Category: Law

Daniel Gaffney
Chief Executive Officer
Director
Dan uses his considerable experience in managing technological innovation and complex international operations to drive Brightleafs strategy and growth. Before starting Brightleaf, Dan was President and Chief Operating Officer of Corporate Fundamentals, Inc., a leading business process automation and data structuring solutions provider that he led through international mergers to its purchase by Hemscott Plc and Veronis Schuler. Dan has held executive leadership positions where he has overseen market development efforts for biometric technology firms and has managed strategic operations across fifteen countries on four continents for Compaq. He holds a Masters of Science Administration – Technology and Innovation from Boston University, and a Bachelors of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Massachusetts. Dan is a competitive cyclist and sits on the Board of Directors of several charitable organizations.

Venkat Srinivasan, Ph.D.
Chairman
Dr. Venkat Srinivasan guides Brightleaf with diverse experience from his string of entrepreneurial successes and his rich academic background in credit, finance and knowledge-based technology architectures. He is currently the founding CEO of Rage Frameworks, Inc., which is enabling the creation of process and capital efficient, technology-based businesses and business process automation centers with its patented business process automation technology. Venkat has founded and is currently actively involved in Creditpointe, Inc., and EnglishHelper. Prior to these ventures, Venkat founded Corporate Fundamentals and eCredit, both of which he led as CEO and guided successfully until their sale.
Venkat holds a Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Cincinnati, Ohio, and was an Associate Professor at Northeastern Universitys Graduate School of Business in Boston, MA

Jason Mendelson, Esq.
Director
Jason is a co-founder and Managing Director for Foundry Group. He currently serves as a director to Brightleaf, Oblong, and Pie Digital. He also sits on the boards of the National Venture Capital Association and Silicon Flatirons Entrepreneurship Board. Jason has written extensively about the venture capital and business law industries, specifically around what he calls Law Firm 2.0 and the future of the law firm practice. Previously, Jason was Managing Director and General Counsel for Mobius Venture Capital, and, before that, practiced corporate and securities law at Cooley Godward Kronish, LLP. As an attorney, Jason consummated over $2 billion of venture capital investments, $5 billion in mergers, and acquired extensive experience in fund formation, employment law and general litigation. He began his professional career as a software engineer and consultant at Accenture.
Jason holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics, with distinction, and a Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from the University of Michigan. Jasons writings appear at Mendelson’s Musings and www.askthevc.com.

Ramana Venkata
Director
Perhaps more than anyone, Ramana Venkata understands how to help law firms and legal departments use technology to collect the massive amounts of flat, unstructured data that flows through their documents and organizations and then make that data intelligible so they can act upon it for profit, compliance, and risk mitigation.
He founded Stratify in 1999, and built it into the leading provider of technology-enabled EDD services to AmLaw 200 law firms and Fortune 500 corporations. When Iron Mountain acquired Stratify in 2007, Ramana became an Iron Mountain Senior Vice-President and General Manager of its Stratify division. He worked at Intel Corporation on Data Mining methodologies and applications. He completed five years of Ph.D. research in Scientific Computing and Computational Mathematics at Stanford University, holds a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University and a Bachelor of Technology degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai. Ramana writes and lectures extensively and lectures frequently on the topic of electronic discovery.

Muthu Palaniappan
Vice-President, Technology
Muthu has over 20 years of experience in the software industry, with extensive expertise in building internet-based process automation solutions and in managing development and technology teams both in the United States and Asia.
Muthu comes to Brightleaf from Hemscott/Ipreo, where he led the development of highly scalable, web-based data automation projects for well-known clients in the financial service sector. Before that, he was Director of Software Development at eCredit.com, where he designed complex rules-based process automation methods. He has extensive experience directing technology and development teams in both the United States and India.
Muthu holds a Masters in Computer Science from National Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Electronics and Communication Engineering from PSG Tech, India.

