CHICAGO, Ill. (March 24, 2015) - Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Geoffrey A. Vance has joined the Chicago office as a partner in the Commercial Litigation practice and chair of the firm’s E-Discovery Services & Strategy practice. Geof was previously a partner at McDermott Will & Emery, where he founded and led the International McDermott Discovery practice group and formerly served as the partner-in-charge of the Trial practice group in Chicago.

“Geof’s impressive and diverse litigation practice, combined with his deep knowledge of the legal and technical nuances of electronic information management, will be of great value to our clients,” said Joe Mais, chair of Perkins Coie’s Commercial Litigation practice. “Geof brings extensive experience, leading and managing discovery services and trial teams, and we are thrilled to welcome him to Perkins Coie.”

Geof focuses his trial practice on complex commercial litigation and has successfully litigated disputes in a variety of venues and industries, including consumer and food products, insurance, aviation and energy. With significant experience managing high-profile, large-scale discovery projects, Geof regularly counsels clients on all parts of the information management spectrum, from preservation to the review and analysis of electronic data, with the goal of improving and reducing the cost and risks associated with complex legal matters. Geof is an active member of the Sedona Conference’s Working Group 1 on Electronic Document Retention and Production and is a frequent speaker and writer on electronic discovery issues and litigation trends, including the use of predictive coding and other sophisticated analytics tools in commercial litigation and the courtroom.

“I am delighted to welcome Geof to Perkins Coie,” said Chris Wilson, office managing partner of the firm’s Chicago office. “He is well-known in the legal community for his national litigation practice and discovery projects and admired closer to home for his dedicated community service work. We are pleased he has joined Perkins Coie.”

As an active member of the business and civic community, Geof is a former founding chair and currently serves on the board of directors of the Chicagoland Chapter of Autism Speaks, a member of the Economic Club of Chicago, and a former president of the Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation, an organization that he continues to work with to provide pro bono legal counsel to the Chicago community. He earned his J.D. from John Marshall Law School (cum laude) and received his B.A. from Michigan State University.

Perkins Coie’s national Commercial Litigation practice consists of more than 400 litigators with experience across a wide spectrum of contractual disputes. Representing Fortune 100 companies and industry leaders, the team handles all types of complex commercial litigation, including contract disputes, business torts, corporate and partnership/LLC disputes, and emergency injunctive relief matters.

The firm’s E-Discovery Services & Strategy practice provides comprehensive information and records management, litigation readiness, and electronic discovery services to clients facing a wide range of legal issues, from complex civil litigation, to governmental and regulatory investigations, to transactional matters.

Perkins Coie is a leading international law firm that is known for providing high-value, strategic solutions and extraordinary client service on matters vital to our clients’ success. With more than 1,200 lawyers in offices across the United States and Asia, we provide a full array of corporate, commercial litigation, intellectual property, and regulatory legal advice to a broad range of clients, including many of the world’s most innovative companies and industry leaders as well as public and not-for-profit organizations.

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