Reinventing Professionals

I spoke with Patrice Asimakis and Naseeha Machingal, the director of legal services and the client success and partnerships lead, respectively, for LegalEase Solutions, a provider of alternative legal services. We discussed the importance of forming partnerships in the current climate, how the pandemic has impacted client expectations, and where the market for alternative legal services is headed in 2021.

I spoke with Amy Hinzmann, the president, and Marla Crawford, the general counsel, respectively, for Compliance, an integrated e-discovery services and managed review provider. We discussed how Compliance has evolved since it was founded over 20 years ago, the e-discovery issues that in-house counsel are most concerned about, how in-house teams are managing discovery remotely, and where e-discovery is headed.

I spoke with Doug Lusk, the founder of the National Society for Legal Technology, a training and certifying organization focused on empowering students and professionals with advanced technical skills. We discussed the skills that legal professionals need to thrive in today’s economy, how the NSLT curriculum helps participants draw connections between e-discovery, cybersecurity, and related fields to gain a competitive advantage, and the NSLT’s alliance with ACEDS.

I spoke with Noah Waisberg, the co-founder and CEO of Kira Systems, a leading AI-powered contract analysis software company, and the co-author with Dr. Alexander Hudek of AI For Lawyers: How Artificial Intelligence is Adding Value, Amplifying Expertise, and Transforming Careers (Wiley, February 3, 2021). We discussed the growth of Kira Systems, his inspiration for AI For Lawyers, how AI is changing the law, and where it is headed.

I spoke with Andrea Miskolczi, the Europe Director of Innovation at Dentons, a global law firm. We discussed the definition of innovation, the importance of developing an intrapreneurial mindset in a law firm, the need for creativity, and best practices for demystifying the legal transformation process.

I spoke with Dr. Eric Cole, the founder of Secure Anchor Consulting, a provider of cybersecurity solutions and services. We discussed the most significant cybersecurity issues that law firms and law department leaders should be aware of in 2021, how the pandemic has changed the way organizations manage their cybersecurity, and the potential threats that professionals could face in the coming year.

I spoke with Martin Coen, the CEO, and Graham Smith-Bernal, the founder and executive chairman, of Opus2, a software and services company that supports lawyers around the world. We discussed Opus 2’s growth strategy in the current market, how courts will balance virtual and hybrid proceedings moving forward, and the evolution of how lawyers use technology.

I spoke with Michael Potters, the co-founder and CEO of the Glenmont Group, a leading recruiting firm in the legal industry. We discussed how recruiting has evolved over the past two decades, the positions that are in highest demand today, how the Glenmont Group pivoted in the pandemic, the qualities and types of experience on which employers are focused, advice for candidates, and tips for employers interested in securing the best talent in 2021.

I spoke with Jennifer Bantelman the Senior Director of Solutions Engineering at Zapproved, a cloud-based software company that builds e-discovery tools for corporate legal, from legal holds through processing and review. We discussed the E-Discovery Hero Awards, its mission, the honorees, and reimagining the event for a virtual world. Register for free here.

I spoke with Roman Zelichenko, an attorney and the founder of both GMI Rocket, a marketing firm for immigration lawyers, and LaborLess, a cloud-based software platform for H-1B visa compliance. We discussed the genesis of both companies, the value of digitizing traditionally paper-based processes, the unique nature of marketing for immigration lawyers, how the pandemic has impacted the way lawyers market, ways that marketing will change in 2021.