When Proteus Discovery Group was founded on January 1, 2015, the four co-founding partners also opened another business – MBCB Law Firm. To celebrate the 10-year anniversary of both businesses, I sat down with the co-founders, Ray Biederman (CEO), Hamish Cohen (General Counsel), Sean Burke, and Jon Mattingly to chat about the companies and the road that brought them here.
Q: What inspired you to start Proteus Discovery Group and MBCB Law Firm?
Ray – The four of us developed a friendship when we worked together at Barnes Thornburg. We had an idea of starting our own law firm that could provide high-level, sophisticated services to clients in Indianapolis that might not be able to afford the big law firm name brand price.
Around the same time, we started hearing from headhunters who were looking at starting eDiscovery document review companies in Indianapolis. It was sort of a lightbulb moment for us, and it's when we decided to take a look at forming an eDiscovery company that was run by attorneys. That's how Proteus was born.
Hamish – We definitely had that entrepreneurial spirit when we got together – we wanted that challenge and saw the opportunity. We also thought it would be fun having that ability to control our day-to-day environment in a way you just can't when you're with a large law firm. I also found the idea of starting a business with three other people I loved and admired so appealing.
Q: How did your experience at Barnes Thornburg shape your vision for Proteus and MBCB?
Sean – Barnes and my previous firm, Sidley Austin, really taught me how to practice law at a high level, both ethically and client focused. Working with that caliber of attorney on a day-to-day was inspiring in many ways and the people there are going to be forever people I look up to as mentors and examples of how the profession should be done.
Jon – We definitely benefitted from working at Barnes because, like Sean eluded to, there we dealt with sophisticated and top-notch attorneys and clients. It was a great incubator to learn about the law and emerging trends – we were on the front end of complex legal issues and new technologies. At the time, eDiscovery was still considering emerging technology.
Q: Has owning an eDiscovery Services company impacted how you practice law?
Hamish – In the most simple context, a lot of my clients are businesses, and I own and operate a business. I understand the joy and risks of being entrepreneurial and I have that perspective, and empathy so when I'm dealing with business owners I'm not just a lawyer, I'm also a business owner.
Sean – It allows me to feel confident that no case is too big. We can work large cases or with organizations that have very high demands for information and high-level eDiscovery services that I wouldn't be able to do without outside help elsewhere. Having Proteus has allowed us to expand our footprint and take on cases that are bigger and more sophisticated than what otherwise might be possible.
Jon – I was previously a part of a lot of national litigation teams and wasn't as personally connected with my local Indianapolis legal community. Now, even as we expand our presence to a national level, as a business owner, I'm personally much more in touch with my city and community than I ever was before. And that's a great thing.
Q: Apart from the obvious 10th anniversary, what are your biggest accomplishments over the past decade?
Ray – I'd be remiss if I didn't say that within these 10 years I got married and had 2 kids. But from a work perspective, I think about where we started where it was just four of us to now having more than 40 employees and 100 contractors. It's really heartening to think about that and when we make business decisions having all those people and their livelihoods in mind, it adds a weight to what we're doing. It's very cool… and very nerve-wracking.
Hamish – I think as an organization, our biggest accomplishment is that we’ve always remained true to our core values and there are many components to that. We've maintained the "all for one, one for all"” ethos and we've always treated our employees with respect and kindness. And we've also always held ourselves to provide tremendous services for our clients.
Q: What does the future hold for Proteus and MBCB?
Jon – We're being more intentional about expanding Proteus both in Indianapolis, the Midwest, – and other select markets nationally. On the law firm side, we're comfortable with growth, but we want to hold on to that intimacy that comes with having a true partnership.
Sean – On the Proteus side, I think we continue to grow from a small litigation niche player to a full-service company that's able to take on and service clients coast-to-coast through their eDiscovery challenges.
Q: Would you do it over again?
Ray – In a heartbeat. I haven't ever looked back. I have appreciated the experience and wisdom I have gained at previous jobs, but this has been an important journey and I'm excited for the future.
Hamish – Yes. In a heartbeat.
Sean – Absolutely.
Jon – No hesitation whatsoever. It has exceeded every expectation.
For more information on Proteus Discovery Group or to send well wishes, please visit our website at www.proteusdiscovery.com. Thank you to our clients and supporters for seeing us through 10 big years!
