Employee Spotlight: Jodie Newman, Esq. – Director, Case Development

by info-services@infotechinc.com | May 19, 2020 | Blog

“One of the things that I always smile about is sitting in our conference room with a tremendous deadline looming and an unbelievably stressful situation hanging over our heads and then laughing so hard that I really feel like I’m just going to bust.” 

Infotech Consulting is a tight-knit group, often found brainstorming and hard at work together in their team conference room through hurricanes or cloudless days. Shifting to remote interactions hasn’t dampened their productivity or their connection, however, and the laughter is still contagious over Zoom. 

As the Director of Case Development for the team, Jodie Newman does something different every single day. Her team handles the industry research and litigation workflow for the statistical, economic, and econometric consultants, which means deep diving into a lot of information on a variety of topics. 

“We, as the case development team, need to become experts in industries from capacitors to dental supplies,” she said.  “I think one of the skills that I bring to our team is to kind of be the go-between from our group- which is largely statisticians and programmers and analysts – to our clients who are lawyers. I’m a lawyer by training and by education. I speak their language.” 

It’s no surprise that Jodie also finds herself assisting clients and teammates with project management, considering her background in human resources – a job she had at Infotech during her first years with the company, before leaving to spend time with her growing family and start a cookie company. 

As her children grew, however, she got a call from the Infotech founder and CEO about a new position. 

“Jim [McClave] called me one day and said ‘We’ve got a mountain of research. I know you’re baking cookies but wouldn’t you rather come and work directly with me?’ The idea of working on the Consulting team was really appealing to me and so I said sure, I’ll come and I’ll give you five hours a week. A couple of years later that was something that we just laughed about, because my five hours a week of research basically evolved into this full-time position that I think we never really thought that we needed. We all realize now that it’s really critical work worthy of having even a little team – which is the case development team.”

With more casework than ever and a somewhat stressful national situation on the mind, Jodie said she has two hobbies she uses to unwind. 

“They’re actually at odds with each other. The first one is I love to exercise. I’m a former aerobics instructor which is how I made some of my money when I was in law school. I have three kids and a husband. It’s mostly the only time that I’m alone,” she chuckled. 

And then there’s her other favorite pastime, cooking and baking, which she’s sharing with her daughter as they experiment with new recipes. 

“It’s very difficult not to be eating constantly,” Jodie said. 

Balance is everything though, and there are more benefits than just fresh recipes to be gained from foodie television. 

“My all time favorite is the Great British Baking Show. Oh my gosh, it is the ultimate calming show. If I’m super stressed or I’ve just finished a report or my family members are off doing something else, I light a candle, I pour a glass of wine and I turn on the Great British Baking Show. It is the best.” 

It’s a full life, she said, making memories with her family, their shedding Jack Russell Terrier, Jasper, and her team at Infotech.  

“In terms of just fun, fabulous times with the Consulting team, you know, we’re constantly laughing. And under the worst of situations, work-wise in terms of stress, we can laugh about something like having to reward ourselves with a bathroom break after we’ve solved some major issue with our analysis.” 

That sense of humor is a part of the culture, she points out, created and upheld by Dr. Jim McClave, the man who started it all. 

“I consider myself lucky every day to work with Jim,” Jodie said. “I’m guided by what Mr. Rogers would do and what Jim McClave would do; and, you know, I don’t get to work with Mr. Rogers, but I get to work with Jim McClave.”

Employee Spotlight: Brooke Harmer – Case Development Specialist

by info-services@infotechinc.com | Apr 24, 2020 | Blog

For a business that is slow to hire and where colleagues often casually mention they have been on the team for 20 years, adding a team member is a meaningful move for Infotech Consulting. When Brooke Harmer joined the team, she didn’t have time to worry about fitting in – there was work to be done. 

“I think that being interviewed by four people should be more intimidating than it actually was. I could really tell that everyone was super caring and interested in each other’s lives; like they genuinely seemed like friends, which was very different from any other interview I’ve been in and you could tell that they really loved the work.” 

Brooke began her Infotech Consulting career as a part-time Case Development Specialist in the middle of one of the busiest seasons the company has ever had. While finishing her graduate degree, before going full time in June, she worked the long days and hard hours alongside her new team and her energy was – and continues to be – infectious. 

“Brooke came in and hit the ground running and did an awesome job,” said Jodie Newman, Director of Case Development and the senior member of Brooke’s team. “She joined when we were in the throes of putting together not just one but two reports, being sent out the same day for the same case, and having that intense report experience so close to joining I think was really good for her. She totally rolled with the punches and did an excellent job and really helped us out.” 

Prior experience is always helpful during a trial by fire, and Brooke was no stranger to the work at hand. 

“I’ve been exposed to antitrust work before,” she said, “but this has been a lot more in depth than my previous work. There are way more projects to work on and I get to learn so much every single day, which was really important to me in a job. We get to work a little bit on everything, which I think is cool. There’s a lot of variety.” 

In fact, she said, the variety is one of her favorite parts about Infotech Consulting, even before everything was shaken up when the coronavirus hit the United States. Now, the busy schedule of reviewing documents and depositions and cases and code is a digital collaboration.

The time at home has offered unique benefits and challenges to all, and Brooke has been using it to exercise and spend time with her parents’ dog. 

“If I could have any pet in the world, I still want to say it would be my parents’ dog, because I really love that dog,” she said with a laugh. “Maybe a lioness.” 

When work transitions back to the office, Brooke said she is excited to get involved in the sustainability initiatives Infotech has in place. 

