NEW YORK, April 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- DOAR Litigation Consulting ("DOAR") and Julie Blackman & Associates ("JB&A") announce that the two companies will merge to create the largest, most sophisticated and experienced jury consulting practice in New York.

The founder and principal of JB&A, Julie Blackman, will join DOAR as a Vice President and Managing Director and will be the head of DOAR's New York jury consulting practice. She will also be a member of the company's executive committee. Ellen Brickman, who has worked with Julie Blackman for more than 20 years, will join DOAR as a Director.

The merger will significantly expand DOAR's jury consulting expertise and knowledge. Dr. Blackman has been a trial strategy consultant for more than 25 years. She and her team have consulted on some of the most high-profile and important litigations in recent history, including major white collar criminal defense trials, intellectual property cases and other high stakes civil matters.

Paul Neale, DOAR's Chief Executive Officer, states, "We have worked with Julie on behalf of the same clients on many occasions and have always had a tremendous amount of respect for her strategic thinking and the invaluable advice she provides to lawyers and their clients. I very much look forward to working with Julie and her team to greatly enhance our respective clients' ability to win at trial."

The merger will also allow JB&A to offer its clients DOAR's full suite of trial consulting and discovery management services. The ability to offer fully integrated trial consulting services is necessary as the litigation consulting market evolves and clients demand a single point of contact and accountability. Critical thinking and insight into core trial themes should extend to all aspects of how attorneys prepare their cases for trial, arbitration or mediation.

Julie Blackman adds, "I am thrilled to be joining DOAR. DOAR and I have crossed paths many times and I have always been very impressed by the insight and talent they bring to their work. For some time, I have looked for ways to improve my clients' seamless access to highest quality graphics, trial presentation and document management. Now, this will all happen smoothly in the context of a comprehensive strategic vision."

Dr. Blackman and the members of the jury consulting practice will be based in DOAR's New York City offices and will, as appropriate, conduct pre-trial research exercises in DOAR's Digital Court Facility in Lynbrook, NY on Long Island's south shore.

The details of the merger are not being disclosed.

About DOAR Litigation Consulting LLC

DOAR Litigation Consulting, the nation's preeminent litigation services company, provides Discovery Management and Trial Consulting services at the highest standards in the industry. DOAR supports its clients at every level in any aspect of an engagement from discreet consulting assignments to full-scale, long-term engagements. DOAR provides the scale and leverage sought by small and mid-tier law firms as well as the resources and expertise to support the largest law firms and corporations.

DOAR's Discovery Consulting division consults law firms and corporations on the preservation, collection and management of electronically stored information with a particular emphasis on reducing the time and cost associated with the manual review of information through the use of defensible methodologies and advanced technologies. For more information, visit www.DOAR.com.

About Julie Blackman & Associates LLC

Julie Blackman & Associates offers a full range of trial consulting services in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and around the country. As psychologists, we offer a range of pre-trial research activities intended to help attorneys identify their most compelling themes and enhance the persuasive impact of their trial presentations. As jury consultants, we apply our educated insights and/or the results of our research as we assist our clients with decision making during jury selection. Throughout trial preparation, we pay special attention to the perspective of the listeners - judges and jurors. With these listeners in mind, we work with attorneys to increase their effectiveness in the courtroom.

SOURCE DOAR Litigation Consulting