Ron Hedges
Ronald J. Hedges LLC
Hackensack, NJ

Ron is a special master, arbitrator, and mediator specializing in e-discovery and privilege issues. He served as a United States Magistrate Judge in the District of New Jersey from 1986 to 2007. Ron is a member of BNAs Digital Discovery and Electronic Evidence Advisory Board. He is also a member of the Advisory Boards of the Corporate Counsel, The Sedona Conference, and E-Discovery Institutes of Georgetown University Law Center, where he teaches e-discovery and e-evidence. Ron is author of Discovery of Electronically Stored Information: Surveying the Legal Landscape (BNA: 2007) and a coauthor of Managing Discovery of Electronic Information: A Pocket Guide for Judges (Federal Judicial Center: 2007).

Michael E. Lackey, Jr.
Partner
Mayer Brown LLP
Washington, DC

Mike Lackey serves on Mayer Brown's Partnership Board. Mike also co-chairs the firm's Electronic Discovery and Records Management Practice, leads the Washington, D.C. office litigation practice, and chairs the firm's Electronic Discovery Services Group. Mikes practice focuses on civil and criminal litigation and electronic discovery. He represents major companies and individuals in state and federal proceedings, including multi-district and class action litigation. Mike also has represented numerous defendants in grand jury proceedings and governmental investigations.

Mike is nationally recognized for his knowledge of electronic discovery issues. He serves as a member of the Board of Advisors to the Georgetown University Law School Advanced E-Discovery Institute, is an Advisory Cabinet Member to The Masters Conference, and is a member of The Sedona Conference Working Group on Electronic Document Retention and Production. Chambers USA (2010) listed him as one of the top E-discovery attorneys nationwide, reporting that "[o]f all the attorneys who do this work, he is a real top gun who "has a good head on his shoulders."

Allison Stanton
Director of E-Discovery, Civil Division
U.S. Department of Justice
Washington, DC

Allison Stanton is the Director of E-Discovery for the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Among her responsibilities, Stanton develops e-discovery policies, practices, and training for the Civil Division, works with the other Divisions on e-discovery initiatives, and coordinates with federal agencies on e-discovery matters. Prior to joining the Department of Justice, Stanton was an attorney with Hogan Lovells US LLP where she represented numerous clients in complex civil cases and high-profile criminal investigations, many of which included complex e-discovery issues. Stanton also developed proactive e-discovery plans for Fortune 500 companies, including document retention policies and litigation hold and response procedures.

L. Benjamin (Benny) Young, Jr.
Assistant General Counsel, Office of the General Counsel
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Washington, DC

L. Benjamin Young, Jr. (Benny), is Assistant General Counsel for the General Law Division, Office of the General Counsel, U.S. Department of Agriculture. The General Law Division covers the legal areas of the Freedom of Information Act, government contracts, fiscal law, ethics, tort claims, Privacy Act, grants and agreements, intellectual property, personnel law, information technology, and homeland security and contingency planning. The General Law Division also handles program matters for the Research, Education, and Economics mission area of the Department as well as matters for the staff offices of the Department such as the Office of Chief Information Officer and the Office of the Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Young is a 1991 graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, and has a B.A. in History and Religious Studies from the University of Virginia as well.