Justin Hectus

CIO/CISO

Long Beach

(562) 436-2000

Justin Hectus is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of Keesal, Young & Logan (KYL). Justin’s dual role incorporates development and execution of the firm’s strategic technology vision and leadership of initiatives focused on managing risks and maximizing opportunities for the firm and its clients. Justin currently serves on the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee and is co-founder of the firm’s technology spin-out company, Keesal Propulsion Labs.

A three-time winner of the International Legal Technology Association (ILTA) Distinguished Peer Award, Justin is a lightning rod for recognition of the commitment made by the firm and its clients to true innovation. Underscoring the unique nature of this strategic focus by KYL, Justin was the first and only non-lawyer to be recognized as a BTI Client Service All-Star in 2020.

Justin is a member of KYL’s Compliance, Operations and Data Control Advisory (CODA) and Privacy & Data Security practices and he develops and delivers solutions to clients in the Technology, Banking, and Healthcare sectors. In that capacity, Justin also actively manages external strategic partnerships and coordinates investigations, data protection impact assessments, privacy impact assessments, risk management and resiliency initiatives, and development of policy, procedure, and training.

Justin’s professional background at KYL includes a wide range of experience at the leading edge of information technology and its application in the legal industry and he is involved in the management and oversight of the firm’s value pricing, business development, and ACEDS award-winning eDiscovery initiatives.

Justin is a nationally recognized speaker and author, and his work has been highlighted in dozens of case studies and publications including Network World, Inc. Magazine, Legaltech News, and Fast Company. He served on the Board of Editors for American Lawyer Media’s (ALM) Legal Tech Newsletter from 2007 to 2016 and began serving on the Board of Editors for ALM’s Cybersecurity Law & Strategy in 2016. Justin is also on the Advisory Boards of Privva, an analytics company focused on identifying and managing enterprise risk, and Evisort, the leader in AI-powered contract intelligence. In 2017, Mayor Robert Garcia appointed Justin to the City of Long Beach Technology & Innovation Commission. Despite Justin’s repeated requests, he was issued neither a badge nor a gun in his capacity as commissioner.

Justin is a champion of the development and effective use of standards in the legal industry. He was a member of The EDRM Security Audit Team and sat on the international Board of Directors of the Legal Technology Core Competencies Certification Coalition (LTC4) from 2014 through 2017. He has also been a voting member of the international Legal Electronic Data Exchange Standards Oversight Committee (LOC) since 2004, and he served on the LOC Board of Directors in 2006 and 2007.

Justin attended California State University at Long Beach, where he spent more time producing live music events than he did in class. Since that time he has produced over 100 concerts, including the award-winning Summer and Music (SAM) series, which presented free concerts with the Downtown Long Beach Alliance to audiences totaling more than 180,000 Southern Californians since 2009. In 2016, a short film was commissioned on the SAM series.

In addition to volunteering in that capacity, Justin has 20 years of nonprofit board leadership experience. Currently, Justin is focusing his efforts as an instructor and advisory board member of the Community of Legal Innovators (CLI). CLI’s mission is to “educate, empower and establish future leaders in the rapidly changing legal ecosystem . . . and create a community-based movement to connect students and employers committed to increasing diversity, inclusion and innovation in the legal industry.”

In his current role as CIO/CISO, Justin advises KYL’s clients and attorneys on the opportunities and challenges associated with a rapidly changing technology ecosystem.

