Leading Legal’s Evolution with an Innovative, Talent-First Approach: The Legacy of HaystackID CEO Hal Brooks
Editor’s Note: This article explores the career of Hal Brooks, CEO of HaystackID, and his impact on the legal tech industry. As the industry transitioned from traditional document copying to electronic data discovery, Brooks evolved his career to stay at the forefront of these advancements. His leadership style, which emphasizes innovation and people-first principles, has attracted top industry talent. Brooks’ commitment to professional growth, rigorous compliance, and inclusivity underscores his vision for a dynamic and equitable company and industry at large. As HaystackID continues to evolve under his guidance, Brooks’ legacy of fostering talent and embracing technological solutions remains a cornerstone of the company’s success.
Leading Legal’s Evolution with an Innovative, Talent-First Approach: The Legacy of HaystackID CEO Hal Brooks
By HaystackID Staff
When Hal Brooks started in the legal industry, things were quite different. Legal professionals spent hours at copy machines, manually duplicating stacks of paper, whereas now, you can click a button on your phone and share vast amounts of information instantly.
“If I think back to what we used when I started in this space, the digital tools we now rely on are unimaginable,” said Brooks.
Joining Legal Copies International in 1988, he grew the company to operate in 26 cities and generate $100 million in annual revenue. From there, Brooks transitioned from traditional document copying to the forefront of eDiscovery technology. Brooks explored electronic data processing at Onsite Sourcing in the early 2000s, and his eDiscovery journey took off from there. Brooks became involved with companies like DocuForce, Ve Discovery, and the Technology Assisted Review startup OrcaTec. Now leading HaystackID as CEO, Brooks continues fostering an environment where innovation and talent flourish persistently.
A Career Marked By Being a Legal Tech Disruptor
Brooks’ innovative approach throughout his career has expanded the capabilities of legal services, demonstrating how technology can transform the industry. As we sit at the precipice of generative AI (GenAI) adoption, Brooks’ tenure and history in the space places him above others to move the market to greater efficiencies and transformation. As the progenitor of virtual review, his leadership in remote review marks a significant achievement. As CEO of HaystackID and under his direction, he has led the expanded capabilities of HaystackID’s ReviewRight®, a specialized review platform and document review offering that helps law firms and legal departments quickly and accurately procure talent and learn from their data. This model’s successful adoption established HaystackID as a leader in remote review. Today, ReviewRight continues to set the industry standard, with over 4,000 remote review matters completed worldwide and a network of more than 32,000 attorneys.
Brooks has enabled HaystackID’s clients to tap into a global talent pool and set new standards for document review efficiency. As new frontiers in GenAI become available in the market, Brooks sees the space continuing to evolve. His expert leadership will set the pace for the next wave of technology innovations as they are embedded into the platform.
“I saw the infinite potential that a virtual remote model could provide well before the days of the pandemic,” Brooks said. “The industry was skeptical. But we alleviated their concerns by showing them what was possible, and our clients have accrued major benefits, from cost savings to access to global talent. We will do the same with generative AI as the adoption curve accelerates.”
Andy Parrish, HaystackID’s COO, remarks, “Hal’s approach and guidance with respect to generative AI is to be the voice of reason amidst promise, excitement, doubt, and concern, as evident in Hal naming industry thought leader and computer scientist, John Brewer, as our Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer. Hal’s leadership has kept the teams consistently focused on the fact that generative AI, while powerful and transformational to traditional discovery management, is yet another tool in our collective kit to drive value and intelligence and create white space for case teams to create efficiency. HaystackID will remain at the forefront of considerate and practical application and leadership.”
A Look to the Future
Brooks has big plans for HaystackID in the coming years. As offerings and data types grow in both volume and complexity and as regulatory environments continue to be rigorous, HaystackID’s Global Advisory is expanding rapidly. As the world has changed, we have risen to meet these challenges through organic talent development and a thoughtful roadmap of planned corporate development initiatives and acquisition strategy. HaystackID’s in-house experts and new experts joining the team offer clients unparalleled access to deep expertise in emerging areas of the industry.
Balancing Innovation with Rigorous Compliance
Brooks fosters a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. Under his guidance, HaystackID has achieved rigorous compliance standards, including ISO 27001 certification, SOC 2 Type 2 audits, and, most recently, HITRUST r2 Certification. These certifications demonstrate HaystackID’s commitment to data protection and information security, ensuring we manage risk effectively and meet demanding regulatory requirements as we scale and continue to innovate around delivery models and technology accelerators.
“Global enterprises need partners to empower them to stay ahead of emerging threats so they can meet complex compliance, information protection, and privacy requirements. By earning the HITRUST r2 Certification, we illustrate our commitment to the highest standards for data protection and information security and instill confidence in our clients that we handle their sensitive information with unparalleled precision and care,” Brooks said.
