I graduated from law school at the dawn of the age of personal computing. I was very fortunate to work in a variety of settings over the years, all of which provided me with practical learning and experience: as a lawyer, I worked at two of Canada’s largest law firms (McCarthy Tétrault as Legal Technology Counsel and Borden Ladner Gervais as National E-Discovery Counsel), and for a few years managed my own firm too, which we dubbed the “law firm of the future.” As an entrepreneur, I co-founded a pioneering evidence management company and ran it for almost 10 years (Commonwealth Legal, now Ricoh eDiscovery); and I recently retired from Ernst & Young, one of the Big Four accounting firms, where I led the Canadian electronic discovery and information governance practice through a major transition.
I am grateful to have contributed to the work of several legal technology organizations including Sedona Canada, the E-Discovery Implementation Committee, the Uniform Law Conference, the Canadian General Standards Board, and CanLII. One of the highlights of my career has been serving as an adviser to the Canadian Judicial Council on technology and information security issues for more than thirty years. At the beginning of May, 2019, I was appointed Senior Adviser, Information Management, to the Council. Effective July 2, 2019 I moved my e-discovery mediation and arbitration practice to Heuristica Discovery Counsel LLP, a Canadian law firm dedicated to performing intelligent, proportionate and cost-efficient discovery projects using advanced analytical techniques and technology.
For a summary of my career please see below, or my LinkedIn page.
I am grateful to have contributed to the work of several legal technology organizations including Sedona Canada, the E-Discovery Implementation Committee, the Uniform Law Conference, the Canadian General Standards Board, and CanLII. One of the highlights of my career has been serving as an adviser to the Canadian Judicial Council on technology and information security issues for more than thirty years. At the beginning of May, 2019, I was appointed Senior Adviser, Information Management, to the Council. Effective July 2, 2019 I moved my e-discovery mediation and arbitration practice to Heuristica Discovery Counsel LLP, a Canadian law firm dedicated to performing intelligent, proportionate and cost-efficient discovery projects using advanced analytical techniques and technology.
For a summary of my career please see below, or my LinkedIn page.
On a personal note, my wife Wendy and I divide our time between Toronto, Canada and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (see www.riveracuale.ca). I am an amateur photographer (see www.felsky.photography).
Resumé
SUMMARY
In his 30-year legal career Martin has been sought as a technology transformation advisor to law firms, governments, and corporations around the world. Martin was involved in the drafting of the Ontario E-Discovery Guidelines, the Sedona Canada Principles, and is currently active on the Ontario E-Discovery Implementation Committee. He also serves on the E-Discovery Rules Uniform Law Conference of Canada Working Group, which is developing nationally consistent rules of practice. He was appointed to the Canadian General Standards Board Committee on the admissibility of digital evidence in 2014.
Martin is also the author of several Canadian Judicial Council publications including the Blueprint for the Security of Judicial Information (now in its fifth edition). The Blueprint has been implemented in every Canadian superior court. He provides legal, policy and technical advice to courts across Canada on the issues of information governance including cybersecurity and privacy, and he is considered an expert on judicial independence. As co-founder and former CEO of Commonwealth Legal, a leading litigation support service provider (which was eventually purchased by Ricoh Legal) Martin has ten years of hands-on business experience that many of his clients appreciate. He has acted as Chief Privacy officer for two companies, and advises major public and private sector clients across Canada on compliance with information laws, and managing digital evidence for legal proceedings.
Martin is recognized in the 2019 and 2020 Who’s Who Legal: Thought Leaders Litigation. He has been referred to as “the Dean of e-discovery lawyers in Canada” by Who’s Who Legal in 2015 and 2016. He was a contributing member of The Sedona Conference Canada Working Group, the E-Discovery Implementation Committee (Ontario), and the Uniform Law Conference of Canada E-Discovery Rules Working Group. He has experience as Chair of the Board of the Canadian Legal Information Institute (CanLII), which provides free access to law. He has travelled extensively, speaking by invitation to groups of lawyers and judges in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Germany, Switzerland, South Africa, and throughout the United States and Canada.
In his 30-year legal career Martin has been sought as a technology transformation advisor to law firms, governments, and corporations around the world. Martin was involved in the drafting of the Ontario E-Discovery Guidelines, the Sedona Canada Principles, and is currently active on the Ontario E-Discovery Implementation Committee. He also serves on the E-Discovery Rules Uniform Law Conference of Canada Working Group, which is developing nationally consistent rules of practice. He was appointed to the Canadian General Standards Board Committee on the admissibility of digital evidence in 2014.
Martin is also the author of several Canadian Judicial Council publications including the Blueprint for the Security of Judicial Information (now in its fifth edition). The Blueprint has been implemented in every Canadian superior court. He provides legal, policy and technical advice to courts across Canada on the issues of information governance including cybersecurity and privacy, and he is considered an expert on judicial independence. As co-founder and former CEO of Commonwealth Legal, a leading litigation support service provider (which was eventually purchased by Ricoh Legal) Martin has ten years of hands-on business experience that many of his clients appreciate. He has acted as Chief Privacy officer for two companies, and advises major public and private sector clients across Canada on compliance with information laws, and managing digital evidence for legal proceedings.
Martin is recognized in the 2019 and 2020 Who’s Who Legal: Thought Leaders Litigation. He has been referred to as “the Dean of e-discovery lawyers in Canada” by Who’s Who Legal in 2015 and 2016. He was a contributing member of The Sedona Conference Canada Working Group, the E-Discovery Implementation Committee (Ontario), and the Uniform Law Conference of Canada E-Discovery Rules Working Group. He has experience as Chair of the Board of the Canadian Legal Information Institute (CanLII), which provides free access to law. He has travelled extensively, speaking by invitation to groups of lawyers and judges in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Germany, Switzerland, South Africa, and throughout the United States and Canada.