ILTA Voices

Description: Join us for this series of podcasts as we interview the "short-list" nominees for and the winner of ILTA's Technology Support Professional of the Year award, presented at ILTACON 2015. In this session, we are pleased to have with us nominee Chris Southern from WilmerHale. ILTA's Distinguished Peer Awards program recognizes ILTA peers who have delivered great business value and transformational impact through their innovations and implementations or have been champions in specific areas of focus for their organizations. Individual awards focus on individual ILTA law firm and law department members who demonstrate exceptional accomplishments and leadership within their organizations. The Technology Support Professional of the Year award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated superior service in providing attorney and staff support in roles that require specific technical proficiencies focused on training and support, technical or engineering disciplines, or any role that creates high touch-points for the actual implementation and support of the technology within their organization. Speakers: Pamela Hart manages Hunton & Williams's technology training and staff professional development programs across global locations. With over 15 years of experience educating lawyers and legal staff on the effective use of technology, she has initiated several successful programs such as IT coaching, skills assessment and online learning, resulting in dramatically improved legal team collaboration and client service. Pamela was the recipient of ILTA's Technology Support Professional of the Year award in 2014. Chris Southern is the Manager, Portal Services at WilmerHale.

Description: Join us for part three of this continued discussion on metrics and their uses in both law firms and legal departments to illustrate value. Not simply a matter of profitability versus efficiency, there are a variety of perspectives to consider in determining the best methods and benchmarks for every department and firm to utilize in creating, sustaining and even growing a successful relationship. From the original ILTACON 2015 session description: Law departments are starting to run like businesses, with that comes an increased emphasis on measuring performance against business goals. Collaboration in the development of shared metrics is essential to drive effective relationships and best-in-class legal operations. How can law firms and legal departments work together to promote mutually beneficial technology and metrics? What data points do law departments and firms care about now; what will they care about in 2020? Speakers: Cindy MacBean is a highly experienced litigation support professional who has recommended technology solutions to support discovery workflow, providing innovative and cost effective solutions for law firms, their clients and corporate legal staff. Her proficiency in data analytics and deep understanding of the legal process have resulted in a multitude of successful projects incorporating proven procedures with a variety of technology tools in delivering defensible discovery. Cindy utilizes her business education and diverse experience to solve problems, mitigate risk, provide tactical direction, oversee operations, plan strategic initiatives, implement solutions and support legal teams with utmost commitment to customer service. She holds CEDS, IGP and CIPP/US certifications. Jeff Schwarz is Polsinelli's Chief Operating Officer, managing the firm's business service units and implementing its strategic initiatives. Focused on enhancing client value in this rapidly changing legal market, he designs and delivers solutions for the business needs of the firm and its clients. As a member of the senior executive team, Jeff is responsible for aligning the firm's operational processes, strategies and objectives.

Description: Join us for part two of this continued discussion on metrics and their uses in both law firms and legal departments to illustrate value. Not simply a matter of profitability versus efficiency, there are a variety of perspectives to consider in determining the best methods and benchmarks for every department and firm to utilize in creating, sustaining and even growing a successful relationship. From the original ILTACON 2015 session description: Law departments are starting to run like businesses, with that comes an increased emphasis on measuring performance against business goals. Collaboration in the development of shared metrics is essential to drive effective relationships and best-in-class legal operations. How can law firms and legal departments work together to promote mutually beneficial technology and metrics? What data points do law departments and firms care about now; what will they care about in 2020? Speakers: John "Jack" Thompson is the Supervising Technology Project Manager for UPS Corporate Legal Department Operations. He is a specialist in implementing legal software applications and developing process improvement programs for operational efficiencies with corporate legal departments, utilizing Six Sigma methodologies for effective change management. Besides technology implementations and information management projects, Jack has developed legal cost and efficiency analytic models for corporate counsel to harmonize workflow metrics with law firm business partners, generating improved relationship management and cost savings efficiencies. Previously, he was a legal operations manager with Purdue Pharma, LP for over 10 years, specializing in matter/spend management operations, IP asset management, contract system and process management, and e-discovery project management. Jack is the ILTA Program Council member for corporate and government legal department relationships, and has contributed to several knowledge sharing initiatives, including panels and publications sponsored by ILTA and ACC. David Cunningham is the CIO of Winston & Strawn, with accountability for creating a competitive edge for the firm using technology, information and business processes. His areas of responsibility include information technology, information risk management, research, legal analytics, practice and client services, project management, information working practices, e-discovery, records and docket for 1,800 users across 19 offices. David was previously an owner and head of the strategic planning practice of Hildebrandt Baker Robbins, where he audited and assisted over 200 law firms around the world in 20 years.

