David Galbenski, Esq., Founder & Chairman

Lumen Legal’s success is one of many proud achievements in Dave Galbenski’s ongoing work as a legal industry innovator, thought leader, author, community volunteer and entrepreneur.

Since staring Lumen Legal in 1993, Dave has pioneered outsourcing solutions for corporate clients and law firms.

Lumen began as a traditional legal staffing firm, but Dave soon established his thought leadership in the industry by transforming the organization into an innovative operation — providing legal staffing, discovery, document review and consulting services with greater efficiency, accuracy and for less cost.

Dave’s roadmap for success called for assembling extremely talented staff, and then bringing together the precise combination of internal and external resources needed to optimize cost and results.

It’s a strategy that has kept Lumen Legal in the spotlight as one of the profession’s most innovative and successful legal services firms. His innovative approach to legal services has earned Dave the following recognition:

• 2005 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award Winner (Staffing and IT Consulting Services, Central Great Lakes Region)
• Two-time member of the Inc. 500 – honoring the 500 fastest-growing, private companies in the United States
• Four-time recipient of the Future 50 of Greater Detroit award
• Three-time award winner of the 101 Best and Brightest companies to work for in Southeastern Michigan.
• Appeared on the inaugural list of the 50 Companies to Watch in Michigan based upon entrepreneurial success
• President’s Award Recipient from Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association recognizing lifetime achievement and contribution to the DMBA
• Treasure of Detroit Honoree by Wayne State University Law School recognizing contribution to the law school and career achievement
• Crain’s Detroit Business 40 under 40
• Named one of Michigan’s 100 emerging leaders by the Detroit Regional Chamber

As an author, Dave made quite a splash with his book, Unbound: How Entrepreneurship is Dramatically Transforming Legal Services Today. It has been sold in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and Russia. His groundbreaking book forecasts how the legal industry is transforming, and how firms and companies can benefit from being more more alert to global and business trends. Currently, he is finishing his follow-up book to Unbound, and frequently writes industry white papers and is sought for speaking engagements.

As an entrepreneur, Dave is excited by today’s trends and what they promise for the future. His entrepreneurial spirit has extended to other personal ventures in developing real estate, sports technology, and technology distribution.

In addition, Dave is a past Global Chairman of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (www.eonetwork.org), which has more than 8,000 members in 43 countries. He is chairing the organization’s 25th anniversary celebration and Istanbul University in 2012.

Dave graduated with distinction from the University of Michigan Business School in 1990, and cum laude from Wayne State University Law School in 1993. Prior to founding Lumen Legal, Dave worked as a commercial litigation attorney in the Detroit law firm of Timmis & Inman.

But despite all of his national and international accomplishments, Dave is most inspired by the importance of family and community. Dave, his wife, Lynn, and their daughter, Sarah, live in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan — where Dave served on the City Council in 2010 and 2011.