Luke OBrien, Esq.
Vice-President, Strategy
Senior Corporate Counsel
Luke is a veteran technology entrepreneur and experienced in-house counsel with a consistent record of producing innovative solutions to intractable problems. He believes deeply in the judicious application of technology to resolve process inefficiencies that separate knowledge-based service providers and their clients. Before joining Brightleaf, he founded, built, and sold technology companies in such diverse areas as SaaS-model legal process automation for the health law industry (Secure Record Services), GPS geoinformatic technology (SkyLinks, which he sold to John Deere), and mobile web directory services (Envenue, which he sold to Switchboard-Infospace).
Luke holds a B.A. in Biology from the College of the Holy Cross and a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School. Luke serves as director for LR4J, an organization he helped found that raises millions of dollars to feed the hungry and homeless in Massachusetts poorest cities. Sometimes, he watches his brother host The Tonight Show.

Tom Bolton
Director of Product Design and Management
Tom uses his 13 years of experience with the best practices of product management and design to ensure that Brightleaf’s groundbreaking legal technology products deliver maximum value to its customers. Specializing in disruptive and next-generation technologies, Tom has managed all facets of the product development lifecycle. Before Brightleaf, Tom led design and product management at Sovereign Bank, Fidelity Investments, and OneSource Information Services, as well as two Web 2.0 startups, Blue Egg and Good2Gether.
Tom holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Princeton University.

Anil Nair
Director of Operations
Anil possesses deep experience in technology management, process automation, and the development of large-scale offshore operations. Before Brightleaf, Anil managed strategic operations across three continents for a Hemscott unit that was acquired by Morningstar and ran client relations groups at eCredit.com and at Corporate Fundamentals.
Anil holds a Masters degree in Management from the University of Bombay and a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas. Hes a nationally ranked badminton player and a former national champion who has represented India in International Grand Prix events.

Lynne Zagami, Esq.
Director, Client Strategic Processes
Lynne is a strong advocate for the deployment of technology to bring intelligence and efficiency to the practice of law. She brings experience as a corporate associate in two large law firms to her work at Brightleaf. While at Proskauer Rose LLP and Brown Rudnick LLP, Lynne represented both public and private companies. Her work involved venture capital transactions, SEC reporting and compliance, and mergers and acquisitions. Lynne served on the Brown Rudnick Associate Integration and Development Committee, and has been an active speaker on the the recent changes affecting large law. Her insights have been chronicled by The American Lawyer Magazine and Wall Street Journal Radio.
Lynne holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Womens Studies from Smith College, and a Juris Doctorate from New York Law School. As a member of the New York Law School Moot Court Association, Lynne won numerous awards for her writing and oral advocacy skills. She is a Class Fund Agent for the Smith College Class of 2000, and serves on the Board of Directors of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Plymouth.

Walter Wright III, Esq.
Senior Strategic Advisor
As a founding investor, Walter Wright provides Brightleaf with pioneering thought leadership on the law of business and the business of law. As managing member of Trinity Law Group LLC (recognized by the Martindale-Hubbell Bar Registry of Preeminent Lawyers among the most distinguished law firms in America), he focuses intensely on the strategic, organizational, operational, capital and transactional requirements of entrepreneurs, start-ups, emerging and mid-sized companies. He also represents well-known venture capital funds and angel groups.
Walt is a magna cum laude graduate of both Boston College Law School (J.D.) and Tufts University (B.A., M.A). He is consistently recognized as a Boston Magazine Super Lawyer In 2008, Walter Wright was named to the Top 100, an exclusive list of attorneys in Massachusetts who received the highest point totals in the Super Lawyers nomination and blue ribbon peer review process. Of the Top 100, he is one of only 3 lawyers selected in the Business/Corporate category. Walt regularly receives Martindale-Hubbells highest Peer Review Rating as an AV attorney for legal ability and ethical standards.

