Reinventing Professionals

I spoke with Matt Patel, Founder and Chief Operating Officer at Malbek, an enterprise CLM company providing comprehensive contract management solutions for procurement, legal, sales, and other functions. We discussed who gains the most value from CLM, how its value has changed since the emergence of generative AI, and how it is evolving.

I spoke with Cecy Graf and T.J. Henry, the co-founders of Federate, which builds and manages back-office systems like billing, finance, and operations for small and mid-size law firms. We discussed strategic opportunities in back-office support for law firms, how law firms can drive operational efficiency, techniques for facilitating innovation while managing risk, and emerging trends that managing partners should prepare for.

I spoke with Rebecca Stidham, a tax partner and the Law Firm Services Team Leader at Withum, Smith+Brown, PC, an accounting and advisory firm that provides tax, assurance, accounting, digital transformation, cybersecurity, and wealth management services to law firms, among other sectors. We discussed how law firm leaders can drive growth and profitability, key areas for enhancing digital transformation, and best practices for keeping up with the rapid pace of legal technology development.

I spoke with Nishat Mehta, the CEO of Lexitas, a provider of court reporting, records retrieval, process service, and legal talent solutions. We discussed how AI is impacting traditional legal services, what lawyers can do to prepare for the transition to a more AI-centric profession, the pitfalls attorneys must avoid, and future opportunities for the application of AI in legal.

I spoke with Brandon Hollinder, the Vice President of eDiscovery and Cyber Solutions at Epiq, a provider of legal and business services. We discussed the proactive steps companies should take to strengthen their information governance, how AI-driven data mapping and labeling tools are changing the way companies understand and manage their data risk, and ways that AI is affecting cybersecurity.

In this 47th episode of Charting Change in Legal, Caroline Hill, Editor and Publisher of Legal IT Insider, and I discussed Legal IT Insider's 30th anniversary, reimagining billable work, anticipating disruption, and providing value.

I spoke with John Lee, the General Counsel and Head of Strategy for Ruli, a legal AI platform for corporate law departments. We discussed how legal teams should calculate the ROI or value of a legal technology investment, the qualities buyers should consider when selecting a legal AI vendor, and ways that client expectations have changed due to advanced AI transparency, speed, and cost-efficiency.

I spoke with Karl Schieneman, a Co-Founder of TestMyWitness, which empowers witness preparation using AI. We discussed how legal teams can leverage technology to prepare witnesses to testify, and how that process is evolving.

I spoke with Anne Post, CEO of Xakia, North America, a provider of legal matter and contract management solutions. We discussed how law department leaders should approach technology adoption to maximize impact and efficiency, the biggest challenges in-house legal teams face in demonstrating value, and the most compelling opportunities for legal departments to become true strategic partners within their organizations.

Caroline Hill discusses the power of community in the legal industry, highlighting collaboration and shared experiences for collective growth. The importance of strategic idea-sharing emerges as a competitive advantage. As 2023 wraps up, the emphasis on budgeting for emerging technologies shifts the conversation about tech adoption. Insights on measuring ROI reveal the implications of generative AI on law practices. The episode also showcases a successful partnership in navigating change, underscoring the legal tech sector's role in community initiatives.