At CDS, real results matter—but it’s our people who make the real difference. Real People, Real Results, is a monthly blog series spotlighting the incredible individuals behind the work we do. 

Each month, you’ll get to know one of our team members—their journey into eDiscovery, expertise, and a little bit of what makes them, well, them. Because at the end of the day, real results start with real people. 

This month, meet Brian Kawasaki, one of our talented Client Directors. With over two decades of experience in the eDiscovery industry, Brian brings a rare combination of technical insight, client advocacy, and strategic leadership to his role at CDS. He’s known for translating complex solutions into actionable strategies tailored for legal teams—bridging the gap between legal, IT, and operations. Whether advising Am Law firms or Fortune 500 clients, Brian approaches every challenge with empathy, precision, and a teacher’s mindset—guiding clients to real results, driven by expertise. 

Why eDiscovery, and how did you get to your role today?

I love how eDiscovery is always about finding the right balance between consistency and creativity. It requires translating across legal, tech, business, and a sense of reasonableness. It’s also a team sport, which makes it all worthwhile. 

I actually sought out this role because I wanted to stay close to the technology and work directly with clients every day. I loved my management background, but it sometimes pulled me away from that day-to-day rapport with clients—that ongoing connection that reminds you why we do what we do. 

What is your favorite part of CDS?

CDS is focused on results, on delivering, and—importantly—on understanding. It sounds simple, but it’s surprisingly rare in today’s rapidly changing marketplace. That focus is what I’ve always loved about the best organizations: when the culture revolves around delivering on client needs and goals, and every level of the company is aligned toward that outcome. 

It’s like a great school: the teachers are teaching, the principals are enabling great teaching and encouraging a growth mindset. CDS operates like that—every effort is focused on achieving the best possible client outcomes. 

How do you make what you do understandable to friends and family?

When I explain eDiscovery, I keep it non-technical. I say I’m a translator and a designer: I translate tech-speak into legal-speak, and deliver it like a teacher and guide. I focus on customer service, while designing solutions—sometimes one-off, sometimes repeatable (my personal favorite). 

The work is really about balancing all of those things. Then I explain that I manage large-scale, confidential datasets and help non-technical attorneys get exactly what they need—accurately and efficiently. That’s the translation work in action. 

And if someone wants to learn more, I dive deeper. If not, they may not fully understand what I do—but they get why I’ve done it for 25 years and counting.

If eDiscovery had a theme song, what would it be?

“Love the One You’re With.”
Stick with me here—no one writes songs about tech or legal, but love songs often have surprisingly relatable themes. 

• Very very few people set out to be in eDiscovery, yet many of us have found satisfaction and purpose here. 

• Things don’t always work exactly how you wish, but the goal remains the same, and you find a path forward. 

• And this lyric? “Well there’s a rose in a fisted glove, and the eagle flies with the dove”—I think that sums up the balance between technical, legal, operational, and business forces that all have to work together. 

If you weren’t in eDiscovery or tech, what career would you have pursued?

Teacher or professor. Honestly, I still plan to teach high school math when I retire—or become a driving instructor for people getting their learner’s permit. 

I had so many math teachers who only taught “math to math kids” and left everyone else behind. It should be the opposite. That’s probably why I love eDiscovery: I get to teach tech to attorneys in a way that works for them. 

Name some hobbies that help you maintain balance.

• Binge-watching TV with my wife (seriously, I love it) 

• Comedy shows with my adult daughter 

• Playground time with my young son 

• Fruit gardening (I grow the best avocados and lemons in the neighborhood—next project is a budding orange tree. My approach: simple, consistent, simple) 

When was your “aha” moment in eDiscovery?

In the early 2010s, we had this idea to build and promote a central repository—but clients just weren’t ready for it. In 20 meetings, 17 clients said something like, “That sounds great—is there a portal or reporting that would help us understand the data?” 

That was the moment I really learned to listen. So, we pivoted. We scrapped the standalone repository concept and built a powerful portal and data reporting system instead. Then we plugged that into the original repository we had quietly developed. The result? We won “Best New Software” from Law Technology News—even though we weren’t a software company. 

That experience taught me that if you listen—really listen—after proactively offering a solution, the right answer will come. Even if it’s not the one you expected. 

What’s your approach when a client is overwhelmed by technical complexity?  

First and foremost: seek to understand and then seek to confirm. Don’t move on until both are either validated, or it’s clear your approach needs to be adjusted. 

My mother (retired) and wife are both teachers, so I’ve learned that everyone processes information differently. That means being flexible—restating, reframing, or even going back to the drawing board if needed. And sometimes, even a great idea just won’t stick. If it’s overwhelming, it might not be the right idea—at least not in that moment. 

Look out next month as we highlight more of the real people driving real results at CDS, or check out our feature from last month on Brad Berkshire, Director of Consulting and Digital Forensics. To learn more about CDS, reach out to us at .