David Curran, Esq.
Senior Strategic Advisor
Dave Curran is chief legal and compliance officer turned business technology leader with a passion for bringing best practices, technology and cost savings to the intersection of law and business. Dave was CEO (and remains an Advisor) of Integrity Interactive Corporation, a technology-powered risk management business in the ethics and compliance space. Before joining Integrity, Dave was President and CEO of DCI, Inc., a SaaS compliance and content and document management subsidiary of Havas.
Dave has held senior business leadership and legal positions with Campbell Soup Company and Readers Digest. He began his career as an attorney with Satterlee Stephens Burke & Burke, a boutique New York firm concentrating in litigation, media law, commercial transactions and intellectual property.
Dave received a B.A. with highest honors from SUNY Stony Brook, and a J.D. from the Boston University School of Law. He is a frequent guest speaker at industry and legal forums and has been an Adjunct Professor at Rutgers University Law School and the New School. He is an advisor and director to several companies, including FMP Media and Wisdom of the World and is a Mentor at MITs Venture Mentoring Service.

New York City is regarded as the place of numerous opportunities; if you’re determined to reach your dreams and have the capabilities, then you’ll absolutely succeed here. Without a doubt, there is a lot of competition happening in this city. Nevertheless, this doesn’t quit people from giving the best of their skills. However in the Big Apple, lawsuits are common and present on a daily basis. Legal complaints are usually about employment concerns, and to get a reliable employment attorney is extremely important./p>

Employment-related problems could affect big companies. This is the reason why their group of lawyers is always prepared to cope with employees at court. Under the law, even so, it is also the right of staff to defend themselves. employment lawyers NYC are important. You will need their services once your employer violates your rights. In times of work-related problems, the employee must take legal action as quickly as possible. This is simply because delaying legal action will only hinder the likelihood of winning the case.

Normally, individuals have misconceptions regarding hiring employment lawyers. They believe these professionals are only needed when filing a lawsuit. Bear in mind that submitting a lawsuit won’t only get you spend a lot of money but also take your time and it is emotionally-draining as well. It is advisable to steer clear of a large-scale legal battle by settling disputes first, which is done by court settlement with your employer. A NYC employment attorney will look for a method to maintain your advantage during the settlement. Adding to that, he or she will also guide you all the way.

If litigation is inescapable on your part and your boss, then be sure to seek assistance from an employment attorney at once. It is a fact that employment laws are complex and they change always. If you make a mistake with your moves, then you will definitely obtain more problems since there are lots of legal loopholes and traps you will encounter. For that reason, make it certain that your lawyer is focusing on employment and civil litigation law, for you to get the problem solved efficiently. It is better to choose a seasoned NYC employment attorney with a reputation of helping clients have favorable results.

Small businesses and non-profit organizations typically employ the services of NYC employment lawyers due to their extensive know-how on employment laws. With their assistance, businessmen can feel secured as they stick to New York?s employment policies. Regardless of whether if it’s a big or small company, security standards and obligations should be maintained accordingly by employers. The employment lawyers can also help draft company policies, to make sure that it doesn?t violate any employment laws and regulations.

Like everybody, you might be confused as to where you must start. Thankfully, employment attorneys NYC are only a call away if you need to consult about legal matters. Just let them know what your situation is, and they are going to assist you sort out your legal problems. For you to meet your goals with this matter, the employment attorney will be there for you to work on everything that must be achieved.

With regards to dealing with issues related to Nyc Employment Attorney, it is still best to think of your own solution. Hurrying makes for a poor circumstance as you will often find yourself skipping over particulars that are vital. Any time you work in a constant fashion you are going to be able to benefit from the work you have carried out more speedily. Check out http://www.youngandma.com to be more informed about Employment Lawyer Nyc.

Not many people understand where laws began but many times it’s important to know this to help you better understand the law itself. This is also true with the California Lemon Law.

This law started in 1979 by a woman in Lemon Grove, California. She purchased a car and while waiting it to be repaired she lost her patience. Considering that 3 months had gone by, you can understand why. All by herself, she picketed that exact dealership for a whole 5 months. During that time she was verbally abused by the mechanics, salesman and customers. Finally after all this time she got some attention from the local newspaper. A citizen’s movement began, support for her situation built and it resulted in the California Lemon Law being enacted.

