Littler Strengthens E-Discovery Practice by Adding Cecil Lynn III to its Phoenix Office

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (June 17, 2010) – Littler Mendelson, P.C. (Littler), the nation's largest employment and labor law firm representing management, today announced the addition of Cecil Lynn III to the Firm's Electronic Discovery (e-Discovery) practice. Lynn, who will be a shareholder in the Firm's Phoenix office, is widely regarded as a thought leader in this area.

Formerly Of Counsel to the Phoenix-based firm, Ryley Carlock & Applewhite, Lynn has co-authored a book, published a number of articles and spoken extensively on a wide range of e-Discovery topics, including document review and retention, data accessibility, and international e-Discovery. He is also an accomplished trial lawyer who served as a deputy public defender in San Diego, California, and a prosecutor for the U.S. Justice Department, Civil Rights Division, before going into private practice and litigating employment, intellectual property and entertainment cases.

The addition of Lynn reinforces Littler's status as a forerunner in one of the most exciting areas of the legal profession. E-Discovery has transformed the law practice, becoming a multibillion-dollar industry and a legal subspecialty in its own right, that touches upon every aspect of Littler's labor and employment law practice.

Littler is one of the few firms in the country—and the only labor and employment firm—that has formed a full-time team of lawyers dedicated exclusively to managing e-Discovery nationwide.

"E-Discovery is one of the most important and transformational legal developments in recent years," said Marko Mrkonich, president and managing director of the Firm. "Hiring people of Cecil's caliber reinforces Littler's ongoing commitment to providing our clients with cutting-edge solutions in the challenging field of e-Discovery." "The message is clear,'' he said. "Littler intends to stay ahead of the market in this area."

Paul Weiner, Littler's National E-Discovery Counsel who heads the Firm's e-Discovery practice, agreed that Lynn will be an invaluable addition. "Cecil's strong background in electronic discovery adds bench strength to our already-robust e-Discovery practice,'' said Weiner, a shareholder in the Firm's Philadelphia office. With the explosion of electronic data and new technologies in the global workplace, he noted that the demand from clients and lawyers for specialized e-Discovery services continues to grow at a staggering pace.

Littler is prepared to respond to that demand with its team of stand-alone e-Discovery attorneys located throughout the country, Weiner said. "When I told firm-management we needed e-Discovery lawyers located in every time zone across the United States to meet the growing demand for our services from our 49 offices and worldwide client base, they did not blink,'' he said. "Cecil is one of many additions to our group to meet those needs."

Weiner, a noted thought leader in the e-Discovery arena, was hired by Littler in 2007 to serve as its National E-Discovery Counsel. He quickly assembled a team of lawyers to focus exclusively on e-Discovery issues, including the development of internal technologies to streamline the handling of electronic data for nationwide litigation.

Lynn is an active member of, and frequent contributor to, the Sedona Conference®, a research and educational institute dedicated to the advancement of law and policy in multiple areas of law, including e-Discovery. He also is an instructor for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy where he teaches electronic discovery, deposition skills and trial advocacy. He also teaches at Cal State University, Fullerton.

Lynn received his J.D. from University of California's Hastings College of Law and his B.A. from New Mexico State University. He is admitted to practice in California and Washington, D.C., and before the U.S. Supreme Court.

About Littler Mendelson

With more than 750 attorneys and 49 offices, Littler Mendelson is the largest U.S.-based law firm exclusively devoted to representing management in employment and labor law matters. As the only U.S. member of the Ius Laboris global alliance, Littler has extensive resources to address the needs of multi-national clients, from navigating international employment laws and labor relations issues to applying corporate policies worldwide. Established in 1942, the Firm has litigated, mediated and negotiated some of the most influential employment law cases and labor contracts on record. For more information, visit littler.com.