Rick Weber
Managing Partner
Rick Weber is the Managing Partner of Arbor Ridge Partners. Rick started as an attorney at an AmLaw 50 law firm and then became a federal prosecutor for the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. In 2000, Rick left the practice of law and co-founded Advocate Solutions – becoming one of the pioneers in the eDiscovery industry with the creation of Discovery Cracker. To date, Rick has a total of five personal exits all in the legal technology and legal services industry.
Having started and sold several litigation technology companies, Rick has deep industry contacts and an inside working knowledge of legal technology mergers and acquisitions. Rick’s background as an attorney and prosecutor for the SEC allows for a sophisticated understanding of how best to structure mergers and acquisitions.
Rick is also an arbitrator for FINRA and is frequently invited to speak as an expert in the field of Electronic Discovery and Litigation Data Management at conferences and CLE seminars sponsored by corporations, law firms, the American Bar Association, and state bar associations. Rick’s overall experience has generated relationships and connections outside of the legal technology industry – thereby creating expanded opportunities for clients.
Rick holds a B.A. from Michigan State University with honors, and a J.D. from the Vanderbilt University School of Law, having served as an Associate Editor of the Law Review.
Gulam Zade
M&A Advisor
Gulam has over 10 years of experience in the legal vertical as an investor, executive and chief legal officer. He served as Chief Executive Officer of LOGICFORCE, a national IT consultancy, which he led to a successful acquisition in 2021 by Frontline Managed Services, the global leader in administrative, IT and financial managed services for legal. After the acquisition, he spent two years at Frontline Managed Services as its Chief Legal Officer leading the legal and global marketing functions while collaborating with members of the executive team to develop, implement and execute strategies for 1,000+ employees across the globe.
Gulam’s consulting experience includes advising operators and private equity groups on executing go-to market strategy, performing P&L assessments, establishing M&A strategy and improving overall business performance. He has also works with private equity groups, venture capitalists and private investors to assess potential investments in the legal and technology sectors.
Gulam earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Louisville’s Louis D. Brandeis School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts in Economics and International Business from Western Kentucky University.