This humble beginning spawned a lemon law in every single state. Of course the law varies from state to state but they pretty much all say the same thing; that the vehicle must be in good condition, without malfunctions when it was sold and throughout the life of the warranty.

California, like most other states, states that after a reasonable number of attempts to repair the vehicle by the dealership, if the vehicle still isn’t fixed, then it can be considered a lemon. The only exception to that rule is if the malfunction could cause bodily harm or even death. If that’s the case, then it can be just one attempt to repair it and if it isn’t fixed, it can be considered a lemon and the vehicle will quality under this law.

The most important aspect of this law is regarding the warranty. It doesn’t matter if the car is one month old or two years old. If the vehicle is still under warranty, then you can qualify for this law. Also, don’t forget that this law doesn’t just cover automobiles. It also covers: trucks, SUVs, vans, boats, recreational vehicles and motorcycles. The same thing applies to all the vehicles except for the last three. They have several specifications that must be in order before they can qualify.

Many times when you purchase a vehicle, the dealership will say that it is being sold “as is.” If you bought a vehicle like that, it still can qualify. Saying “as is” does not exempt that vehicle from being considered a lemon. You still can go forward, get yourself a good “lemon law” attorney and get your money back or a new replacement vehicle.

Remember, when you look for an attorney, find one that will give you a free case evaluation to see if your vehicle qualifies. Also, find one that will not make you spend any out of pocket expenses. What they usually do is work on your case and they take a percentage of any of the money that they recover for you.

It should come as no surprise; there are many different types of law. It is up to each individual attorney to decide on which area or areas of law he or she will ultimately practice.

In todays fast paced world, four of the most common areas of practice continue to be personal injury, family law, immigration and criminal defense. Many of the most successful law firms have achieved this success by specializing in litigation and trial strategies, encompassing these areas.

Personal Injury Law. Personal injury law covers MANY types of injuries as well as the worst case scenario, wrongful death. These injuries include but are not limited to: birth injuries, nursing home abuse and neglect, medical malpractice, slip and fall, vehicle accidents (auto, train, bus, ATV, motorcycle, bicycle, airplane) and injuries caused by defective products.

They are caused by the negligence of someone or something and are subject to recoverable damages. The court grants these damages based on facts such as pain and suffering, medical bills, loss of earnings, emotional distress, property damage and lost earning capacity.

Family Law. In many states, family law cases require more court time (and billable hours) than any other kind of case. In reality this area of law covers much more than divorce. It also focuses on prenuptial agreements, domestic violence, separation agreements, property distribution, custody, alimony, child neglect and spousal support.

Family law attorneys are especially mindful of the delicate situations associated with the cases they take on. The feelings of all who are involved are continuously taken into consideration. As a result, struggling families can rest assured that they will receive the best representation possible.

Immigration Law. Because of frequent changes in the law, firms who deal with immigration cases are more than a little knowledgeable on the subject. They have to be.(It is interesting to note that, in the United States, Congress exercises complete authority over immigration laws.)

Immigration law can get quite complicated, depending on the individual situation. Firms practicing this type of law can assist with cases related to: U.S. citizenship, green cards, immigration appeals, visa refusals, business visas, fianc visas, family visas, PERM/labor certification, deportation defense, post conviction relief and more.

Every immigration petition or application should be carefully reviewed before it is submitted to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. For optimum results, every defense court document should be prepared by a knowledgeable attorney, as well. As the saying goes Better to be safe than sorry.

Criminal Defense Law. Criminal defense is a very important (and sought after) area of law. This is due, in part, to the ever increasing number of individuals who are spending time in prison, for crimes they did not commit.

Since each case is different, criminal defense attorneys must keep abreast of the constant changes occurring with all of the laws that pertain to this area of expertise.

Law firms that handle criminal defense cases can help with drug cases, assaults, hand gun charges, theft, drunk driving, domestic violence, felony charges and sex offences.

