Simon Placks

Simon is a Senior Managing Director and EMEA lead for the Digital Investigations & Discovery service line within J.S. Held’s Global Investigations Practice. His team uses technology to help organizations protect themselves from the harm caused by misconduct and economic crime. This includes reactive services to help them respond to crises and proactive services to manage risk.

Simon has enjoyed a career of over 20 years working with law firms, investigation teams, and compliance professionals to tackle the challenges and opportunities presented by digital technologies. He has led projects in the private and public sectors, across many different industries to address the most high-impact and critical challenges. He has extensive experience in leading large, complex international engagements, having led projects in over 25 jurisdictions.

Simon’s expertise includes the application of techniques in Digital Forensics, eDiscovery, investigative data analytics, cyber advisory, and digital transformation. His successes have included such diverse matters as the diesel emissions scandal, automotive cartel investigations, ransomware, state-sponsored cyberattacks, and complex litigation. Simon has presented written expert witness testimony for the courts in England and Wales, Ireland, and the United States. He has testified on a range of criminal and civil matters relating to the analysis of computer evidence, including allegations of intellectual property theft, cybercrime, software piracy, and contraband. He has also led a variety of transformation projects to help clients reimagine their legal and compliance functions by incorporating technology.