“I thought it was really cool when I got hired that the whole kitchen was plastic-free. I minored in sustainability studies,” she said. “I was like one class away from getting my second major in it, but I really wanted to start my masters in economics. I love how applicable it is or can be to so many different topics. I think that’s why I chose it; it’s a social science, but it is also very analytical. It’s both qualitative and quantitative.” 

Case development is a lot of industry research, developing the story and figuring out the timeline and what happened when. It takes a lot of time and intense focus, and Brooke, the perfect fit for a team of consultants, enjoys every minute and has no plans to pursue anything else. 

“I really love Infotech,” she said, “so, honestly, I may be good for life.”

Advice for New Lawyers: the Road Less Traveled

by Jodie Newman | Feb 24, 2020 | Blog

At a wedding several years ago, I overheard my Dad joke about how his only daughter, a Boston College law grad and a former Boston labor lawyer, was baking cookies for a living. Yes, I briefly juggled being a new mom and my own business, Jodie’s Cookies. Believe it or not, my legal training and experience did come in handy in starting and running a small business. Hey, I wasn’t just baking the cookies; I was negotiating and drafting agreements with customers for our late-night cookie deliveries, keeping the books and managing employment issues.

The Road Typically Traveled

If someone had asked me in law school what my legal career would look like, I bet my answer would have been something like, “I want to be a labor lawyer at a law firm.” And that’s what I did for a number of years, starting out in the document room (yup, reviewing paper!) and working my way up to advising clients, making court appearances and writing briefs. I jumped on every opportunity to participate in labor negotiations – like sitting across from United Steelworkers during a heated negotiation over pension benefits that would lead to a strike – even if it meant late hours keeping up with my other cases.

A Leap of Faith with Skills to Support

When I transitioned to the first of my several jobs outside of the normal practice of law, all of those skills and experiences went with me. Some of those jobs were a leap of faith, but my employment law experience helped make sure that faith wasn’t unfounded. Those same core skills I learned in law school and while practicing at a big law firm research, writing, negotiating, analyzing, problem-solving – is what made excelling at non-traditional legal roles possible.

In my career, I transitioned to a corporate role, moving from in-house counsel to Director of Comp & Benefits for Tufts Health Plan and then stepping into a role as an HR Director at Infotech. After starting a family, I ran Jodie’s Cookies for a few years, but, when Infotech’s CEO Jim McClave called me more than a decade ago and asked me to return to Infotech to do research for a new case, I jumped at the chance to take on a new challenge.

Choosing the Right Path

After well over a decade, I am still here at Infotech and I love how I can use my legal experiences and skills every day as a part of the Infotech Consulting team. From drafting and editing reports and discovery requests to preparing effective demonstratives, to researching and keeping projects on track, I am applying those same skills I started to develop in law school and as a new lawyer.

So my advice to new lawyers? Hone your skills, know that opportunities for lawyers go beyond the walls of law firms and don’t be afraid to take the road less traveled – it will make all the difference.

Spotlight: Paula Mullally – Senior Analyst

by info-services@infotechinc.com | Jan 13, 2020 | Blog

At Infotech headquarters, the Consulting business takes up much of the third floor where the team diligently works on complex casework and detail-oriented projects. It’s often quiet. Walking through the hushed corridors and silent library, it makes one wonder: Are they hard at work or just really boring? 

In fact, there is much personality to be found, so it seems only fair to showcase this unique team of statisticians, economists, analysts, and consultants in a profile series. 

Meet Paula Mullally – Senior Analyst, Case Development. 

In her three years at Infotech, Paula Mullally has gone from primarily data cleaning and database building to a role in mostly case development doing what she loves best: tons of research. 

“A lot of what I do now is almost a paralegal function, which is funny because my masters is in applied economics,” she said. “I got to bypass the expensive and stressful law school part,” she said.

Over the last few years, Paula has grown into even more responsibility, now sharing the ownership of the intern program Infotech Consulting offers where she helps mentor the next generation during their time here. It’s an ever-evolving position that has grown with her, rather than growing stagnant.  

“We threw so much at Paula when she first joined us.  I think we asked her to go through about a thousand data programs and find any inconsistencies.  Not the most fun first project. She handled it like a champ and did fantastic work,” said Dr. Jamie McClave Baldwin, President of Infotech Consulting. “It became clear quickly that Paula could do it all. So at that point we really had to ask where she would be happiest long term.  For Paula, that’s case development, with a side of analysis and data work.” 

“The fact that my supervisors were able to craft my role to my strengths is pretty unique,” Mullally said, mentioning that it’s that same flexibility the company offers which has been such a benefit since having her first child in 2018.  

With “work-life balance” being such a buzz phrase in the business world, she said it might not be the most popular answer, but being a working mom has been less balance, more ebb and flow, and a whole lot of grace. 

“Some days I feel like I’m handling one easily and really struggling with the other,” she said. “On rare occasions, I feel like I’m a pro at balancing both.”

To stay sane amidst the fluctuating chaos and peaceful moments of a busy life, Mullally said she loves running, New York Times crossword puzzles and her favorite pastime: baking. 

Standing in her mother’s kitchen, helping measure ingredients and mix them together, kick-started her love for the art of baking. Now, more often than not, her creations are made from a combination of her own expertise and imagination. 

“I once made up a key lime graham cracker cookie recipe that’s a staple in my household,” she said.  

Between her sense of humor and business sense, Paula is an irreplaceable member of the Infotech Consulting team – and not just because of the baked goods she brings in.