ILTA Awards
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/1545624
Michael Sarlo LinkedIn / michael-sarlo-ence-b5543a43/ 2026 WINNER 2026 / Y O U N G P R O F E S S I O N A L S T O W A T C H A s Chief Innovation O f f icer and Pre sident of G lobal I n v e s t i g a t i o n s a n d C y b e r I n c i d e n t R e s p o n s e a t HaystackID®, Michael D. Sarlo leads multidisciplinary teams focused on digital forensic s , ediscover y, and complex inve stigations spanning dispute s , cyber incident s , a n d r e g u l a t o r y m a t t e r s . A c o - f o u n d e r o f H a y s t a c k I D , Michael has played a central role in building and sc aling the c o m p a ny 's i nve s t i g at i ve a n d c y b e r re s p o n s e c a p a b i l i t i e s , helping organizations navigate high -stakes incidents where l e g a l ex p o s u r e , r e g u l a to r y s c r u t i n y, a n d o p e r a t i o n a l r i s k c onve rge . U n d e r Mich a e l 's l e a d e r ship, H ays t a ckI D 's c yb e r incident response practice has expanded more than eightfold, reflecting the growing impor tance of defensible investigative methodologies in modern legal and regulatory matters. M i c h a e l 's wo r k c e n te r s o n t r a n s l a t i n g c o m p l ex te c h n i c a l findings into clear, actionable conclusions for legal and business stakeholders across a broad range of matter types, from large- scale disputes and government investigations to cyber incidents a n d p r i va c y- d r i ve n rev i ew s . H e e m p h a si ze s tr a n s p a re n c y, discipline, and composure in fast-moving investigations where decisions must withst and scrutiny from cour t s , regulators , and insurers. One of Michael's most significant recent matters involved leading the cyber investigation and AI- enabled data analysis for a major insurance company following a publicly disclosed cybersecurity incident initially believed to affect up to 100 million individuals . Through a combination of forensic analysis , advance d analy tic s , and defen sible methodolog y, Michael and his team reduced the potentially impacted population to a supportable notification group of approximately 20 million individuals, enabling the client to make informed decisions under intense public and regulatory pressure. Michael also spearheaded the development of Protect Analytics AI ®, an investigative capability designed to identif y sensitive data across massive unstructured datasets while preser ving reproducibility and auditability. Originally developed to address GDPR-driven investigative challenges, the technology has since supported major cyber and privacy investigations and complex discover y mat ters involving millions of records and earned industry recognition through the Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Awards, including Michael's 2025 individual award for Significant Advancement in Technology. Beyond his technical work, Michael serves as an expert witness on digital forensic s and ediscover y mat ters , has testified in state and federal venues , and has advised U. S . government stakeholders , including the DOJ and SEC , on best practices for mobile device data ex traction , review methodolog y, and produc tion st andards . He also archite c te d early work flows enabling attorneys to search, analyze, and produce mobile device ex tractions within web -based review plat forms , reflecting a career-long focus on making complex data sources defensible and accessible to legal teams. ILTA AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE 2026 2 9