Reinventing Professionals

ISDA Create and the Future of Client Collaboration

I spoke with Megan O’Flynn, the assistant general counsel at the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA), and Doug Donahue, a partner in the finance practice at Linklaters in New York City. We discussed ISDA Create, a collaboration between the association and Linklaters, how developing tools with outside counsel can impact client expectations, and ways that projects of this type can influence the attorney/client relationship.

Incorporating the Entrepreneurial Mindset into Legal

I spoke with Maya Markovich, the Chief Growth Officer at Nextlaw Labs, and one of ILTA’s five “Influential Women of Legal Tech” for 2020. We discussed the skills that future lawyers will need to succeed and how can they obtain them, how the entrepreneurial mindset aligns with how lawyers approach problem-solving, and ways that the pandemic has affected innovation in legal.

How the Relationship Between Outside Counsel and Their Clients is Evolving

I spoke with Steven Walker, a managing director with Deloitte Legal Business Services, where he is responsible for legal management consulting, spend management, and legal operations services. We discussed the objective of the legal business services team, how the pandemic is reshaping the delivery of legal services, what legal teams can expect in 2021, and how the relationship between outside counsel and their clients is evolving.

New Law and the Rise of ALSPs

I spoke with Brad Blickstein and Bea Seravello, the co-leaders of the New Law practice at Baretz+Brunelle, a strategic advisory communications firm. We discussed the genesis of the New Law practice group and its recent report: Home Court Advantage: The Am Law 100 Moves Into Alternative Legal Services. We also spoke about the mini-maturity model for captive ALSPs and the Blickstein Group’s Annual Law Department Operations Survey.

Flexible Lawyering

I spoke with Jackie Donner, the co-founder and CEO of Lawflex, an alternative legal services provider based in Israel, teaming experienced lawyers with law firms, financial institutions, and other corporations on a flexible basis. We discussed the genesis of Lawflex, how the pandemic has impacted the use of alternative legal services, and where she sees the greatest opportunity for growth.

Law Firm Changes That Will Outlast the Pandemic

I spoke with Chris Stock, the CEO of PCLaw | Time Matters and a member of LEAP’s board of directors as he is the former CEO of LEAP USA. We discussed the key challenges that law firms are facing today, how law firms are adapting to the pandemic, advice for law firms that are struggling now, how the pandemic has affected legal technology generally, and the changes to the profession that will outlast the pandemic.

Productivity During and After the Pandemic

I spoke with Dean Sappey, the president and co-founder of DocsCorp, a software company that develops a range of document productivity and security tools for law firms. We discussed how the pandemic has impacted technology preferences in legal, which changes will remain permanent, DocsCorp’s acquisition of Verowave Technologies, and ways that productivity is shifting as a result of the virtual/work-from-home climate.

Driving Legal Forward

I spoke with Scott Mozarsky, a managing director with JEGI, a middle-market investment bank, who is leading the firm’s legal and compliance practice. We discussed the strength of the legal market, the enthusiasm for legal technology, what investors are looking for in legal, and where legal is headed.

Testimony Management and Capturing the Record

I am speaking today with Rob Feigenbaum, the co-founder and CEO of Prevail Legal, a testimony management platform. We discussed the genesis of Prevail Legal, the appeal of the court reporting sector, the difference between using a trained court reporter and a testimony management platform to capture the record, and the impact of the pandemic on how professionals view remote reporting.

E-Discovery and Workplace Communications

I spoke with Matt Mahon, the National Manager for Information Governance and eDiscovery Sales at Ricoh. We discussed the workplace communications challenges that e-discovery and information governance practitioners are facing, whether professional communication has become more casual in this remote and work-from-home environment, and the challenges associated with interpreting emojis.