Reinventing Professionals

Fighting the Law Firm Collections Battle With Evergreen Retainers

I spoke with Larry Port, the founder and CEO of RocketMatter, a total law firm management system in the cloud.

Are Digital Signatures the Answer to Productivity Challenges in Professional Services?

I spoke with Gadi Aharoni, the CEO of ARX, a global provider of digital signature solutions. We discussed the mission of ARX, the key differences between electronic and digital signatures, how they relate to productivity and information governance, and critical trends that are transforming the field.

Certifying Litigation Support Skills

I spoke with Chere Estrin, the president & co-founding member of the Organization of Legal Professionals, which recently launched a new certification exam focused on litigation support. We discussed the need for litigation support certification, the psychometrics used to design the test and associated prep course, and the range of topics the exam covers.

Why the Legal Industry is Attracting So Much Interest from Investors

I spoke with Mark Britton, the founder and CEO of Avvo, which he describes as “the largest legal marketplace directory and Q&A forum on the web,” about the company’s recently completed $37.5 million round of financing, as well as its upcoming Lawyernomics conference. We discussed Avvo’s plans for expansion, the keys to its success, and why the legal industry is attracting so much interest from investors. In addition, Britton provides key highlights of Lawyernomics, including descriptions of its marquee speakers Peter Shankman (who will be delivering the keynote address) and Above the Law’s David Lat, among others.

Law, Technology, and Asia: What Lawyers and Their Clients Need to Know

I spoke to David Horrigan, an analyst and counsel at 451 Research, a New York-based global analyst research firm. David covers law and technology, has served as a staff reporter and assistant editor at The National Law Journal, and is a contributing writer at Law Technology News.

Perspectives from LegalTech New York 2014

I had the privilege of meeting with many of the most respected leaders in the legal technology community at LegalTech New York last week. Below are impressions from Carolyn Betts, Director of Marketing for Nuix, and John Shaughnessy, Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Thomson

Unifying Stakeholders Across the Corporate Law Department

I spoke with Rajitha Boer, the Founder & Director of Yerra Solutions, a Basel, Switzerland-based boutique consulting firm for global law departments. We discussed the genesis of Yerra, the transparency challenges that corporate legal departments are facing, and Yerra’s inaugural in-house counsel conference in London called: “Empowering General Counsel to Lead and Succeed,” which featured speakers from AIG, Nestlé, Barclays, and various large international law firms.

Reinventing the CIO

I spoke with Doug Caddell, the new chief information officer for kCura, the maker of Relativity, a web-based platform for the processing, review, analysis, and production of electronic data. Prior to joining kCura, Caddell served as the firmwide CIO at Foley & Lardner based in Chicago. We discussed his new position, the distinction between his role in a corporation vs. a law firm, kCura's new Relativity Binders iPad app, and what the rise of influential CIOs means for the future of legal technology development.

Is Questio an Answer to E-Discovery Challenges?

I spoke with Dave Deppe, the president of UnitedLex, a global legal services company, which focuses on litigation, contract management, and intellectual property. Prior to joining UnitedLex, he was a founding partner of Focus Legal Solutions, an electronic discovery boutique, which Mutual of Omaha acquired in December 2008. We discussed the release of Questio, the company's new consultant-led technology platform, how it differs from predictive coding, its development cycle, and what it reveals about the evolution of client interaction with digital tools.

Reinventing Litigation Support

I spoke with Albert Buckwalter, the Director of Litigation Support for the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC, and the editor-in-chief of Litigation Support Today, a magazine for litigation support professionals that has been published since 2007.