Dive into the world of legal tech collaboration where resistance to the cloud is finally giving way, empowering law firms to surmount barriers and embrace collaborative tools. In this conversation, our guests Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell, hosts of the Kennedy-Mighell Report podcast, touched on the surprising dynamics of collaboration, panel convergence, and the push for standardization. Listen as we delve into strategies that can transform the way you work with clients and integrate technology effectively.

In this episode, Dennis and Tom share insights on how to:

• Stay up-to-date on the latest advancements in the industry
• Uncover psychological barriers in legal collaboration
• Gain a deep understanding of data governance in legal teams
• Enhance client collaboration in the legal industry

Key takeaways: 

• The legal profession's reliance on siloed operations and traditional methods, coupled with a hesitancy towards advanced collaboration tools, underscores a pressing need for embracing technology-driven strategies and knowledge management systems to enhance efficiency and effectiveness across law firms and corporate departments alike.

• Successful law firms prioritize collaboration as a key factor for business success, emphasizing the importance of showcasing the benefits of interdependence and offering multiple disciplines to clients, particularly highlighting the necessity for smaller firms to collaborate effectively in order to thrive in the legal industry.

• Despite the challenges and resistance to collaboration in the legal sector, there is a growing interest and demand for effective governance and retention practices, as evidenced by the overwhelming attendance and engagement at events focused on making Teams work in the legal world, indicating a shift towards recognizing the importance of structured collaboration strategies.

About the guests, Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell:

Dennis Kennedy is an award-winning leader in applying technology to law practice. Praised for his ability to simplify complex legal and tech issues, Dennis is the Director of the Center for Law, Technology & Innovation at Michigan State University College of Law. As a published author and sought-after speaker, he focuses on promoting innovation in law practice and has co-authored several books, including "The Lawyer’s Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies."

Tom Mighell, a seasoned legal technologist and published author, has pioneered technology development since joining Cowles & Thompson, P.C. in 1990. As the senior consultant for Contoural, Inc., he specializes in enhancing corporations' records management and e-discovery practices. Tom collaborates with organizations to establish robust information governance programs, mitigate privacy risks, and ensure efficient, defensible e-discovery processes, fortifying companies' readiness for legal obligations.

“What you really want to do is to make it easy to work with you. And if that sort of guides what you're doing, that's going to advance you a long way toward getting into the happy zone.” – Dennis Kennedy

“Collaboration is not a foreign concept. It's just not adopted well, with the different technical ways that people can use to be really successful about it.” – Tom Mighell

Connect with Dennis and Tom:

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Lawyers-Guide-Collaboration-Tools-Technologies/dp/1639051422

Show: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-kennedy-mighell-report/id310759483

Dennis’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennismkennedy/

Tom’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommighell/

Connect with Ted Theodoropoulos:

Website: https://getinfodash.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tedtheo

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@getinfodash/podcasts