.D., Harvard Law School (magna cum laude); B.A., Miami University (summa cum laude).
ZORAH BRAITHWAITE, ESQ.
VP of Recruiting
zorah@blackletterdiscovery.com
Zorah is responsible for staffing quality legal review teams at BLD and for creating flexible working arrangements for attorneys and firms. She has worked closely with some of the world's largest law firms, providing staffing and review facility solutions for large scale review projects. Zorah has extensive experience managing, staffing, and conducting large scale document reviews for litigation and antitrust second requests. She has over seven years of legal and business experience, particularly in antitrust counseling, merger review and complex litigation. Education: J.D., UC Berkeley (Boalt Hall); B.A. (Economics), B.A. (History), UC Berkeley. Languages: Mandarin.
NAMITA DILAWRI, ESQ.
Senior Director of Recruiting
namita@blackletterdiscovery.com
Namita is responsible for staffing document review projects in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has worked with the Bay Area offices of some of the world's largest law firms. Prior to joining BLD, Namita worked in legal recruiting for one of the largest staffing companies in the world. At BLD, she hones her legal recruiting experience exclusively on staffing large-scale document review projects, and takes pride in finding the "right" attorney for the job. Namita began her career in the legal field as a securities arbitration attorney, and continues to tutor examinees for the California Bar Exam. Namita has also been an instructor at UCLA extension, teaching a prep course for the legal world and family law. Education: J.D., Lewis and Clark School of Law; B.A. University of California, San Diego (Honors). Languages: German.
WILLIAM F. PORTER, ESQ.
Director, Corporate Development
Bill is responsible for expanding the scope of BLD's contract staffing engagements throughout the US. Prior to joining BLD, Bill was the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of a boutique real estate development and commercial brokerage firm based in San Francisco, with portfolio investments through the western-US. He began his career by practicing transactional intellectual property law both at the Washington DC offices of Morgan, Lewis and Bockius, and the Palo Alto offices of Cooley Godward (now Cooley Godward Kronish). Education: JD, Duke University School of Law School; B.A., cum laude , Duke University (History, Economics and Political Science).
NICK MARSILIO, ESQ.
Director of Recruiting
Nick is responsible for recruiting and staffing legal review teams at BLD in Northern California. Nick has extensive experience staffing large scale reviews across a variety of practice areas. Prior to joining BLD, Nick worked as a legal recruiter for two of the largest staffing companies in the world and as an employment specialist for a global corporate information solutions company serving the legal and financial services industries. Education: J.D., University of Pennsylvania School of Law; B.A. (Crime, Law, Justice), The Pennsylvania State University, University Park (Honors).
IAN G. BAGGER, ESQ.
Senior Project Manager
ibagger@blackletterdiscovery.com
Ian has successfully led a number of multi-million-document projects for Black Letter Discovery clients. He works closely with general counsel, outside attorneys and litigation support professionals to define and implement time- and money-saving procedures for large-scale document reviews. In the past, Ian has practiced as a member of the securities class action plaintiff's bar as well as in complex commercial, patent, employment and antitrust litigation. In addition to his work as an attorney, Ian has been an implementation consultant and project manager with Stratify and Cataphora, both leading suppliers of electronic discovery technology. As such, he has worked with top consulting firms to achieve timely results and control risk and cost associated with discovery. Ian is also an accomplished trainer and has prepared and delivered training to attorneys and human resource professionals on a variety of topics. Education: J.D., UCLA School of Law; B.A., Slavic Languages & Literatures, UC Berkeley (Phi Beta Kappa).
JAMES MEISTER, ESQ.
Senior Project Manager
james@blackletterdiscovery.com
James provides senior project management for large scale, as well as smaller, document review projects for law firm and corporate clients. With eight years of complex and civil litigation experience, including antitrust and intellectual property litigation, he provides overall project management and offers discovery solutions for document review productions and reviews. James works with clients and counsel to carefully tailor and design document review protocols in a manner that will ensure delivery of the highest possible value to the litigation, while efficiently utilizing the document review team time and cost resources. James offers eight years of civil and complex litigation experience in private practice and as a trial attorney with the federal government. His practice has been focused on antitrust law, intellectual property litigation, and other complex civil litigation matters. Prior to that, he clerked for several federal district judges and served as a staff attorney with the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Education: J.D., Washington University School of Law in St. Louis; B.A., University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
VALERIE HIRSH, ESQ.
Recruiting Coordinator (Southern California)
valerie@blackletterdiscovery.com
Valerie coordinates recruiting and staffing of BLD's document review projects in Southern California. Valerie has over seven years of litigation experience and has been a practicing attorney for nearly ten years. Before joining BLD, Valerie worked as a litigation attorney practicing in the areas of business, construction defect, and complex litigation. Education: J.D., University of California, Davis, King Hall School of Law; B.A., University of Washington.
ZAIN ALI
Payroll Manager
Zain is responsible for payroll operations at BLD. He has worked in the payroll and H/R field for over 10 years. Zain enjoys the challenges and intricacies of running an accurate and effective payroll and is excited to be part of the elite team at BLD.
PRESTON JOHNSON
Facilties Manager
preston@blackletterdiscovery.com
Preston manages and maintains BLD's off-site review facilities. He provides technical and logistic support for off-site attorneys and project managers, and ensures that all aspects of facility operations are optimized to provide a productive environment for document review. Prior to BLD, Preston worked as a Commercial Leasing Associate in San Francisco's Financial District.