What happens when a former law firm CMO and Uber’s head of legal ops pulls back the curtain on the business of law? In this episode, Tyler Finn sits down with Ken Callander, Managing Principal at Value Strategies, to explore the evolution of law firm pricing, the rise of AI, and how in-house teams can save millions by shifting to value-based fee arrangements. From the politics of partnerships to actionable strategies for better outside counsel management, Ken brings unmatched candor and clarity on how legal teams must adapt in a rapidly evolving landscape.
Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-108
Topics
Introduction—0:00
How Law Firm Business Models Drive Political Risk-Taking and Brand Fallout – 01:49
Inside the Law Firm Model: Power Partners, Payout Structures, and Why Change is So Hard—09:02
Challenges with hourly billing and how law firm economics are misaligned with client value—16:32
Why Ken left the law firm world for legal ops at Uber—26:34
Moving to value-based pricing and how it impacted Uber’s legal spend—30:10
Why predictability in pricing is often more important than savings—34:21
How AI is disrupting law firm pricing, staffing, and the associate career path—37:33
How In-House Teams Can Improve Law Firm Relationships, Reduce Spend, and Drive Change—49:14
Rapid-fire questions—56:25
Connect with us:
Ken Callander - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kencallander/
Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinn
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft
SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.
