Reinventing Professionals

Legal Tech in Ireland and Leveraging Practice Management Software to Gain a Competitive Advantage

I spoke with Sabina Horgan, the vice president of market development for Thread Legal, a practice management software provider based in Dublin. We discussed the genesis of Thread Legal, how small and mid-sized law firms can leverage technology to gain a competitive advantage, and the state of legal tech in Ireland.

Leveraging Analytics to Advance Legal Services

I spoke with Warren Agin, the director of professional development at LexPredict, a consulting firm focused on legal data strategy, and the founding chair of the ABA’s Legal Analytics Committee. We discussed his new role at LexPredict, the mission of the ABA’s Legal Analytics Committee, what lawyers need to do to adapt to new technologies, the practical applications of data and analytics, and how he sees the legal field evolving.

Reinventing Client Communication With Text Messaging

I spoke with Allison Josephy Key, the sales lead for ZipWhip, a platform that allows law firms and their clients to leverage the firm’s existing telephone infrastructure and interact through text messaging. We discussed how Zipwhip works, the features in its platform that are most appealing to legal professionals, how users can leverage this technology to enhance their marketing and business development, the advantages of communicating through text over phone and email, and how this level of communication is evolving within the legal profession.

Maximizing Content Migration

I spoke with Dan Anderson, co-founder and CEO of SeeUnity, a provider of content integration, migration, and synchronization products for law firms, corporations, and government agencies. We discussed the genesis of SeeUnity, the content integration challenges that law firms are facing, content transformation and how it helps law firms access, manage, and interact with their data, and what law firms should avoid as they migrate from on-premises content management systems to the cloud.

Legal Upheaval and Measuring Innovation

I spoke with Michele DeStefano, a professor of law at the University of Miami School of Law and the founder & executive director of LawWithoutWalls, a think tank designed to create innovations at the intersection of law, business, and technology. She is also a guest faculty member at Harvard Law School’s Executive Education program and the author of the newly released book, Legal Upheaval: A Guide to Creativity, Collaboration, and Innovation (American Bar Association, 2018). We discussed her background and work at the University of Miami School of Law, her motivation for writing Legal Upheaval: A Guide to Creativity, Collaboration, and Innovation, why she founded LawWithoutWalls, how the profession has changed in the years since she created that organization, whether innovation can be measured, and where the legal industry is headed, among other topics.

Knowledge Sharing Starts With Trust

I spoke with Hélène Russell, a UK-based knowledge management specialist and founder of The Knowledge Business. She helps law firms with their knowledge sharing and learning challenges through her books, training, and consulting. We discussed the genesis of The Knowledge Business, the benefits of knowledge sharing for law firms, her new program to promote virtual online coffee connections, her new book club, and how knowledge sharing programs will evolve in the coming year. Those interested in joining her virtual online coffee connections program or book club can contact her directly at helenerussell@theknowledgebusiness.co.uk.

The Emerging Privacy Career Path

I spoke with Jared Coseglia, the founder and CEO of TRU Staffing Partners, a contract staffing and executive placement search firm representing talent and opportunities in cybersecurity, e-discovery, and privacy. We discussed how TRU Staffing Partners has adapted to an increasingly dynamic legal market, why privacy is an increasingly popular career path, the state of the market for professions with skills in privacy, how it will continue to evolve, and a few best practices for those interested in a career in this area.

Managing Minute Books in the Cloud and the Trajectory of Legal Tech in Canada

I spoke with Sean Bernstein, the co-founder of MinuteBox, a cloud-based minute book management service. We discussed the genesis of MinuteBox, how it is changing the way companies manage corporate minute books, the benefits of transitioning from a physical to a digital storage system for corporate records, the Canadian Legal Innovation Zone in Toronto, and where legal tech is headed in Canada.

The Move From a Vendor-Driven Market to a Customer-Driven Market

I spoke with Eyal Iffergan, the president and CEO of Hyperion Global Partners, a consulting firm focused on legal business strategy and operations for the AmLaw 200 and Global 1000. We discussed the genesis of Hyperion Global Partners, how his team aligns the application of technology with consulting guidance, ways that the conversation about operational efficiency and innovation has changed in the past 10 years, and where the legal industry is headed.

Building the Law Firm of the Future

I spoke with Dr. Marc Morant, the Head of Flexible Legal Resources at PwC Switzerland. We discussed the mission of PwC’s Flexible Legal Resources practice, where the company is implementing this approach, how it differs from other offerings, ways that the legal industry has changed that make the use of flexible legal resources so important, and the trajectory of the profession.