Reinventing Professionals

I spoke with Jim Vint , a co-founder and the chief revenue officer at Breakwater Solutions , a provider of consulting, managed services, and technology for data risk. We discussed the importance of combining consulting with managed services and technology, how the pandemic has changed the way legal teams are approaching e-discovery and data risk, and the increased use of artificial intelligence in...

I spoke with Lutz-Christian Wolff , the dean of the faculty of law for the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the author of the newly published book, The Art of Law Teaching . We discussed the impact of replacing face-to-face teaching with remote learning, how a teacher can incorporate their personality, humor, and energy into online classes, and how law school needs to adapt to a world where ma...

I spoke with Rob MacAdam , the vice president of product at BusyLamp , a legal operations platform for spend, matter, and document management, and the host of the Legaltech Arcade podcast. We discussed the differences between what one can accomplish in an innovation role within a law firm versus with a technology company, emerging workplace productivity trends, the rise of disaggregation and inter...

I spoke with Knut-Magnar Aanestad , the country manager and head of market development at Maigon.io , an artificial intelligence application for contracts analytics, and the founder of Sebra Lawtech, a consulting firm focused on transforming the legal profession. We discussed the genesis of Sebra Lawtech, how the pandemic has impacted the way legal teams leverage AI, the features that potential us...

I spoke with Tyrone Thomas , a vice president and deputy general counsel at Invenergy and the founder of Conversation For Six , a non-profit organization focused on expanding ongoing discussions about food insecurity. We discussed best practices for balancing community-focused work and a legal practice, how COVID-19 has affected the hunger crisis, and the impact of the pandemic on the legal commun...

I spoke with Patrice Asimakis and Naseeha Machingal , the director of legal services and the client success and partnerships lead, respectively, for LegalEase Solutions , a provider of alternative legal services. We discussed the importance of forming partnerships in the current climate, how the pandemic has impacted client expectations, and where the market for alternative legal services is heade...

I spoke with Amy Hinzmann , the president, and Marla Crawford , the general counsel, respectively, for Compliance , an integrated e-discovery services and managed review provider. We discussed how Compliance has evolved since it was founded over 20 years ago, the e-discovery issues that in-house counsel are most concerned about, how in-house teams are managing discovery remotely, and where e-disco...

I spoke with Doug Lusk , the founder of the National Society for Legal Technology , a training and certifying organization focused on empowering students and professionals with advanced technical skills. We discussed the skills that legal professionals need to thrive in today’s economy, how the NSLT curriculum helps participants draw connections between e-discovery, cybersecurity, and related fiel...

I spoke with Noah Waisberg , the co-founder and CEO of Kira Systems , a leading AI-powered contract analysis software company, and the co-author with Dr. Alexander Hudek of AI For Lawyers: How Artificial Intelligence is Adding Value, Amplifying Expertise, and Transforming Careers (Wiley, February 3, 2021). We discussed the growth of Kira Systems, his inspiration for AI For Lawyers, how AI is chang...

I spoke with Andrea Miskolczi , the Europe Director of Innovation at Dentons , a global law firm. We discussed the definition of innovation, the importance of developing an intrapreneurial mindset in a law firm, the need for creativity, and best practices for demystifying the legal transformation process.

I spoke with Dr. Eric Cole , the founder of Secure Anchor Consulting , a provider of cybersecurity solutions and services. We discussed the most significant cybersecurity issues that law firms and law department leaders should be aware of in 2021, how the pandemic has changed the way organizations manage their cybersecurity, and the potential threats that professionals could face in the coming yea...

I spoke with Martin Coen , the CEO , and Graham Smith-Bernal , the founder and executive chairman, of Opus2 , a software and services company that supports lawyers around the world. We discussed Opus 2’s growth strategy in the current market, how courts will balance virtual and hybrid proceedings moving forward, and the evolution of how lawyers use technology.

