Innovative Legal Leadership

Twitter v. Wachtell.   What can we expect to happen? And what does it mean for the future of the billable hour?  Join PERSUIT’s CEO (and former Biglaw partner) Jim Delkousis as he shares:   - Why the case will settle quickly - Why Wachtell has so much at stake in the matter (besides a mere $60M) - How the case exposes legal procurement’s “black box” and why that needs to change Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: - Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz Hear more stories by following Innovative Legal Leadership on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast platform. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Innovative Legal Leadership in your favorite podcast player.  Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

As general counsels and their legal teams sally forth into the age of AI, the lasting impact large language models could have on the industry is a hotly debated topic.   Catheryn O’Rourke, General Counsel & Company Secretary at Reckitt, is cautiously optimistic about the potential for AI to abolish “soul-crushing” work. But she keeps herself grounded by leaning on technological experts to help guide her team’s AI strategy. Tune in to hear Catheryn’s insights into innovative tools like ChatGPT and why she thinks GCs are steadily becoming the champions of calm and confidence in the C-suite. Join us as we discuss: - Why getting comfortable with uncertainty is critical to the GC role (11:39) - The ongoing evolution of GCs and their impact on the boardroom (23:46) - Leaning on knowledgeable experts to forecast an AI strategy (37:55) - Shifting to balance ESG efforts with business needs (43:56) Hear more stories by following Innovative Legal Leadership on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast platform. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Innovative Legal Leadership in your favorite podcast player.  Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

As Elon Musk prepares to go toe-to-toe with legal giant Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz over $90 million in billed fees, this high profile case raises several questions about outcome-based legal fees and how corporate legal teams determine a fair and reasonable price in sourcing their outside counsel.    Did Wachtell overstep in their mad scramble to bill a $60 million premium right before Musk closed his Twitter acquisition? Did the board abdicate their duty to shareholders by not questioning Wachtell’s terms? How will this impact how the legal industry measures the value of legal services in the future? Jim Delkousis chimes in with his thoughts on why Musk’s suit matters to the legal industry, and not necessarily for the primary reasons that it’s making headlines. Join us as we discuss: - 3 big questions the lawsuit raises (3:01) - Justifying ROI and determining market value (8:04) - Who was looking out for Twitter’s best interests (12:56) Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: - Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz Hear more stories by following Innovative Legal Leadership on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast platform. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Innovative Legal Leadership in your favorite podcast player.  Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

This week we're joined by Mark Gregory, General Counsel & Corporate Affairs Director at Rolls-Royce We dive into his career as the longest serving exec at Rolls-Royce and the unique perspective it gives him on how his team, and the industry as a whole, are evolving in response to a rapidly changing marketplace. Mark talks about the historic misalignment of interests between in-house teams and their outside firms and why an ecosystem approach is the only way to fix it. Mark also shares his take on how AI will help in doing so, as well as how AI and other technologies will empower GCs to be more effective strategic advisors to the business. Join us as we discuss:  - How stepping outside his comfort zone led him to his current role [14:17] - Bridging the gap between today’s and tomorrow’s lawyers [23:11] - How A.I. and automation will help GCs modernize their function [26:52] - The impact of holding your position through drastic changes like Covid & A.I. [35:23] Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: - Mark Gregory - Rolls-Royce Hear more stories by following Innovative Legal Leadership on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast platform. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Innovative Legal Leadership in your favorite podcast player.  Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Modernizing a large legal department isn’t an easy task. What’s your strategy?   Buy tech? Build tech? Experiment until something sticks? This week, we sat down with Sarah Flint, Director of Legal Operations and Technology at HubSpot to see how it’s being done at one of the world’s biggest CRM companies. Join us as we discuss:  - Hubspot’s recent wins and challenges in legal ops [8:08] - If legal ops need to come from a legal background [11:47] - What role generative AI has played [15:08] - Forming your ESG Pillars around your company culture[20:27] A critical part of building for the future of your organization, and tackling changes in AI and ESG is to have the conversation about being aligned with your vendors. Asking them how they are moving forward and how they can pivot with you and your organization will have the edge as these new developments in AI and ESG continue to evolve. Hear more stories by following Innovative Legal Leadership on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast platform. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Innovative Legal Leadership in your favorite podcast player.  Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Rozan Simoni spent his early childhood in Albania under a despotic Soviet regime. Soon after the Berlin Wall fell, U.S. Secretary of State Jim Baker came to visit Rozan’s country. The young Albanian boy never forgot two simple words that Baker uttered that day: “Freedom works.” Today, as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary - North America at COFCO International, Rozan is paying it forward by giving his colleagues the autonomy they need to reach their potential. In this captivating episode, Rozan shares how his journey to the U.S. shaped his outlook on mentorship and why he’s excited about the future of AI innovation in legal.   Join us as we discuss: - Mentorship and giving young lawyers autonomy (5:53) - Leaving a positive impact on internal relationships (17:27) - How AI will allow firms to respond to client needs much faster (26:41) Hear more stories by following Innovative Legal Leadership on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast platform. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Innovative Legal Leadership in your favorite podcast player.  Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

