Reinventing Professionals

I spoke with Ishan Girdhar, the founder and CEO of Privaa, a software company that focuses on third-party risk management. We discussed how the pandemic has changed the way companies perceive and manage risk, pitfalls that risk management teams should avoid, ways that law firms are responding to the rise in data breaches and cybersecurity concerns, and where third-party risk management is headed.

I spoke with Oliver Round, managing counsel, product owner for contract lifecycle management, and co-head of legal data management and advisory at BNY Mellon. We discussed how the legal team leverages new tools and platforms, the criteria it uses to assess new technology, best practices for integrating new tools into a company’s portfolio, and where technology is having the biggest impact on the law department.

I spoke with Stuart Clarke, the head of product for Blackdot Solutions in Cambridge, England, which is an open-source data platform that helps organizations investigate data risks. We discussed the impact of remote work on financial crimes, best practices for financial institutions interested in limiting financial crimes, and the link between environmental conservation and financial crime.

I spoke with Nehal Madhani, the founder and CEO of Alt Legal, a company that provides trademark docketing software. We discussed the challenges that Alt Legal helps trademark professionals address, its 2021 Alt Legal Connect virtual conference, what attendees can expect, and how events are evolving.

I spoke with Haley Altman, the global head of corporate development for Litera, a software company that provides document lifecycle and deal management solutions to the legal profession. She was the founder of Doxly, which Litera acquired two years ago. We discussed how the legal technology companies that Litera has purchased connect, the ways that Litera Transact has evolved, and how technology will impact the future of deal management.

I spoke with Don Keller and Jim Brock, the CEO and chief product officer, respectively, at Joinder, a project management software platform for corporate legal departments. We discussed why a centralized project management platform is so important for law departments, how the increased use of technology by professionals in legal has impacted the overall comfort level, and whether law firms should focus on developing new technology.

I spoke with David Perla, the co-chief operating officer at Burford Capital, a leading provider of capital to the legal market. We discussed Burford’s 2021 Legal Asset Report, why it is important to talk to chief financial officers about legal assets, how CFO’s view affirmative recovery and legal cost management programs, and how corporate finance and corporate legal can collaborate more effectively.

I spoke with Vishal Rajpara, a co-founder and the chief technology officer at Casepoint, and Dana Wesley Sarti, a litigation support manager at Robbins, Russell, Englert, Orseck & Untereiner LLP. We discussed how legal teams are using AI within their eDiscovery workflow, the benefits of using AI and advanced analytics, the value of analytics in modern litigation, and how litigators are using machine learning to reduce the time and expense of review.

I spoke with William Morriss, a co-founder and the technology innovation advisor at IP Toolworks, which is a software platform that helps attorneys respond to rejections from the US Patent and Trademark Office. We discussed how companies are using technology to change the way they negotiate to obtain patents, the importance of the patent examiner to any given matter, best practices for preparing for an examiner interview, and how patent practices are evolving.

I spoke with Raymond Millien, the new CEO of Harness, Dickey & Pierce, an intellectual property boutique with four offices and headquarters in suburban Detroit. We discussed how in-house experience can help law firm leaders, techniques for understanding and connecting with clients in a remote environment, changing client expectations, and how law firms with a specific focus can maintain their competitive advantage in a shifting legal landscape.