Pearls On, Gloves Off #77 - Do Law Firms Actually Want Innovation?
Eddie Hartman has been disrupting legal long before it was fashionable. As Co-Founder of LegalZoom and now a Partner & Board Member at Simon-Kucher, he’s worked with everyone from startups to AM Law 100 firms on pricing, innovation, and tech strategy.
In this episode, Mary sits down with Eddie to talk about the legal industry’s industry’s uneasy relationship with change. From AI hype to the stubborn grip of the billable hour, they unpack why so many “innovations” fail, what clients actually mean when they ask about tech, and how law firms can evolve without losing their identity.
In this episode:
- LegalZoom’s Early Lessons: Why paralegals—not lawyers—were the first adopters, and what that reveals about confidence, adoption, and who really drives change.
- AI’s False Start: The real reason 95% of AI initiatives fail—and why law firms may never fully embrace the efficiency it offers.
- Innovation vs Incentives: How law firms unintentionally kneecap their own innovation efforts—and what spinning off “tech incubators” says about the business model.
- What Pricing Really Signals: Why clients don’t necessarily want cheaper—they want predictable, credible, and justified. And how fees send louder messages than firms realize.
- The Human Roadblock: From cultural protectionism to career incentives, why most resistance to change isn’t technological—it’s personal.
If you’re tired of the hype cycle and looking for a sharp, grounded view of where legal innovation actually stands, this conversation delivers.
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