Reinventing Professionals

I spoke with Chris Stock, the CEO of LEAP US, a cloud-based practice management tool for solo practitioners and small law firms. We discussed how LEAP differs from the other law office management solutions on the market, its cloud technology, how attorneys are using mobile practice management tools, and the trajectory of the practice management software sector headed, among other topics.

I spoke with Karl Harris, the Vice President of Products for Lex Machina, a software-as-a-service provider of data analytics for patent and trademark litigation data, recently acquired by LexisNexis, where he leads all product management, development, and strategy. We discussed Lex Machina’s custom insight apps designed to help lawyers leverage information to win cases and close business, how they integrate with Lex Machina’s legal analytics platform, the tools it is launching, and where the sector is headed in 2016, among other topics.

I spoke with John Gilbert, Senior Vice President of nQueue, a cost recovery, document scanning, and routing solutions provider. We discussed ways that law firm’s are approaching cost recovery in the current market, the likelihood of a paperless future, the importance of uniform scanning, and where the sector is headed, among other topics.

I spoke with Eric Wangler, President of BigHand North America, a software development company specializing in delivering speech, task delegation, document creation and process improvement solutions. We discussed the release of BigHand Now, the evolution of workflow management, how organizations are using it to increase efficiency and build accountability, the key considerations for choosing a solution for managing workflow, and the future of the sector (particularly given the collaboration between BigHand and Integreon), among other topics.

I spoke with Shelley Brown, an attorney and the Director of Managed Review Services at RVM, a full-service e-discovery provider. We discussed the impact of managed review, the characteristics of a successful contract attorney, the effect of artificial intelligence on e-discovery, and the advantages of near-shore vs. off-shore litigation support, among other topics.

I spoke with Jason Smith, the Senior Director and Legal Counsel at Apttus, a software company that facilitates deal flow in various industries. He focuses on contract lifecycle management. We discussed how the interest in contract lifecycle management has evolved over the past few years, the results of the General Counsel’s Technology Report, and the key trends that are likely to influence the legal market in 2016.

I spoke with Jeena Cho, a San Francisco bankruptcy attorney with JC Law Group, and the co-author of the upcoming book, The Anxious Lawyer: An 8-Week Guide to a Happier, Saner Law Practice Using Meditation (American Bar Association, March 7, 2016). Jeena is also the host of the Resilient Lawyer podcast. We discussed how she balances her law practice and consulting, her inspiration for writing The Anxious Lawyer, what readers expect to take away from it, whether lawyers struggle with achieving happiness, and meditation best practices, among other interesting topics.

I spoke with Jeff Kerr, the founder of CaseFleet, a comprehensive practice management solution. We discussed the genesis of CaseFleet, how it differs from other available options, the influence of e-discovery on its development, and why technological competence has become so important for modern lawyers, among other topics.

I spoke with Bobby Balachandran, the founder, President & CEO of Exterro, a leading provider of workflow-driven end-to-end e-discovery software solutions for corporate legal departments. We discussed Exterro’s mission, the genesis of E-Discovery Day taking place on December 1st, and where e-discovery is headed in 2016 and beyond.

I spoke with Doug Luftman, the new Chief Innovation Officer and General Counsel for Lecorpio, a provider of intellectual property management and analytics software solutions. We discussed his new role and the evolution of his career, the need for aligning strategy, innovation, and legal, and how lawyers can reinvent their careers in-house, among other topics.

I spoke with Dr. Rick Kabra, the CEO of CosmoLex, a cloud-based law practice management software tool that integrates time tracking, billing, and legal accounting into a single application. We discussed the connection between accounting, compliance, and ethics, the practice areas that benefit most from practice management software, and where the market is headed.

I spoke with Daniel Lewis, the CEO and co-founder of Ravel Law, a legal research, analytics, and visualization company. Forbes named Lewis to its 2015 list of 30 under 30 in Law & Policy. We discussed the genesis of Ravel Law, the impact of data analytics and visualization on legal decision-making, and the future of legal practice, among other topics.

I spoke with Mike Murray, the director of client solutions at Veritext Legal Solutions, a national provider of court reporting and deposition services. He is also responsible for the company’s new litigation collaborative workspace called LawStudio. We discussed the genesis of LawStudio, how small- and mid-sized law firms are using it, the trends that are driving the use of an application like LawStudio, and how client and litigation demands have fueled the need for collaboration, among other topics.

I spoke with Andy Wilson, the founder and CEO of Logikcull, an all-in-one discovery automation platform. We discussed the genesis of Logikcull, the rising interest in discovery automation, the importance of the checklist approach to a consistent workflow, and the prospective end to electronic discovery, among other topics.

I spoke with Rick Rattray, the senior vice president and general manager for BarBri Professional Associations, an organization that trains attorneys, litigation support staff and financial services professionals. BarBri also provides certifications in e-discovery and financial crimes. We discussed the mission of BarBri’s professional associations division, the benefits of certification, the requirements, and key trends in legal education, among other topics.

I spoke with Shelley Whitehead, the founder and CEO of LegalBee, a network of freelance attorneys that provides temporary legal services for solo practitioners and small law firms. We discussed the genesis of LegalBee, the rise of freelance attorneys, how a freelance network can enhance how solo practitioners and small law firms service their clients, and the future of this sector, among other issues.

I spoke with Reid Schroder, an account executive with Siteimprove, a company that provides web governance solutions for organizations of all sizes around the world. We discussed how Siteimprove helps law Firms, why it is important to have a website free of errors like broken links, misspellings and SEO deficiencies, the impact of content marketing and blogging on the need to monitor professional websites, and key legal industry trends, among other topics.

I spoke with Nehal Madhani, the founder and CEO of Alt Legal, a cloud-based software tool to prepare and manage global IP filings. He will be presenting at the Clio Cloud Conference on the role of APIs and how Clio can be leveraged as a platform from the perspective of an attorney and a programmer. We discussed the genesis and evolution of Alt Legal, its influence in the legal market, the competitive landscape for tools of this type, and key predictions, among other topics. In addition, given his experience as a former attorney with a big firm who left the practice to start a software company after teaching himself to code, he shared some advice for lawyers interested in striking out on their own beyond the practice of law.

I spoke with Phi Tran, the Director of Communications and Client Development with Xact Data Discovery, an international discovery and data management company that supports law firms, corporations and government agencies. A former practicing commercial litigator, she helps clients implement best practices and defensible cost-effective solutions to their e-discovery challenges. She will be speaking at Relativity Fest this week and we discussed the characteristics that distinguish Xact in the marketplace, trends driving the growth of e-discovery, how clients choose between domestic and offshore review, the importance of Xact’s multi-tenant deployment of Relativity, and its new data center in Texas, among other topics.

I spoke with Charlie Lee, the Founder & CEO of LeGuard, a live interactive legal fee tracking system, He is also the author of Churn That Bill Baby: The Solution to Controlling Excessive Legal Billing. We discussed the genesis of LeGuard, how it works, the target audience, and what the introduction of a tool like LeGuard signifies about the evolution of the legal profession.