Most offer no-cost initial consultations and recommend early intervention, in the event that individuals find themselves faced with the unsettling possibility of conviction, regardless of guilt or innocence.

The issues surrounding each of these areas of law can get very complicated. These cases are rarely cut and dry. For this reason alone, the assistance of a knowledgeable attorney or law firm is imperative.

Legal situations can be (and usually are) VERY stressful. Retaining the right legal counsel can go a long way in relieving this apprehension.

It is important to remember that an attorney or law firm has the best interest of the client at heart and will do everything in their power to rectify a bad situation.

At no time in our modern history have more demands been placed upon the law enforcement officer. Communities are extremely concerned about crime and they are demanding that law enforcement agencies “do something about it.”

It seems that every day, violent crime and drugs occupy the front page of every newspaper in America.
Politicians at the local, state and national level like to give the impression of being “tough on crime” and espouse philosophies which, at least outwardly, seem to support that toughness.

At the same time, the public (via the media) is scrutinizing the actions of the law enforcement community more closely than ever before.

The public wants results and, more importantly, to feel safe. Yet, that same public will not tolerate any perceived abuses of suspects’ rights in the process.
Primarily due to the increased cost of incarceration, a concerted push is being made to release prisoners from jails and prisons, with the ensuing increase in probationers and parolees.

Probation/Parole Officers have increased caseloads with no end in sight. Juvenile crime is sky-rocketing. Younger, more fearless criminals are becoming the norm, with the media bringing sad tale after tale into our homes on a nightly basis.

When I speak to new recruits, I tell them that what the public wants in a police officer is simple: we want applicants that are warm, caring individuals who are capable of speaking to public groups; conducting demonstrations at schools; counseling troubled youth; rendering first aid; interacting with and assessing problems from a community perspective.

In addition to all of those admirable qualities, we want much more. If a bad guy is trying to get into our home, we want an absolutely fearless gladiator who will willingly risk his/her very life to apprehend the suspect (without injury to the burglar, of course) and protect our property. We want, expect and demand all of this for a salary that is far less than society pays a plumber!

Whether a person is a Probation/Parole Officer supervising 100 felons, a Police Officer in a patrol car, a Fish and Wildlife Officer working all alone 50 miles from any back-up, a military law enforcement officer or a Federal Agent working in a structured environment, being a law enforcement officer is an extraordinarily tough and complex job which demands that we apply all of our skills and training.

How has the law enforcement community dealt with the ever-increasingly need for interview training? Poorly, I’m afraid. Here’s how it works…

In virtually every modern law enforcement agency, much care and consideration is given to the allocation of training, especially that training which requires both expenditures of time and money. Traditionally, different segments of the agency (patrol, detectives, administration, etc.) have had to compete in a sense for their share of the almighty training dollar budget.

As a result, it is incumbent upon agency administrators to prioritize the available training money. Training in most modern law enforcement agencies has taken on the semblance of a triage system at an emergency room. Administrators want to send everyone to training, so they end up throwing some money at those who are “bleeding” the most.

Due to civil liability concerns, patrol officers mainly receive training emphasizing the motor skills areas (firearms, arrest techniques, emergency driving tactics, handgun retention skills, etc.), said areas presenting the most opportunity for misapplication and a resultant lawsuit.

Investigators receive training geared toward their primary areas of emphasis (interview & interrogation, crime scene investigation, investigative specialties, etc.). Ironically, an objective analysis of the component parts of the job of patrol officer reveals interviewing skills are utilized far more often than any other skill.

Think about it, what skill is used more often than the ability to talk with people and elicit information? Conversely, what will get an officer in trouble with the public faster than an inability to communicate?

How many times in any officer’s life will he or she use deadly force? How many times in any given month will he or she get into a vehicular pursuit? How many instances of dealing with hazardous materials will crop up in an average month?

Contrast the frequency of these incidents against the absolute certainty that we will have to interact with people during each and every shift. We routinely qualify in shooting, attend yearly hazardous materials safety courses, attend Emergency Vehicle Operations courses and the like, yet most patrol officers never attend formal interview and interrogation instruction after an initial exposure to it in the basic training academy.

