Ep 116: Rudy DeFelice and Jeff Marple of Keesal Propulsion Labs

Jeffrey Marple, who has gained a national reputation for law department innovation in his role as director of innovation for corporate legal at Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, has moved to Keesal Propulsion Labs, a company that assists Fortune 500 law departments in automating their business and legal processes, where has taken the position of director of digital transformation strategy.

In an exclusive LawNext interview, Marple and Rudy DeFelice, cofounder and CEO of KP Labs, join host Bob Ambrogi to discuss Marple’s move to the company, which spun off in 2018 from the California law firm Keesal, Young & Logan. They also share their insights on the state of law department innovation, the challenges law departments face in innovating, and where the industry is heading.

For Marple, his move to KP Labs comes after 21 years at Liberty Mutual, where, in his most recent role, he led the investigation, testing, and implementation of new technology, processes, and business models to improve how legal professionals work. In 2019, the Association of Corporate Counsel named Marple's department the "Legal Operations Team of the Year."

DeFelice, the company's cofounder and CEO, is a lawyer and technology entrepreneur. After practicing law early in his career with the firms McDermott, Will & Emery and Kelley Drye & Warren, he went on to found three technology companies, including one venture-backed legal technology company, Realpractice, which was acquired in 2012.

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