Description: Join us for this series of podcasts as we interview the "short-list" nominees for and the winner of ILTA's Technology Support Professional of the Year award, presented at ILTACON 2015. In this second session, we are pleased to have with us award winner Jennifer Cuenot from Shearman & Sterling. ILTA's Distinguished Peer Awards program recognizes ILTA peers who have delivered great business value and transformational impact through their innovations and implementations or have been champions in specific areas of focus for their organizations. Individual awards focus on individual ILTA law firm and law department members who demonstrate exceptional accomplishments and leadership within their organizations. The Technology Support Professional of the Year award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated superior service in providing attorney and staff support in roles that require specific technical proficiencies focused on training and support, technical or engineering disciplines, or any role that creates high touch-points for the actual implementation and support of the technology within their organization. Speakers: Pamela Hart manages Hunton & Williams's technology training and staff professional development programs across global locations. With over 15 years of experience educating lawyers and legal staff on the effective use of technology, she has initiated several successful programs such as IT coaching, skills assessment and online learning, resulting in dramatically improved legal team collaboration and client service. Pamela was the recipient of ILTA's Technology Support Professional of the Year award in 2014. Jennifer Cuenot oversees the delivery of cost-effective training for Shearman & Sterling's partners, associates, practice group and administrative leadership, and management across 18 global locations. She conducted focus groups in three countries to understand technology needs and experiences, and subsequently established programs and practices to provide improved tools and access to technologies to drive performance and operational improvements. A highly collaborative leader, Jennifer works with the firm's administrative leadership, partners, attorneys and legal professionals to understand needs, and provides consultative advice to all departments to improve their training efforts. Jennifer's business conduct and commitment to excellence are apparent in all her interactions with diverse groups of professionals. She is skilled in gaining stakeholder buy-in for the adoption of new ideas, supporting her recommendations with feedback from constituents and data.

Description: Is the ISO designation right for you and your firm? Find out in this installment of our podcast series on industry-related certifications, as Daniel Nottke speaks with ILTA member Tony Cordeiro about the benefits of a firm holding the ISO certification. Speakers: Daniel Nottke is the Chief Information Officer for Kirkland & Ellis LLP, a 100-year-old law firm whose lawyers spawn innovations to address clients' challenges. Since joining the firm in 2008, Dan has led the transformation of the information technology department from a decentralized team to a fully centralized Information Technology Infrastructure Library-based high performing organization. He is currently leading the creation of a technology strategy to set a clear road map for all technology initiatives and spends for the next three years. Tony S. Cordeiro is the Chief Information Officer for White & Case, where he heads the global technology services group and oversees all global technology supporting 39 offices in 26 countries. He is a Certified Information Technology Professional with extensive experience in directing the strategic technology planning and operations, records, conflicts, practice support and knowledge management functions in large accounting and legal multinational firms. Tony spent a large part of his career as a business practitioner serving external clients, developing important skills in legal technology management, financial audit, business advisory, business systems development and system selection experience in a number of sectors.

Description: Is the Certified E-Discovery Specialist (CEDS) designation right for you? Find out in this installment of our podcast series on industry-related certifications, as Janice Jaco speaks with fellow ILTA member Sherry Hicks from SunTrust Banks about the benefits of holding the CEDS certification. Speakers: Janice Jaco is the E-Discovery Project Manager at Keesal, Young & Logan, where she brings creative solutions to data‐intensive challenges and supports the efficient delivery of outstanding e-discovery, legal project management, ESI consulting and technology services to clients. She is an ACEDS Certified E-Discovery Specialist with extensive experience managing large‐scale e‐discovery collections in state and federal courts, and in SEC enforcement actions and DOJ investigations. Janice holds numerous certifications and is one of a small team of professionals steering the e-disclosure/e-discovery group of the Legal Technology Core Competencies Certification Coalition (LTC4), charged with defining competency standards for attorneys and paraprofessionals in the broad spectrum of skills required to measure e-discovery competency. She is the recipient of ACEDS' prestigious 2015 E-Discovery Person of the Year award. Sherry C. Hicks began working with law firms as a network engineer in 1995. After spending a decade as a litigation support consultant, she grew her expertise by spending four years working as a litigation support specialist in-house with a law firm. In 2012 she left the law firm and has spent her time since then as an e-discovery analyst in two major corporations. Sherry is a well-rounded and highly seasoned e-discovery professional with a balance of technical and interpersonal skills.

