Meet the Team:
Dennis Roberts, Chief Operating Officer – From Law Firm to Service Provider
As chief operating officer and co-owner of Everest Discovery, Dennis Roberts is instrumental in driving growth for the company at a time when the legal tech industry is rapidly changing and evolving. With his background and areas of expertise, Roberts is the perfect person for this role.
The Law Firm World
Roberts understands clients’ needs better than anyone as he spent the first couple decades of his career in law firms. He began his career as a paralegal and litigation support analyst at Wolf, Block, Schorr and Solis-Cohen where he eventually helped set up the electronic discovery department. He then moved on to Reed Smith where he served as a senior litigation technology analyst for more than a decade. However, he realized that he wanted to be more involved in making decisions that would affect clients. He wanted to have more say in efficiencies, cost savings and responsiveness. He knew moving to a vendor was what he needed if this was the role he wanted for his future.
Unmatched Technology and Service
Because Roberts came to Everest directly from the law firm environment, he understands firsthand the importance of making sure Everest has not only the best technology offerings, but also unmatched customer service for its clients. After all, he was the client for many years.
“Being at Everest means I can ensure we offer flexibility for our customers and make quicker decisions when it comes to delivering what they need. The outside-the-box thinking we have at Everest wasn’t something that worked in the law firm environment,” states Roberts.
At Everest, Roberts works with each client to determine the best technology solution for its specific needs and then helps to implement that solution. “We can provide consultation to our clients to make eDiscovery more efficient and cost-effective,” adds Roberts.
Security
Cybersecurity is an ongoing concern for all organizations, and law firms are not immune. When the company was first purchased by Roberts and Pellegrino, they immediately started working with other executives to get Everest ISO certified to make sure they are doing everything they can to protect the vast amounts of sensitive and confidential client information they work with. An ISO certification signifies a seriousness about security and that the company is dedicated to creating the safest environment for the data that goes through Everest for clients.
The Importance of Teamwork
Roberts understands the importance of having someone on the team that knows the case, knows the client and is a main point of contact for the client. That is why the company makes sure project managers are assigned to specific cases. In addition, the team holds regular scrum meetings – a 15-minute gathering of the operations team where you ask just three questions:
- What did you do yesterday?
- What are you doing today?
- What obstacles are in your way?
This gives the team the opportunity to work together to ensure clients have the best process in place for their case. While each case has a dedicated project manager, it’s nice to know what everyone is working on, who can assist each other and that there is support to get out-of-the-box solutions when needed. Roberts knows the importance of having synergy between operations and sales and making sure there is constant communication taking place.
These meetings allow for quick discussion and make everyone aware of what else is happening. That way, if someone is out of the office, others can step in if needed at any point in time.
Roberts makes sure that the company partners with the best-of-breed companies and has trusted partnerships in place. “We are all at Everest because we want the best for our clients,” adds Roberts. “This is a team I am proud of. We have built a great culture and work environment.”
