In the second episode of our Legalweek series, Laura and Kevin sit down with Matt Berry and Greg Anderson from QuikData, a company challenging the status quo in the legal tech space. Matt shares QuikData’s mission to offer low-cost, on-premise eDiscovery solutions, bucking the industry’s shift toward cloud-only platforms. Alongside him, Greg, VP of Product and Client Services, brings his 20+ years of legal tech experience to the conversation, offering insights into how QuikData prioritizes security, affordability, and convenience for corporations and law firms.

We learn about their origin story, tracing back to their first venture, Lateral Data, and the development of Viewpoint, an eDiscovery platform ultimately acquired by Xerox. Matt and Greg discuss how those early experiences shaped their vision for QuikData. We also discuss the role of AI in the industry, how it’s reshaping workflows, and QuikData’s practical approach to leveraging AI to enhance, not replace human decision-making in complex legal processes. This episode delivers a refreshing perspective on innovation, security, and the power of going against the grain.

Matt Berry is an attorney, serial entrepreneur, and co-founder of QuikData, a platform rethinking how legal teams manage eDiscovery and secure collaboration. Before QuikData, Matt co-founded Lateral Data, where he and his team developed Viewpoint, an end-to-end eDiscovery solution focused on on-premises and enterprise deployments. Earlier in his career, Matt co-founded Diamed with his wife Simone—a mail delivery medical supply company that served over 30,000 patients nationwide with diabetes testing supplies and related products. A graduate of Rice University, Matt is also a former Division I tennis player and still finds time to stay active on the court. His diverse background across industries informs his thoughtful approach to building tools that solve real-world problems.

Greg Anderson serves as the Vice President of Product and Client Services at QuikData. With over twenty years of experience in legal technology, he specializes in the design and application of E-Discovery solutions, enjoying the challenge of problem solving by leveraging both traditional and non-traditional approaches to address complex or unique problems. His background includes key product management roles at Lateral Data and Conduent, and prior to joining QuikData, he led an E-Discovery Project Management team at Norton Rose Fulbright, where he focused on multinational matters.

QuikData is a software development company specializing in eDiscovery and data room solutions for legal service providers, law firms, corporate legal departments, and financial institutions. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Houston, Texas, QuikData offers intuitive and powerful tools designed to streamline complex legal data management tasks. ​Their flagship product, Quik E-Discovery, is an end-to-end platform that facilitates the entire electronic discovery process, including data processing, analysis, review, and production.

In this week’s episode, Land and Kevin take you inside Legalweek 2025 for a no-holds-barred recap of the biggest legal tech event of the year. We break down the good—the insightful sessions, the exciting product launches, and the incredible people we met. We also cover the bad—from conference logistics to some less-than-stellar booth experiences. And of course, we get into the ugly—including the controversial decision to move Legalweek from its long-time home at the Hilton to the Javits Center in 2026, marking the end of an era.

We hit the exhibit hall, highlighting standout vendors, unforgettable swag (yes, we’re ranking the best and worst giveaways!), and key trends shaping the legal tech landscape.

Plus, we sit down with Josh Janow, CEO of SMI Aware, for a chat on what makes them unique in the world of social media discovery. Josh shares how SMI Aware’s proprietary technology and expert analysis help legal teams uncover and preserve critical open-source data, ensuring compliance and strategic insights in discovery, due diligence, and risk management.

If you missed Legalweek or just want the inside scoop, this episode has everything you need!

Josh Janow is the CEO of SMI Aware, a leader in social media and open-source data discovery. His company specializes in researching, collecting, and preserving publicly available information to support legal, HR, and compliance teams in discovery, due diligence, and risk management.

With a career dedicated to leveraging data for strategic decision-making, Josh has led SMI Aware in providing critical insights that shape client strategies. Previously, he served as General Counsel and later President of gategroup North America, overseeing a $1B operation with 10,000+ employees. His leadership during industry disruptions, including the COVID-19 pandemic, drove significant restructuring and growth. Josh began his career at Weil, Gotshal & Manges, developing expertise in legal and business strategy.

Today Kevin and Laura sit down with Kirk Hanson, a seasoned Sales Engineering leader with an impressive career spanning industry giants like SentinelOne, Splunk, BMC, and IBM. From kicking things off with a nostalgic nod to Hanson’s MMMBop to deep insights on the evolution of sales engineering, this conversation is packed with wisdom, humor, and career-defining moments.

Kirk shares how his journey into tech started with an unexpected edge—his fluency in Japanese—and how strong mentorship shaped his path. He goes into the balancing act of technical expertise and business acumen in sales engineering, how AI and automation are reshaping the field, and why human connection remains irreplaceable in building customer trust. We also explore trends in cybersecurity, cloud, and big data, including a candid discussion on false positives at SentinelOne. Kirk reflects on his time at Splunk, where he co-founded the Solution Architect team, and the impact of international experience on data privacy and cybersecurity strategies. Kirk offers advice for aspiring sales engineers, leadership lessons from his global career, and a glimpse into what’s next for him. Oh, and a friendly reminder: never miss your one-on-ones with your employees.

But it’s not all business—we make some fun detours into pop culture, from Office Space’s infamous “Jump to Conclusions” mat to Laura’s struggles with her futuristic WalkCar from Japan. Plus, Kirk shares his passion for supporting the Navy SEAL Foundation and his ongoing quest to collect challenge coins. Tune in for an engaging, insightful, and laugh-filled conversation with one of the best in the business!

Kirk Hanson is a highly experienced Sales Engineering Manager with over 20 years of expertise leading sales engineering teams at top software companies such as SentinelOne, Splunk, BMC, and IBM. Specializing in cybersecurity, cloud technologies, big data, and data analytics, Kirk is a strategic advocate for customers, leveraging value-based selling and consultative approaches to close complex sales. Throughout his career, he has built and led high-performing presales teams, created innovative sales tools, and consistently delivered strong results. Fluent in Japanese, he has conducted numerous presentations across Asia and led multiple executive panels for leadership networks. His notable achievements include co-creating the Solution Architect team at Splunk, earning multiple awards such as SE Manager of the Year (Americas), and receiving the Innovation Award for developing new demo platforms. He holds a BA in International Studies from the University of California, San Diego, and has pursued post-graduate work at Cal-State Hayward.