Under Brooks’ leadership, our team has developed cutting-edge solutions to address emerging challenges, such as Protect Analytics AI® for Relativity. Enabled by artificial intelligence (AI), our solution offers an advanced approach to managing vast, unstructured datasets, particularly those containing sensitive information like PII, PHI, technical data, and entities. Earlier this year, HaystackID received the 2024 Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Award in the Data Privacy and Cybersecurity category for its Protect Analytics AI. Brooks noted that the recognition “validates our commitment to excellence in data privacy and cybersecurity on a global scale.”
Mentorship in Action: Achieving Results by Investing in Talent
Brooks’ commitment to professional development is a cornerstone of his leadership style. He promotes transparency and strategic growth, creating an environment where continuous improvement is embedded in our company’s culture. His leadership has enabled HaystackID to lead the industry, overseeing five acquisitions since 2018 and contributing to significant company growth.
Brooks has said, “I’ve always envisioned a better way to deliver eDiscovery services. I’m passionate about the people I work with. I’m passionate about the industry. I’m passionate about these people because they support some of the most complex and important legal and regulatory matters performed in our space each day.”
Brooks has also mentored several leaders at HaystackID who are now recognized as finalists for the Relativity Innovation Awards, celebrating changemakers in the industry. These include:
- Michael Cammack, VP of IT and Security for the Security Innovation Award
- Laura Danielson, VP of Sales Operations, Revenue Enablement, and HaystackID University for the Stellar Women Innovation Award
- Vazantha Meyers, VP of Discovery Services for the Inclusion Innovation Award
- Ashish Prasad, VP and General Counsel for the Education & Mentorship Innovation Award
Brooks’ career success and leadership style have drawn many industry experts to HaystackID. One notable addition is Bryan Bellack, who joined our company earlier this year as Executive Vice President of Business Development. With extensive industry expertise, Bellack started his legal career in the early 2000s at the New York City Law Department’s World Trade Center Unit. He has since advanced his eDiscovery career, blending his unique approach to client advocacy and technological innovation.
When EDRM Illumination Zone’s Kaylee Walstad asked Bellack, he said, “Candidly, it was the leadership.”
Bellack added, “Hal has strong engagement at both the micro and [macro] levels. His ability to communicate with such clarity with all of HaystackID’s chief executives, stakeholders, [clients and employees] is such a gift.”
HaystackID President Andrea Wallack added, “Leading HaystackID with Hal has been incredibly rewarding. Hal and I have been colleagues for over 30 years, and bringing our companies together has catalyzed enormous growth and expansion opportunities for the entire team. Hal’s vision and commitment to excellence are both inspirational and directional, and his ability to engage with talent at every level of the organization creates a culture of inclusivity that allows a pervasive growth mindset.”
Creating Equity from the Inside Out
Brooks’ commitment to diversity, inclusion, and corporate responsibility significantly contributes to creating a more just company and fostering a more just industry and society. Through his leadership at HaystackID, he has implemented affinity groups and town halls to ensure all voices are heard and respected within the company. His public support for social issues, such as advocating for racial equality and celebrating Juneteenth, reflects his dedication to justice and inclusion.
Brooks has said, “HaystackID considers diversity and inclusion as cornerstones of our core values. We remain committed to treating all individuals with respect, integrity, and compassion and encourage everyone we meet, touch, and influence to join us as we strive to be part of positive change. This change is essential for all of us.”
Brooks has mentored countless individuals in our industry, investing in their businesses and helping them thrive. He has played a pivotal role in launching a new onboarding program at HaystackID to ensure new employees have access to training and resources that allow them to excel.
“Over the past six years working alongside Hal, I have witnessed firsthand his dedication to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace,” said Pam Bartlett, Chief People Officer at HaystackID. “His people-first approach, evident in his mentorship and the new onboarding program, empowers our employees to thrive and underscores his profound impact on our community.”
Getting Ready for Data Discovery‘s New Frontier
Brooks’ visionary leadership sets a benchmark for industry excellence. With Brooks at the helm, HaystackID can continue its successful track record of handling the most complex data challenges facing our industry and preparing for what lies ahead.
About HaystackID®
HaystackID solves complex data challenges related to legal, compliance, regulatory, and cyber events. Core offerings include Global Advisory, Data Discovery Intelligence, HaystackID Core® Platform, and AI-enhanced Global Managed Review powered by its proprietary platform, ReviewRight®. Repeatedly recognized as one of the world’s most trusted legal industry providers by prestigious publishers such as Chambers, Gartner, IDC, and Legaltech News, HaystackID implements innovative cyber discovery, enterprise solutions, and legal and compliance offerings to leading companies and legal practices around the world. HaystackID offers highly curated and customized offerings while prioritizing security, privacy, and integrity. For more information about how HaystackID can help solve unique legal enterprise needs, please visit HaystackID.com.
Assisted by GAI and LLM technologies.
Source: HaystackID