I spoke with Michael Potters , the co-founder and CEO of the Glenmont Group , a leading recruiting firm in the legal industry. We discussed how recruiting has evolved over the past two decades, the positions that are in highest demand today, how the Glenmont Group pivoted in the pandemic, the qualities and types of experience on which employers are focused, advice for candidates, and tips for empl...

I spoke with Jennifer Bantelman the Senior Director of Solutions Engineering at Zapproved , a cloud-based software company that builds e-discovery tools for corporate legal, from legal holds through processing and review. We discussed the E-Discovery Hero Awards , its mission, the honorees, and reimagining the event for a virtual world. Register for free here .

I spoke with Roman Zelichenko , an attorney and the founder of both GMI Rocket , a marketing firm for immigration lawyers, and LaborLess , a cloud-based software platform for H-1B visa compliance. We discussed the genesis of both companies, the value of digitizing traditionally paper-based processes, the unique nature of marketing for immigration lawyers, how the pandemic has impacted the way lawy...

I spoke with Andy Wishart , the Chief Product Officer at Agiloft , a provider of software for contract and commerce lifecycle management. We discussed his new role at the company, how remote working and the pandemic have impacted CLM solutions, and where the sector is headed.

I spoke with Justin Hectus , the chief information officer of Keesal Young & Logan and of the firm’s technology spin-off, KP Labs . We discussed the 2020 BTI Client Services All-Stars 2020 list, to which he was named and the only allied professional among the 475 winners to receive that acknowledgment, what distinguishes his approach to client service, what makes a law firm CIO indispensable, and...

I spoke with Tracy LaLonde , the founder of the professional development consultancy Xaphes and the author of The Joychiever Journey: Evade Burnout, Surpass Your Goals and Out-Happy Everyone (James House Media, November 30, 2020). We discussed her inspiration for writing The Joychiever Journey, whether legal professionals are happy, best practices for finding joy in your work, and the link between...

I spoke with Tom Obermaier , the CEO of SurePoint Technologies , a provider of financial and practice management software to law firms nationwide. We discussed how the increased adoption of artificial intelligence and predictive analytics is changing the work of legal professionals, the best practices that law firms should implement before they incorporate A.I. processes into their workflows, and...

I spoke with Eimear McCann , a former practicing lawyer and the head of strategy at Summize , a contract automation platform. We discussed her move from practice to legal tech, how Summize supplements the technology that legal teams already use, how professionals can ensure that legal tech solutions solve practical problems, the trajectory of the contract automation sector.

I spoke with Nick Whitehouse , the general manager of the Onit AI Center of Excellence , which is Onit ‘s centralized initiative to incorporate AI into its suite of software tools. We discussed the recent acquisition of his company, McCarthyFinch, artificial intelligence trends of which in-house lawyers should be aware, how can AI enhance customer support in legal departments, and ways that the pa...

I spoke with Darrell Mervau , the president of FileTrail , and David Worth , the chief information officer at Nelson Mullins . We discussed how the role of the CIO and most technology leaders has evolved in law firms, the increased interest in information governance, what to expect from an IG solution, and where the sector is headed.

I spoke with Rakesh Madhava , the founder and CEO of Nextpoint , a company that develops e-discovery and trial prep software. We discussed the genesis of Nextpoint, how the pandemic has changed e-discovery, and where e-discovery is headed.

One of the initiatives that Ari Kaplan Advisors launched in 2020 was a periodic CEO Roundtable to address trends, challenges, and objectives with market leaders. During the fifth and final conversation of the year, I discussed lessons learned, silver linings, and the road ahead with: Haresh Bhungalia , CEO, Casepoint ; Kiwi Camara , CEO, DISCO ; Ian Campbell , CEO, iCONECT ; Craig Carpenter , CEO,...

I spoke with George Socha , the Senior Vice President of Brand Awareness for Reveal , an e-discovery software company, and a member of the advisory board for the Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists . He is also the co-founder of the Electronic Discovery Reference Model. We discussed his new role, the role of AI in e-discovery, the eDiscovery Leaders weekly video program on the ACEDS n...