Consider the following sober statistics:

Police Training academies in the United States offer, on average, only 4 hours of training on interviewing techniques during Basic Training.

60% of law enforcement training academies in the U.S. don’t offer any interview training at all during Basic Training.

Less than 20% of all law enforcement officers have received in-service training in interviewing techniques.

Unfortunately, in most law enforcement agencies, the investigators are repeatedly sent to interview and interrogation training, while the patrol officers who apply to attend are routinely turned down.

In the bureaucratic effort to make training dollars stretch a long way, administrators often prioritize training requests, sometimes based upon outdated or inaccurate information.

I have personally taught classes year after year where the same people (investigators) are in attendance taking the same training while other members of their agencies never get to go! The reason? Someone in authority determined that investigators are the only ones that need the training, so they send them to the same thing year after year.

It is largely for this reason that I developed the Focused Interviewing system in written format, to allow the inexpensive, easy methods contained herein to benefit police officers without regard to job assignment, all in an affordable manner.

Compounding the training problem is the current countrywide push toward “Community Policing” and all of the responsibilities inherent with that system.

Simply put, Community Policing can be best described as a philosophy of empowerment that allows the beat officer to solve problems. By a collaborative effort with others in the community, police officers are responsible for actually resolving the community concerns, rather than just taking enforcement action.

While the philosophy sounds good, the average law enforcement patrol officer has not been given the tools with which to conduct investigations, interview people, make public presentations and achieve this collaboration to solve problems.

Federal grant money has been spread across the country in an effort to promote Community Policing. Officers have been hired, equipment has been purchased and public relations efforts have been extensive in this area.

Unfortunately, officers that do not have the foundation of investigative training may find themselves in an uncomfortable position.

One Community Policing officer recently told me “If I had wanted to interview neighbors, show photo lineups, speak to public groups and work extensively with other public agencies, I would have been a detective. What happened to good, old-fashioned police work?”

One of the primary components of Community Policing is the ability to interact with people in a non-threatening manner which elicits maximum information.

It is an exceptionally good idea for a Field Training Officer to share interviewing techniques with a trainee. Most basic training academies teach a block of instruction on “Interviewing and Interrogation.”
However, these traditional systems stress the structured interview approach to interviewing.

The new trainee soon realizes that he or she will conduct hundreds or thousands of street interviews while on patrol and will perform relatively few formal, structured interviews in an interrogation room setting.

The beauty of the first responder interviewing training is its simplicity. There is no memorization of steps, rules, mandatory order of progression or confusing concepts.

Instead, in a series of articles, I will present a system where you decide how to approach the myriad of situations facing police officers in everyday life, using concepts which are based upon common sense.

There are some very fine formal “Interview and Interrogation” type training classes for law enforcement officers out there (being a polygraph examiner, I have attended quite a few of them), but they tend to emphasize the structured interrogation aspect of the situation and are geared more toward an investigator than a patrol officer.

The information I will deliver in this series of articles does not deal with just the structured interview/interrogation type setting. Again, an analysis of a patrol officer’s daily job reveals that the vast majority of contacts that he or she experiences are not in a structured setting conducive to a formalized method of interview and interrogation.

These techniques are being successfully used daily, are very easy to learn and do not require reference texts to be carried in the field.

In this system, we will look at what is wrong (or at least ineffective) with typical street interview techniques, what led us to use techniques that don’t work, what does work and how to develop techniques that will dramatically increase our “confession” or “incriminating statement” rates in dealing with offenders and will be of great value in clarifying statements obtained from victims and witnesses.

Yes, there will be some psychology and physiology presented, as both lay a foundation for the working mechanisms of this system. Although (I can hear your groans already) some basic psychological and physiological concepts are included so that you know why these concepts work, they are not necessary to learn to effectively use the procedures described herein.

Quite simply, the principles are included because some people like to know why something works, some people like to be shown how it works and some people won’t be convinced until they use the system personally.