Practice Areas

Compliance Operations & Data Control Advisory (CODA)
Privacy & Data Security

Speaking Engagements

Interact Keynote (linked here): Ways You Never Thought You Would Use Workflow Automation (August 2022)
Harvard Law School: The Future of Legal Ops and Tech (April 2022)
ILTACON AI in the Legal Department (August 2021)
Practising Law Institute: Project Management for Lawyers 2021 (February 2021)
Athens Roundtable: Artificial Intelligence and the Rule of Law (November 2020)
HBR Legal Lab: Legal Ops 3.0 – Countering COVID through Digital Transformation (October 2020)
Interact 24 Hour Hackathon Winner: Better Legal Outcomes With Metrics Everywhere (September 2020)
Continuity During Coronavirus – Looking Past Pandemic Webinar (May 2020)
Navigating Data Privacy for Legal Teams Webinar (June 2019)
CLOC Institute: Legal Ops 2.0: How Co-Innovation is Driving the Industry’s Future (May 2019) (click here for video)
CLOC Webinar: Process Automation Made Perfect (August 2018)
MCLE: Data Privacy Law: Challenges and Practical Solutions for California Businesses in 2018 (July 2018)
CLOC Institute Cybersecurity Initiative: Vendor Management, Threat Assessment & Security Questionnaires – Oh My! (linked here) (April 2018)
CLOC Institute Empowering the Evolution of Legal Operations: How Workflow Automation Enables Process Improvement and Releases Value in Existing Technologies (linked here) (April 2018)
Box Webinar – Collaborative, compliant and secure – How technology made partner in the legal industry (April 2018)
ThinkSmart Webinar – Mission Imperative: How Technology is Evolving the Role of Legal Operations (March 2018)
Vanderbilt Law School and Music City Legal Hackers: The Parallax View: One Legal Professional’s POV on the Importance of Trust in the HHI (March 2018)
Legal CIO Forum Co-Chair and panelist for Driving Digital Transformation and Innovation To Help Improve Collaboration and Productivity (linked here) (January 2018)
MCLE: Ethical Considerations of Blockchain and Smart Contracts (December 2017)
Strategic Technology Forum: Building a Culture of Customer-Focused Innovation: Getting Started & Case Studies (October 2017)
Western Independent Bankers Conference: Ransomware and Advanced Persistent Threats (September 2017)
MCLE: Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities in the Shipping Industry (September 2017)
ILTA: Sparktalks on Leadership (August 2017) (click here for video)
California Mortgage Bankers Association: Cybersecurity: Technology, Teams and Transparency (August 2017)
LBSS: Macro Trends in Technology and the Effects on Employment (July 2017)
Provisors: Buyer Beware: The Importance of Understanding Cybersecurity and Privacy Risks in M&A (June 2017)
LegalTech West: Riding the Wave of Change to Meet Client Needs More Efficiently (June 2017)
CLOC Institute: Workflow Automation: A LegalOps Paradigm Shift (May 2017)
EY Webinar: Cybersecurity in eDiscovery (April 2017)
Chair LegalCIO Forum and panelist for: The New Inside and Outside Counsel Ecosystem: Sharing Our Technology “Toys” and Playing Nicely Together (January 2017)
University of Connecticut Law School: Technology, the Law and Your Future (March 2016)

Articles

Securities Alert: Today’s NYDFS Deadline for Vendor Security Assessments (linked here) (March 1, 2019)
KYL and Mitratech Announce Workflow Automation Partnership with the Launch of Keesal Propulsion Labs (linked here) (August 14, 2018)
Cybersecurity (Law & Strategy) (July 2018)
American Lawyer Media Cybersecurity Law & Strategy “Presidential Cybersecurity Handoff” (also published in LegalTechNews, Inside Counsel, law.com and Corporate Counsel) (January 2017)
American Lawyer Media Cybersecurity Law & Strategy “New York Releases Updated Proposed Cybersecurity Regulation” (linked here) (December 2016)
Long Beach Business Journal “Music and the City 2: Doers on the Rocks” (December 2016)
American Lawyer Media Cybersecurity Law & Strategy “Much Ado About “Minimum Standards” for DFS Cybersecurity Regulation” (linked here) (September 2016)
Inside Counsel “Cyber Security Beyond Traditional Risk Management” (linked here) (September 2016)
American Lawyer Media Cybersecurity Law & Strategy “Measure to Manage: Understanding and Using Data to Affect Firm Change and Client Relationships” (Co-Authored with Peter Zver) (June 2016)
ILTA Connected Community “What is an RFP?” (February 2016)
Long Beach Business Journal “Music and the City” (December 2015)
American Lawyer Media Legal Technology Newsletter “Maximizing Value in a Software Driven World” (linked here) (January 2015)
Texas Lawyer “The Cold Call in 150 Seconds or Less” (also published in LegalTech News) (May 2014)
American Lawyer Media Legal Technology Newsletter “Creating a Law Firm Learning Environment Revisited: Lessons Learned” (November 2010)
American Lawyer Media Legal Technology Newsletter “Innovative Approaches to Tech Training” (linked here) (October 2009)
American Lawyer Media: Legal Technology Newsletter “Get Better E-Billing Results by Leveraging Experience and Relationships” (February 2008)
American Lawyer Media: Legal Technology Newsletter “Practical Advice for Effectively Managing Your Mobile Resources” (May 2007)
Law.com “The Time Is Now for Mobile Time Entry” (linked here) (May 2007)
American Lawyer Media: Legal Technology Newsletter “Looking Outside the Firm for On-Point Work Product” (December 2006)

Recognitions

Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) Value Champion 2021 (linked here)
BTI Client Service All-Stars 2020 (linked here)
ILTA Distinguished Peer Award: Transformation Project of the Year (August 2019)
Buying Legal Council: Innovation in Legal Procurement (honor shared with our client NetApp and our partner Mitratech) (September 2018)
LMA Technology Impact Award (January 2018)
ACEDS Law Firm eDiscovery Department of the Year (Team Member) (July 2016)
LTN Innovation Awards Finalist: Most Innovative Use of Technology in a Law Firm (May 2015)
ILTA Distinguished Peer Award: IT Professional of the Year (August 2014)
James H. Ackerman Arts Philanthropy Award (August 2013)
Long Beach Post “40 Under 40” (May 2012)
ILTA Distinguished Peer Award: User Support Services Champion (August 2011)
Long Beach Post “10 Most Powerful People in Long Beach” (June 2008)
InfoWorld 100 Award: Most Innovative Wireless Implementation (Team Lead) (May 2003)