Reinventing Professionals

I spoke with Barrie Hadfield, the co-founder and chief technology officer for Workshare, a software company focused on professional services with customers around the world. We discussed the genesis of Workshare, the role that craftsmanship plays in developing software, its partnerships with Google and HighQ, how the legal industry has evolved over the past two decades, and where the legal technology sector is headed.

I spoke with Mike McDonald, the senior vice president and general manager of legal compliance and surveillance for Veritone, an artificial intelligence software company. We discussed the genesis of Veritone, how it adapts artificial intelligence for the legal community, the company’s integration with Relativity, how its technology differs from other tools on the market, and where AI is headed within the legal sector.

I spoke with Charles Mirho, the Chief Legal Officer and co-founder of TurboPatent, the developer of an automated patent creation and analytics system used to produce patent documents and monitor patent quality throughout the prosecution process. We discussed the genesis of TurboPatent, the challenges associated with the current practice of how lawyers review patents, how legal teams are applying artificial intelligence in patent protection, how RoboReview and RapidResponse affect the patent prosecution process, and how patent lawyers can leverage technology to improve the process of responding to office actions by the US PTO.

I spoke with Aaron Crews, the general counsel and vice president of strategy for Text IQ, a developer of technology that helps enterprises manage legal and compliance challenges. Prior to joining Text IQ, Aaron was senior associate general counsel and global head of eDiscovery for Walmart. We discussed his new role at Text IQ, how Text IQ defines AI, what differentiates Text IQ’s technology from others in the marketplace, and how law and compliance are evolving for an AI-future.

I spoke with Jim Cranston, a principal with LawVision Group, a law firm consultancy focused on growing firm revenue, strengthening lawyer confidence, and maintaining client loyalty. We discussed the genesis of LawVision Group, the levels at which business development coaching and training are most effective, what a professional should look for in a business development coach, the most common rainmaker traits, and general misconceptions about rainmakers.

I spoke with Larry Port, the founder and CEO of Rocket Matter, a leading practice management and time and billing software tool for law firms. We discussed how changes in the way lawyers practice are driving the evolution of the company’s technology, its new Atlas Gold edition and redesigned mobile application, the importance of calendaring rules and security to law firm operations, and where the legal industry is headed.

I spoke with Jason R. Baron, of counsel to Drinker, Biddle & Reath, and the founder of The Chelly Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on improving literacy and education for children living in Cambodia. We discussed the genesis of The Chelly Foundation, the organization’s mission, the types of projects it is supporting, and the organization’s fundraising event at Gulliver’s Gate in New York City on Thursday September 14th at 6pm.

I spoke with Abdi Shayesteh, the founder and CEO of AltaClaro, an experiential learning platform for lawyers, who served for fifteen years as a corporate, bank regulatory and finance attorney in Silicon Valley and New York City, as well as throughout Asia, the Middle East and Europe. We discussed the genesis of AltaClaro, the variety of content that it offers, and the evolution of online learning.

I spoke with Ryan Adams, the resort manager for the Chatham Bars Inn. We discussed the connection between customer service and client satisfaction, how technology is impacting client expectations, and the key elements of adding value.

I spoke with Bruce Malter, the director of client engagement for eTERA Consulting at the 2017 Masters Conference in New York City. We discussed what vendors can do to stand out, how technology has normalized, and where the industry is headed.

I spoke with Haley Altman, the co-founder and CEO of Doxly, a secure transaction management platform that centralizes checklists and reporting, and tracks documents, versions, and tasks, while automating signature management. We discussed the genesis of Doxly and the power of client collaboration at ILTACON 2017.

I spoke with Montina Portis, the founder and CEO of Creative Internet Authority, a digital marketing company that specializes in video production and promotion for lawyers and law firms. We discussed the genesis of the Creative Internet Authority, why video is an important element of law firm marketing, the types of videos lawyers should create, and the future of legal marketing.

I spoke with Chuck Cole, the director of client engagement for Lucid IQ, the maker of CaseManagerPro, at the 2017 ILTA Conference. We discussed how developing a conversation with users can enhance their experience with technology.

I spoke with Silvia Hodges Silverstein, the executive director of the Buying Legal Council, the international trade organization for legal procurement, and John de Forte, a London-based consultant to law and other professional services firms, who is the author of Winning Proposals: The Essential Guide for Law Firms and Legal Services Providers, which the Buying Legal Council published in July. We discussed the genesis of the Buying Legal Council, de Forte’s new book, Winning Proposals: The Essential Guide for Law Firms and Legal Services Providers, how law firms should measure the ROI of proposal activities, what winning proposals have in common, and the North American Legal Procurement Conference on September 6th in New York.

I spoke with Brian Kuhn and Shawnna Hoffman, the Global Leaders and Co-Creators of IBM Watson Legal. The duo delivered the day two keynote address at the 2017 ILTA Conference called – Transforming the Business of Law with Cognitive Computing: Watson Legal. We discussed the impact of AI on the business of law, the practical applications of that technology, which include reducing outside counsel spend and data reuse, and where the industry is headed.

I spoke with Jack Thompson, the Senior Manager of eDiscovery & Legal Operations at Sanofi US. He is also the International Legal Technology Association’s Programming Planning Council Member responsible for Law Department Relationships. We discussed his background and role with ILTA, as well as the various sessions that has is producing at the 2017 ILTA Conference to promote a dialogue between vendor, law firm, and law department leaders.

I spoke with Ishan Girdhar, the CEO of Privva, Inc., a software company focused on identifying and managing third party vendor risk throughout the data lifecycle. We discussed the genesis of Privva, how the legal industry addresses third party risk, what can law firms do to prevent or manage third party risk from their vendors, the biggest challenge that legal organizations are facing regarding cyber security, and how the legal industry is evolving in the current security environment.

spoke with Peter Zver, the president of Tikit North America, the maker of the timekeeping software tool, Carpe Diem. We discussed how timekeeping generally and Carpe Diem have evolved in the past 18 months, the most common features that clients are requesting, the importance of forecasting in timekeeping, and what the company will be showcasing at ILTACON 2017.

I spoke with Rob Wescott, the chief revenue officer for ayfie, a text analytics company that adds structure to unstructured information. We discussed the genesis of ayfie, how the company’s technology differs from others in this sector, ways that it enables technology assisted review and continuous active learning, its distribution model, and what the company will be announcing at ILTACON 2017.

I spoke with Robert Childress, the founder of the Masters Conference. We discussed the genesis of the event series, techniques for offering a seamless portfolio of content, aligning the discussions and speakers across various cities, and remaining relevant in a dynamically shifting market.