Board of Directors
Chiara Vega, CEDS
President
Chiara is a Director of eDiscovery Program Management at Consilio, a global leader in eDiscovery, document review and legal consulting services.
With over two decades of experience in electronic discovery, Chiara Vega is a seasoned professional specializing in providing innovative and cost-effective solutions for law firms and corporate clients. She has guided organizations through complex litigation and investigations leveraging deep expertise in data management, technology-assisted review (TAR), and defensible workflows.
Chiara is adept at bridging the gap between legal and technical teams, ensuring seamless collaboration and optimal outcomes. She has worked on cases involving high-stakes disputes, cross-border investigations, and data privacy concerns, consistently delivering results that meet stringent legal and regulatory requirements.
Throughout her career, Chiara has built a reputation for staying at the forefront of eDiscovery trends, including advancements in artificial intelligence and data analytics. Chiara also advises on information governance strategies to mitigate risk and enhance organizational efficiency.
A trusted advisor and thought leader, Chiara Vega is dedicated to helping clients navigate the evolving eDiscovery landscape with precision, integrity, and strategic insight.
Patrick Bilgere, CEDS
Immediate Past President
Patrick Bilgere is an e-discovery consultant bringing over 15 years of experience in e-discovery, data analytics, and information life-cycle management. Mr. Bilgere’s areas of specialty include data collection, computer forensics, predictive coding, review management, training and development, software selection and implementation and strategic consulting in support of all phases of litigation, investigations and litigation readiness. Mr. Bilgere has extensive knowledge and proven ability in assisting clients with managing the discovery process from beginning to end, ranging from collection, processing, review and hosting, to production and presentation..
Diane Diaz, CEDS
Vice President
Diane Diaz is an eDiscovery Manager at McDonald’s Corporation. She has over 20 years of experience in the legal field, starting as a legal secretary and working through the ranks of paralegal and most recently realigning her paralegal responsibilities into her current eDiscovery Manager role. She supports the legal department and serves the Commercial Litigation Practice Group which handles, among other things, class action lawsuits, government inquiries, franchise disputes, real estate matters and third-party subpoena responses. On any given day, she manages over 60 matters that include issuing legal holds, interviewing custodians, identifying and collecting data, managing data and sorting through boxes of records located in offsite storage. She also manages the eDiscovery and Legal Hold platforms for the litigation teams. Diane is a strategic thinker that ensures alignment amongst commercial, labor and tort litigation teams developing protocols that keep consistent and repeatable processes when collecting data. In addition, she partners with the Records and Information Management team on information governance ensuring that eDiscovery needs concerning incoming technology and data disposition projects are addressed.
Bill Ryan
Secretary
Bill has spent four decades in information management including sales and consulting for: SEC filing services, virtual data rooms, discovery in litigation, investigations and regulatory enforcement, and cybersecurity incident response. He concentrates on advanced approaches to unstructured data for quick retrieval of relevant information through analytics-based investigation. He has presented on predictive coding and AI for discovery in Canada, Great Britain and across the United States. Bill served on the eDiscovery Subcommittee of the Commercial Litigation Committee of the Chicago Bar Association and the Technology Project Team of the 7th Circuit Council on eDiscovery and Digital information. He is currently Secretary to the ACEDS Chicago Chapter Board. Bill is Axcelerate Certified, a Certified E-Discovery Specialist (CEDS) and a Relativity Certified Sales Professional (RCSP).
Susan Schomburg
Treasurer
Susan brings over a decade of experience in the legal industry. She applies a meticulous and analytical approach to every project, leveraging advanced technology to streamline processes and optimize workflows. With a keen eye for detail and a commitment to excellence, Susan continues to explore new ways to streamline processes, optimize workflows, and deliver exceptional results.
As a board member of the ACEDS Chicago Chapter, Susan is committed to fostering professional growth, industry collaboration, and knowledge sharing within the eDiscovery community.
Megan O'Leary
Director of Membership
Since 2004, Megan O’Leary has consulted on hundreds of matters, collaborating with top law firms across North America as an expert in communication strategy for litigation. With a background in mechanical engineering, Megan brings a unique technical perspective to her work, enabling her to specialize in energy, intellectual property, trademark, and product liability cases.
In addition to her communication expertise, Megan has significant experience in the litigation technology space, particularly in eDiscovery. She has worked closely with legal teams to develop and implement tailored solutions for complex data management, review, analysis, and production/presentation. Her problem-solving skills have been instrumental in streamlining workflows, optimizing document review processes, and ensuring the efficient handling of large volumes of ESI.
Megan’s expertise in product development within the eDiscovery space has allowed her to design and refine innovative tools that improve the speed and accuracy of legal proceedings. Her ability to bridge the gap between legal professionals and technology teams has made her a valuable asset in driving the success of technology-driven litigation strategies.
Jennifer Freeman
Director of Marketing
Jennifer Freeman is a distinguished leader in the legal technology industry, recognized for her strategic expertise and consultative approach in delivering innovative, tech-enabled solutions. Her extensive legal technologies background equips her with a comprehensive understanding of the challenges facing legal and compliance teams.
With a forward-thinking approach and deep industry expertise, Jennifer partners with practitioners to navigate complex legal, regulatory, and technological landscapes with confidence, ensuring they stay ahead in an evolving digital world.
Jennifer lives on Chicago’s north shore with her husband and three school-aged children. She is a member of the EDRM 2.0 Committee and is currently serving a six-year term as a Park District Commissioner on the Park District Board in Highland Park.
Chris Bojar
Director at Large
Chris Bojar is the Director of eDiscovery and Litigation Support at Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP. Chris guides clients and case teams through the eDiscovery process, spanning all phases of the EDRM. With more than a decade of experience, Chris helps clients and case teams identify, preserve, collect, process, review, analyze, produce, and present evidence for litigation matters at BFKN. As a part of that, Chris is responsible for administering BFKN’s instance of RelativityOne via their eDiscovery subsidiary, BF Discovery. Chris is a sports nut who loves to golf and cheer on his favorite teams at home and abroad, he is an avid fan of all Wisconsin teams as well as the Manchester City in the English Premier League.
Mark Plaehn
Director at Large
Mark is currently a Regional Vice President in eDiscovery for IST Management Services. Mark has held various positions in the eDiscovery field, including Sales Representative, National Sales Manager, Chief Revenue Officer, and Chief Strategic Officer. Mark works closely with corporate legal departments, law firms, and business professionals to provide precise solutions for their Electronic Discovery, Data Acquisition, Forensics, ESI Processing & Hosting, AI & Technology-Assisted Review, Managed Document Review, and Court Reporting needs. This includes guidance and support for a wide range of eDiscovery projects, including SEC and DOJ investigations, complex civil litigation, and anti-trust/second requests. Mark is based in Chicago, Illinois.
Matt Poplawski
Director at Large
Matt Poplawski has served as national eDiscovery counsel for global companies and consults clients and leads discovery teams on complex litigation, including bet-the-company legal matters, multi-district litigations, and civil investigatory demands. He has built and executed cost-effective and defensible discovery workflows for several Fortune 500 companies. He has helped shaping the future of eDiscovery and legal technology, combining technical expertise and legal acumen to test and develop innovative solutions. Matt actively contributes to industry think tanks and academic initiatives, including the Seventh Circuit Council on eDiscovery and Digital Information, ACEDS, EDRM, and leading universities such as Georgetown, Duke, George Washington, and Harvard.