How does an organization’s in-house legal team help farmers worldwide feed billions of people? According to Cornel Fuerer, Senior VP, General Counsel, and Secretary at Corteva Agriscience, they start by tackling change one bite at a time. Cornel built up a wealth of private and in-house legal experience during his globetrotting journey toward his current role at Corteva. And he did it by looking at every new challenge as a learning opportunity. In this episode, Cornel shares his incredible career path and how his team is embracing innovation to buy back time to work on the things that matter. Join us as we discuss: - Exploring opportunities with an invaluable life partner (6:50) - Bringing legacy in-house teams together post-merger (12:38) - AI and the value of legal operations during rapid change (19:20) - How innovation is affecting relationships with external firms (29:26) Hear more stories by following Innovative Legal Leadership on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast platform. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Innovative Legal Leadership in your favorite podcast player.  Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Change is a constant, but when embraced, it becomes a superpower. This week we sat down with Alex Guajardo, the Global Director of Commercial Strategy at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP. Alex shared how she is using change in legal ops to not only stay current but to get a step ahead of the curve. Sometimes we dismiss the power of information in the process of change, but it seems the more we have, the better off we are. In this episode, we not only get an inside look at legal ops, who they are, and what they do, but we also get to see how someone's perspective on change is helping make a difference in real-time. Staying in the know is critical in a legal ops role, and Alex is among the best in the business. Join us as we discuss: - Establishing a brand new global team in a natural disaster’s aftermath (3:58) - Convincing outside firms that low prices don’t always equal good value (10:12) - Why flexibility and data can be legal operations’ greatest strengths (14:24) - How to justify AFAs to the C-Suite and euthanizing the billable hour (23:27) - Alex’s alternate timeline if she hadn’t gone the legal route (27:30) Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: - Alex Guajardo - Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP Hear more stories by following Innovative Legal Leadership on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast platform. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Innovative Legal Leadership in your favorite podcast player.  Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

When Damon Hart left big law to join the in-house team at Liberty Mutual Insurance, he didn’t have a specific career goal in mind. But one thing he knew for certain was he wanted to lead change from the front. Today, as Liberty’s Chief Legal Officer, he’s enterprising legal leadership in the C-Suite by working towards the best interests of not just his team, but all 50,000 Liberty employees. Damon gives us an exclusive peek into how he gained the trust of his peers through active listening as well as how he thinks AI will disrupt the legal industry. Join us as we discuss: - How in-house legal departments are comparable to a team sport (8:11) - Gaining the trust of C-Suite peers by being present in the moment (14:36) - AI’s impact on the legal industry and the human connection (22:39) - Why legal firms can no longer ignore tools that drive efficiency (35:19) Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: - Damon Hart - Liberty Mutual Insurance Hear more stories by following Innovative Legal Leadership on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast platform. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Innovative Legal Leadership in your favorite podcast player.  Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

What drives you? Is it success? Is it the competition? For Dana Pierre-Louis the Deputy General Counsel at Norfolk Southern Corporation simply put, it’s “excellence”. “From a very early age, the insinuation of excellence and doing above and beyond was always there.” – Dana We sit down and talk about everything from what inspired her journey (she started at 7 years old) to how she plans on passing her learnings and experience on to her children. In this episode, we delve into a life of corporate law and how family is a much bigger piece than you may think. Join us as we discuss:  - Where it all started for Dana and how it was much earlier than most [2:36] - How pivotal moments, though uncomfortable lead to success [8:54] - How finding the correct place to grow may be one of the most fundamental things in your career [20:28] - The importance find perspective before you find success [32:37] Hear more stories by following Innovative Legal Leadership on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast platform. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Innovative Legal Leadership in your favorite podcast player.  Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.