Reinventing Professionals

I spoke with Steve Harber , the executive chairman, and Charles Post , the executive vice president, at Compliance , an integrated e-discovery and contract analytics provider. We discussed aligning e-discovery and contract analytics, the synergies in leveraging AI to empower that combination, and how legal teams can take advantage of new technology to address longstanding challenges.

I spoke with Chris Cartrett , an executive vice president at Aderant , a global business management software provider for law firms. We discussed the company’s Business of Law and Legal Technology Survey, the tools that proved most valuable to law firms in the past year, the elements of virtual events that will endure, and how law firm technology will evolve in a hybrid workplace.

I spoke with Greg Wildisen , the co-founder and head of technology for Panoram Digital , an enterprise legal technology consulting firm based in the U.K. We discussed the challenges to which legal teams are most commonly applying technology, best practices for selecting the right tool for a given matter, the impact of Microsoft 365, and how legal departments are evolving.

I spoke with Ian Nelson , the co-founder of Hotshot , a leading provider of digital learning programs for lawyers. We discussed how short videos and interactive applications help lawyers practice, the aspects of remote learning the company emphasized during the pandemic, and how professional development will evolve in 2021.

I spoke with Tjeerd Van Ginkel , the founder of Innovatie Meester and an Amsterdam-based freelance innovation manager, who helps law firms and legal departments innovate. He is the former head of innovation at De Brauw, one of the largest law firms in the Netherlands. We discussed how law firms and legal departments should approach innovation, mistakes some are making, and client-facing innovation...

I spoke with Bonnie Beuth , the Information Systems Trainer for Ford Harrison , and Rachel Baiden , the Global Technology Training Manager at Squire Patton Boggs , who are two of the founding members of the Legal Technology Core Competency Certification Coalition – LTC4 , which is a non-profit consortium of law firms, corporate legal departments, law schools, and attorneys from around the world th...

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 SurePoint has evolved under his leadership, the company’s investment from Aquiline Capital Partners , negotiating the transaction virtually, ways that sophisticated investors support the management of legal technology companies, rebrand...

I spoke with Susan Duncan , a law firm management consultant, who helps firms and lawyers develop more business through client service and loyalty programs, She is also the author of Building Enduring Client Loyalty: A Guide for Lawyers and Their Firms . We discussed how she defines client loyalty, the challenges to earning it, and strategies for solidifying stronger relationships with clients in...

I spoke with Niko Jakobsson , the Secretary General of the Finnish Bar Association in Helsinki, Finland. We discussed how the Finnish Bar Association empowers its members through technology, ways that lawyers in Finland are using technology, the pandemic’s impact on the work of the Finnish Bar Association, and the different skills required to lead a bar association.

I spoke with Chris Vorderer , Managing Director of Firm Intelligence at Litera , a software company that provides meaningful intelligence to the legal profession, and Pieter van der Hoeven , the co-founder and CEO at Clocktimizer , a business intelligence platform designed to help law firms make data-driven decisions related to matter management, budgeting, and pricing, which Litera recently acqui...

I spoke with Ian Nolan , the co-founder and CEO of Brightflag , a legal spend and matter management software platform for corporate legal departments. We discussed the value of legal spend management for in-house teams, how law departments can apply artificial intelligence to optimize their operations, and how legal departments are transforming their operations as they return to a central office.

I spoke with Dan Binstock , a legal recruiter and co-owner of Garrison & Sisson , a leading attorney search firm. He is also the creator of the Virtual Piano Party . We discussed the state of the legal job market, the genesis of the Virtual Piano Party, and the secret to engaging attendees on Zoom events.

I spoke with Grover Cleveland , the author of Swimming Lessons for Baby Sharks: The Essential Guide to Thriving as a New Lawyer , who provides practical skills webinars for associates and summer associates. We discussed how firms navigated summer associate programming in 2020 and how they will do so in 2021, his playbook for virtual summer programs, and how legal professionals can develop better h...

I spoke with Jason Boehmig , the co-founder and CEO of Ironclad , a digital contracting platform used by companies around the world. We discussed the genesis of Ironclad, the transition from large firm lawyer to legal tech entrepreneur, the popularity of the CLM sector, the emergence of digital contracting, and the alignment between CLM and the growth of legal operations.

I spoke with Andrew King , the New Zealand-based founder of Legal Innovate , E-Discovery Consulting , and the LegalTechHub , as well as the producer of the LawFest conference. We discussed how he navigated the uncertainty in the planning process for LawFest, surprises from the event, what conference organizers should know when planning events in a post-COVID era, and how legal events will evolve.

I spoke with Margaret Burke , the managing director at Kolibri Law Support Solutions , a subscription-based suite of legal management and business services for law firms with a focus on helping them improve profitability by reducing overhead and enhancing operational efficiency. We discussed how the needs of law firms have changed in the pandemic, the advantages of outsourcing, and building trust...

I spoke with Michael McIlwrath , an attorney, who spent more than two decades leading international litigation for General Electric’s oil and gas division, and until March of 2021, for Baker Hughes Company. He is the co-author of a new book for lawyers working internationally called Negotiating International Commercial Contracts: Practical Exercises . We discussed his inspiration for the book, the...

I spoke with Debbie Foster , the managing partner of Affinity Consulting , a company focused on optimizing law firm performance. We discussed how successful law firms have maintained their operations in the pandemic, ways that they have automated and digitized their workflows, whether working remotely will remain a permanent component of legal practice, and best practices for firms that are return...

I spoke with Jackie Schafer , the founder of Clearbrief , a platform that uses AI to improve the accuracy of legal writing and the experience of the reader. We discussed how Clearbrief works, the technology behind Clearbrief, how this software is impacting the legal profession, and how this technology could change the way law schools teach legal writing.

I spoke with Nicolas Leroux , the founder and CEO of Kalexius , an alternative legal services provider. We discussed the genesis of Kalexius, the difference between an ALSP and a legal technology company, how in-house legal teams can incorporate an ALSP into their portfolio of service providers, and ways that law department leaders can persuade other stakeholders to adopt their approach.

I spoke with Ram Vasudevan , the founder and CEO of QuisLex , a provider of alternative legal services. We discussed the genesis of QuisLex, how the company has enhanced client service in the remote environment, managing the return to in-person activities, and where the ALSP market is headed.

I spoke with Jim Leipold , the executive director of NALP, the National Association for Law Placement , which is an organization focused on career counseling and planning, recruitment and retention, and the professional development of law students, lawyers, and its members. We discussed how the organization’s mission has changed over the past half-century as it celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2...

I spoke with Tobias Heining , the Berlin-based director of business, clients, and strategy for Osborne Clarke Germany . We discussed new ways that professionals are approaching business and client development, best practices for engaging with clients and prospects remotely, changes that law firms have made that will remain permanent when legal professionals return full-time to their central office...

I am speaking today with Andrea Cannavina , the founder of LegalTypist , a virtual assistant service focused on the legal profession that is celebrating its 20th anniversary. We discussed the genesis of LegalTypist, the increasing levels of self-sufficiency among lawyers during the pandemic, projects that are best-suited to a virtual assistant, and advice for those interested in building a busines...

I spoke with Jerry Ting , the founder and CEO of Evisort , an AI-powered CLM software platform. We discussed the difference between an AI-powered CLM platform and CLM, how Evisort will leverage its recent investment , the need for legal tech companies to prove their claims in this climate, and how the expectations of clients have changed in the remote environment.