Editor’s Note: HaystackID’s leadership transition comes at a critical juncture for cybersecurity, information governance, and eDiscovery professionals. By appointing Chad Pinson as CEO and transitioning Hal Brooks to Executive Chair, the company reinforces its commitment to pairing executive expertise with the complex data environments where legal obligations intersect with technological risk. Pinson’s deep experience in cyber investigations and professional services—combined with Brooks’ ongoing focus on strategic growth—positions HaystackID to support clients managing regulated, high-volume data across litigation, compliance, and breach response. For professionals navigating today’s escalating regulatory and operational demands, this move signals both stability and sharpened strategic intent.
Industry News – eDiscovery Beat
HaystackID Names Chad Pinson CEO as Hal Brooks Becomes Executive Chair
ComplexDiscovery Staff
CHICAGO (January 20, 2026) — HaystackID has initiated a planned leadership transition, naming Chad Pinson as Chief Executive Officer while outgoing CEO Hal Brooks steps into the role of Executive Chair. The move follows a year of growth, recognition, and sustained innovation in legal technology, cybersecurity, and data compliance.
Brooks Moves to Executive Chair After Transformative Tenure
Hal Brooks, who served as CEO since 2018, guided HaystackID through an expansion that solidified its role as a leader in eDiscovery, cybersecurity advisory, and AI-enabled data services. Now, as Executive Chair, Brooks will remain closely involved in long-term strategic direction and market development.
“This transition reflects deliberate planning and a clear commitment to what we’ve built at HaystackID,” said Brooks. “As we enter our next phase, my focus will remain on guiding strategic growth and partnering closely with Chad and the leadership team. The priority is to build on a proven foundation with discipline and pace while preserving the culture, delivery rigor, and client commitment that have defined the company’s success and trajectory.”
Chad Pinson Brings Cyber and Legal Expertise to CEO Role
Chad Pinson brings over 20 years of leadership experience spanning law, technology, investigations, and cybersecurity. Most recently, he served as CEO and Managing Partner of Carr, Riggs & Ingram, a top-25 accounting firm. Before that, he led national service delivery in digital forensics and incident response at Stroz Friedberg and was an equity partner at Baker Botts LLP.
“HaystackID is the premier provider of solutions to complex data investigation and discovery issues, and has earned the trust of clients, courts, and regulators through consistent delivery, secure operations, and defensible outcomes in demanding environments,” said Pinson. “The work ahead is disciplined execution at scale—continuing to solve our clients’ difficult data problems, extending advisory capabilities, expanding in targeted international markets, and continuing investment in innovation that supports faster, more defensible results for clients navigating increasingly complex global data challenges.”
Award Momentum Continues into 2026
The leadership transition follows a wave of industry recognition for HaystackID. In the 2026 Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Awards, the company was named a finalist in multiple key categories, highlighting its innovation and leadership in both technology and service delivery. These include recognition for its ReviewRight® Mobile platform in the emerging technology category, and for Core Intelligence AI
in the artificial intelligence for eDiscovery and litigation category. HaystackID’s VALID
solution earned a finalist spot for cybersecurity and data privacy innovation, while CoreFlex
was acknowledged in the eDiscovery technology category. The company also received finalist honors for its Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) Compliance Advisory Services in the regulatory and compliance technology category, and for its ReviewRight® approach in innovation for hiring and staffing.
Additionally, Laura Danielson, HaystackID’s Vice President of Sales Operations, received the Monica Bay Women of Legal Tech Award, honoring her leadership in revenue enablement and contributions to HaystackID University.
“We are honored to be recognized across several key categories by the industry experts who served as this year’s judges,” said Brooks. “This recognition reinforces our continued commitment to delivering outstanding service and leading-edge technology to meet the discovery and data governance needs for our clients.”
The winners in these finalist categories will be announced at the Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Awards Dinner on Monday, March 9, at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers in New York.
Celebrating Hal Brooks’ Career Impact
In 2025, Hal Brooks was awarded the Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his 35-year career and his leadership in growing HaystackID into an industry standard-bearer in legal tech. The award highlighted his role in fostering innovation, particularly in areas like AI-powered discovery tools and data-centric advisory services.
Brooks’ tenure is marked by a consistent commitment to client service, data security, and solution scalability—principles that underpin HaystackID’s global growth and its standing among legal and regulatory professionals.
Continuity and Growth
With Pinson’s arrival and Brooks’ continued strategic oversight, HaystackID is positioned to deepen its advisory footprint and accelerate AI and cybersecurity innovation. The company’s alignment of legal, technical, and investigative expertise continues to resonate in a market shaped by rising regulatory scrutiny, cross-border data obligations, and the operational complexity of modern litigation.
For professionals in cybersecurity, information governance, and eDiscovery, this transition signals both continuity and ambition—anchored in proven leadership and backed by industry validation.
News Sources
- HaystackID Announces Transition of CEO Hal Brooks to Executive Chair; Names Chad Pinson New Chief Executive (PRNewswire)
- HaystackID® Earns Four Awards for Tech Law Excellence at Legalweek 2025 (HaystackID)
- HaystackID Recognized in 2026 Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Awards (HaystackID)
Assisted by GAI and LLM Technologies
Additional Reading
- Re-engineering the B2B Narrative: Why Tech Marketers Are Ditching Campaigns for Newsrooms
- How Prompt Marketing Is Redefining Thought Leadership In The AI Era
Source: ComplexDiscovery OÜ
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