Geoffrey A. Vance is a partner in Perkins Coie’s Litigation practice and firmwide chair of the E-Discovery Services & Strategy practice, in which role he leads an impressive team of attorneys and litigation support professionals in assisting clients in leveraging state-of-the-art technologies and strategies to improve the outcomes and reduce the cost and risk associated with the firm's legal services. Geoffrey is also on the firm’s Asia management team tasked with providing leadership, guidance and strategy support to Perkins Coie’s Shanghai and Beijing offices.
An active member of the Sedona Conference’s Working Group 1 on Electronic Document Retention and Production, Geoffrey has in-depth experience managing complex, high-volume discovery projects. Geoffrey has co-authored and updated the Discovery chapter of the Federal Civil Practice handbook, published by the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, since 2006. In addition, he co-authored a number of publications related to legal technology and frequently writes and speaks about how predictive coding and other sophisticated analytics tools can reduce risk and increase efficiencies and the likelihood of success in legal matters.
In addition to his leadership roles, Geoffrey is a seasoned trial attorney, having tried more than 20 litigation matters to conclusion. Geoffrey has litigation experience in food and consumer product liability cases around the country as well as high-profile trust and estate controversy matters in jurisdictions throughout the world. He served as national litigation counsel for a global provider of electric power system equipment and services and served as national multidistrict litigation counsel for one of the world’s largest foodservice companies, overseeing a large volume of consolidated cases filed across the United States.
Geoffrey is a military veteran whose active service in the U.S. Navy included time serving in the first Gulf War. Geoffrey is a national and local leader in Autism Speaks, the world’s leading autism science and advocacy organization, serving as the founding chair of the board of directors of its Chicagoland Chapter, and also served as the former president of the Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation, the first and prominent pro bono civil legal aid provider in Chicago. Geoffrey is also on the membership committee of the Economic Club of Chicago.
Podcast Series: Mediating During the Pandemic
Perkins Coie attorneys discuss the viability of conducting virtual mediation sessions during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. The series includes conversations with neutrals and litigators.
Professional Recognition
- Named to Relativity’s “AI Visionaries” list, 2022
- Named by peers as one of the 40 Illinois Lawyers Under Forty to Watch
- Listed as an Illinois Rising Star and Super Lawyer
*The Supreme Court of Illinois does not recognize certifications of specialties in the practice of law and no certificate, award or recognition is a requirement to practice law in Illinois.
Community Involvement
- Autism Speaks, Chicagoland Chapter, Board of Directors
- Economic Club of Chicago, Membership Committee
- Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation, Former President; Board of Directors
Related Employment
- John Marshall Law School, Legal Writing and Research, Adjunct Faculty
Clerkships
- Hon. Charles Norgle, Sr., U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois