Paul Weiner

Practice Areas

eDiscovery

Class Action

Litigation and Trials

AI and Technology

Career

Paul Weiner is a blue flame thinker and Chambers Band 1-ranked eDiscovery lawyer, who focuses on the cutting-edge of law, data and technology to solve clients’ business challenges from the explosion of data and emergent workplace technologies, serving as a shareholder and Littler’s National eDiscovery Counsel. As quoted by Chambers: "It's not just about the quantity and quality of the advice, but also the presentation: is this person someone I can put before C-suite executives, particularly for complex matters like eDiscovery. Weiner is that person: he's very knowledgeable in his subject matter but can have a conversation with you where you don't feel out of your depth, which is very important given the work he does. He has great strategic thinking."

In a world where technology has moved from the realm of science fiction to everyday reality, and business is conducted and people live their lives digitally–and globally–Weiner marries technology skills, litigation experience and deep subject matter knowledge, pushing the limits of innovation to provide enhanced value to multinational clients. His North Star is winning your case, and he never loses sight that the strategic goal of all discovery is to quickly address the merits to win. From his hands-on experience, particularly in high-exposure and often precedent-setting state and federal class, FLSA collective and California PAGA cases, Weiner brings a practical and cost-effective perspective to what can often be esoteric eDiscovery issues that can sidetrack a case from its merits. Weiner is also a skilled advocate and "explainer": one of his strengths is persuasively distilling complex technology and legal concepts into simple, easily understood language, so non-technical executives, lawyers, mediators, and judges can readily apply them.

Weiner also leads a high-performing team of dedicated eDiscovery lawyers, litigation support project managers and specialists, programmers, developers, data analysts, database administrators, and trainers who provide sophisticated advice, forward-thinking strategy, and hands-on litigation solutions to clients globally, leveraging leading-edge technology, project management skills and alternative pricing strategies. He also built and manages the Littler Discovery Data Center that handles electronic evidence processing and hosting activities, using best-of-breed technologies (Littler was the 4th law firm in the country to adopt Relativity and was the first AMLAW 100 to migrate to Relativity One, see Littler Goes All In With Relativity One), and quality assurance workflows, providing clients with a turn-key solution that typically is more cost-effective and streamlined than using outside vendors.

Industry leadership roles afford Weiner opportunities to transform the field. He co-chairs the Advisory Board for the Georgetown Law Global Advanced eDiscovery Institute - which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2023, and consistently features more state and federal judges steeped in eDiscovery than any other program in the country, serves on the Working Group Series Leadership Council of The Sedona Conference, served multiple terms on the Steering Committee of Sedona Working Group 1, is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation (limited to 1% of lawyers admitted to practice in the U.S.), and is a Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management.

Weiner is known for scanning the horizon - not just to anticipate the future of the field, but to shape it. He is a contributing author to the Electronic Discovery Institute Judges’ Guide to eDiscovery – specifically the “In Employment Cases, eDiscovery is a Two-Way Street” chapter for use by the Federal Bench (in today’s digital world there is often a wealth of discoverable ESI controlled by plaintiffs, which levels the playing field in what was traditionally viewed as asymmetrical litigation, as discovery obligations apply just as forcefully to individual plaintiffs – and their counsel), a contributing author to the Electronic Discovery Reference Model’s Using Special Masters and eDiscovery Mediators to Resolve eDiscovery Disputes: A Bench Book for Judges and Attorneys, and the Executive Editor of The Sedona Conference’s Commentary on Rules 34 and 45 Possession, Custody or Control (analyzing a circuit split to determine whether a litigant or subpoenaed non-party has “possession, custody, or control” of documents or data under Rules 34 and 45, and recommending the Rules Committee adopt a uniform, national standard modeled on the “Legal Right” test followed by the majority of circuits). He has published numerous thought-leadership articles in preeminent journals and national publications such as ABA Journal of Litigation, ABA Employment & Labor Relations Law Newsletter, Law Technology News, Law360, New York Law Journal, and National Law Journal, among many others. He frequently lectures at prestigious conferences and law schools to educate C-Suite executives, judges, lawyers, and law students about demystifying issues arising from the worldwide data deluge, new workplace technologies that emerge almost daily, and changes to legal standards, industry guidance and court rules as they develop to keep pace.

Based upon his innovative approaches to complex issues, Weiner has been appointed an eDiscovery Special Master in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and in multiple counties of the Court of Common Pleas of Pennsylvania, and is on the roster of eDiscovery Special Masters for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

For over a decade, Weiner has been one of a select group of lawyers in the world ranked for eDiscovery by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers (1 of 8 in Band 1), Chambers & Partners Global, and a Thought Leader Nationwide by Who’s Who Legal: Litigation. In 2019, Who’s Who also ranked Littler as one of only two “Leading Law Firms” in the world in eDiscovery, and every year since Chambers started ranking departments in 2020, Littler has been one of only a few ranked for eDiscovery by Chambers USA.

Weiner is also a culture carrier at Littler, having served in a variety of leadership roles, including having served as Chair of the Nominating Committee (selects the Board of Directors), Chair of the Governance Committee (sets, enforces and periodically updates firm governance standards), Chair of the Innovation Advisory Council (whose focus is breaking down traditional legal processes and re-engineering them for the better, resulting in data-driven and technology-enhanced approaches to delivering business solutions) and as Associate General Counsel. With the Firm’s Managing Director, he co-moderates the general session of Littler's annual Executive Employer conference.

Outside of his law practice, Weiner is active in the community, the bar and pro bono organizations, having served as a board member of breastcancer.org, and the President and long-time Executive Committee Member of The Temple American Inn of Court, including as Ambassador to the International Inns of Court, where he co-chaired several Cross Border Programs presented by the Temple Inn and Gray’s Inn, London, in Philadelphia, London, and virtually (during COVID). In 2023 (along with the Honorable Cynthia Rufe), he was Co-Recipient of the Inaugural Honorable Lowell A Reed, Jr. Distinguished Professionalism Award.

Professional Memberships

Fellow (Top 1% of lawyers admitted to practice in the U.S.)

American Bar Foundation

2016-present

Fellow

The College of Law Practice Management

2024-present

Member, Board of Directors

Temple American Inn of Court

2005-present (additional roles include Ambassador to the International Inns of Court 2017–present; Counselor to the President 2013-2016; President 2011-2012; Vice President 2010-2011; Treasurer 2007-2010; Recorder 2005-2007)

Co-Chair, Advisory Board

Georgetown Law Global Advanced eDiscovery Institute®

2013-present (additional roles include Member, Advisory Board 2009-present; Planning Committee Co-Chair - various years)

Member, Steering Committee

The Sedona Conference®

Working Group on Electronic Document Retention and Production (WG1)

2013-2017 (multiple terms)

Member, Working Group Series Leadership Council

The Sedona Conference®

2018-present

Member, Editorial Board

The Electronic Discovery Institute

The Federal Judges' Guide to Discovery (Edition 2.0)

Member, Board of Directors

Breastcancer.org

2012-2016

Education