Description: Join us for a continued discussion on metrics and their uses in both law firms and legal departments to illustrate value. Not simply a matter of profitability versus efficiency, there are a variety of perspectives to consider in determining the best methods and benchmarks for every department and firm to utilize in creating, sustaining and even growing a successful relationship. From the original ILTACON 2015 session description: Law departments are starting to run like businesses, with that comes an increased emphasis on measuring performance against business goals. Collaboration in the development of shared metrics is essential to drive effective relationships and best-in-class legal operations. How can law firms and legal departments work together to promote mutually beneficial technology and metrics? What data points do law departments and firms care about now; what will they care about in 2020? Speakers: John "Jack" Thompson is the Supervising Technology Project Manager for UPS Corporate Legal Department Operations. He is a specialist in implementing legal software applications and developing process improvement programs for operational efficiencies with corporate legal departments, utilizing Six Sigma methodologies for effective change management. Besides technology implementations and information management projects, Jack has developed legal cost and efficiency analytic models for corporate counsel to harmonize workflow metrics with law firm business partners, generating improved relationship management and cost savings efficiencies. Previously, he was a legal operations manager with Purdue Pharma, LP for over 10 years, specializing in matter/spend management operations, IP asset management, contract system and process management, and e-discovery project management. Jack is currently the ILTA Program Council member for corporate and government legal department relationships, and has contributed to several knowledge sharing initiatives, including panels and publications sponsored by ILTA and ACC. Connie Brenton is Chief of Staff and Director of Legal Operations at NetApp Inc., where she has created an innovative and best-in-class legal department. Since she joined the company, the legal department has been the recipient of three IC10 Innovation Awards, named Best Legal Department in 2014 and recognized as an ACC Value Champion. Previously, Connie served as managing counsel at Oracle, supporting a 300-person global legal organization, and was the senior director, deputy general counsel and chief of staff to the general counsel at Sun Microsystems. She actively contributes to the legal operations community, is a founding member of the Bay Area Corporate Legal Operations Consortium (CLOC) and writes a technology column for InsideCounsel. Connie was selected as one of 100 Women of Influence in Silicon Valley in 2014, was named one of the top 10 Deputy General Counsel in 2012, and in June 2015 she was recognized as Legal Department Manager of the Year.

Description: Join us for this series of podcasts as we interview the "short-list" nominees for and the winner of ILTA's Technology Support Professional of the Year award, presented at ILTACON 2015. In this first session, we are pleased to have with us nominee Maritta Terrell from Lloyd Gosselink Rochelle & Townsend. ILTA's Distinguished Peer Awards program recognizes ILTA peers who have delivered great business value and transformational impact through their innovations and implementations or have been champions in specific areas of focus for their organizations. Individual awards focus on individual ILTA law firm and law department members who demonstrate exceptional accomplishments and leadership within their organizations. The Technology Support Professional of the Year award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated superior service in providing attorney and staff support in roles that require specific technical proficiencies focused on training and support, technical or engineering disciplines, or any role that creates high touch-points for the actual implementation and support of the technology within their organization. Speakers: Pamela Hart manages Hunton & Williams's technology training and staff professional development programs across global locations. With over 15 years of experience educating lawyers and legal staff on the effective use of technology, she has initiated several successful programs such as IT coaching, skills assessment and online learning, resulting in dramatically improved legal team collaboration and client service. Pamela was the recipient of ILTA's Technology Support Professional of the Year award in 2014. Maritta Terrell is a Trainer and Help Desk Specialist at Lloyd Gosselink Rochelle & Townsend, where she has worked for over a decade. She has been an active ILTA volunteer for many years and is the Vice President of Education at Toastmasters International - West Austin II Club. Previously, she was a school teacher and librarian. In 2015, Maritta was nominated for ILTA's Technology Support Professional of the Year award.

Description: Is the ISO designation right for you and your firm? Find out in this installment of our podcast series on industry-related certifications, as Daniel Nottke speaks with Michael Johnson of Security GRC2 about the benefits of holding the ISO certification. Speakers: Daniel Nottke is the Chief Information Officer for Kirkland & Ellis LLP, a 100-year-old law firm whose lawyers spawn innovations to address clients' challenges. Since joining the firm in 2008, Dan has led the transformation of the information technology department from a decentralized team to a fully centralized Information Technology Infrastructure Library-based high performing organization. He is currently leading the creation of a technology strategy to set a clear road map for all technology initiatives and spends for the next three years. Michael Johnson from Security GRC2 has over 30 years of experience in the security profession and is certified in physical and information security management. He has worked with over 35 law firms in the implementation, operations and certification of ISO 27001 information security management systems. Michael was an information security practice leader in the professional services organization of a large information technology services company. In this role, he had senior management responsibility for a team providing IT security policy, program and technical assessment, implementation and response consulting services.

Most organizations have adapted to the new normal of supporting employee-owned devices and providing the tools necessary for lawyers and staff to work when away from the office. As more people make the transition to working remotely more than in a traditional office, there are implications that need to be addressed. We had three of your ILTA peers share their thoughts on how to make a remote workforce really work. You can read the article that includes all three perspectives in the Fall 2015 edition of Peer to Peer. Here is the full interview with Paul Wittekind, ‎Director of Information Technology Services at Porzio Bromberg & Newman P.C.