Reinventing Professionals

I spoke with Steven Toole, the vice president of marketing for Content Analyst Company, a text analytics software developer with a strong presence in the legal community. Given Toole’s focus on pipeline development, sales enablement, thought leadership, and brand equity, we discussed the evolution of analytics software, the parallels between the U.S. intelligence community and the legal technology sector, the benefits of gaining rapid insight into big content, and how professionals beyond e-discovery are using these applications.

I spoke with Michael Chasin, the co-founder of Lexicata, a new cloud-based application that automates the client intake process. We discussed the genesis of the new site, built to help solo and small firm practitioners to manage their leads and intake, how it works, and its upcoming launch in late September.

I spoke with Ian Campbell, the president of iCONECT Development, the maker of the XERA® hosted review platform. He is responsible for sales, business development, product lifecycle development, and legal service provider and partner relations. We discussed the company’s history and the evolution of eDiscovery, the need for litigation support tools to look and feel like familiar technology platforms, and key trends that he will be discussing at the upcoming Ingenious East Coast eDiscovery and Information Governance Retreat, including healthcare metrics, OLED screens, and the personal cloud, among other topics. Campbell predicts that visualization and a movement toward “glanceable information” will impact eDiscovery in 2015.

I spoke with Bruce Berman, the founder of Brody Berman Associates, a management consulting and communications firm that supports intellectual property rights holders and service providers, who is also the author of five books, including The Intangible Investor – Profiting from Intellectual Property: Companies’ Most Elusive Assets (CloseUp Media, 2014). We discussed the state of intellectual asset management, what makes intangible investors relevant today, the valuation of intangible assets, and the changing nature of innovation.

I spoke with Peter Zver, the president of British Telecom subsidiary Tikit North America, a provider of technology solutions and services to law and accounting firms around the world. We discussed the importance of timekeeping in improving client relations, growing revenue, and enhancing productivity. Zver also addressed the trends associated with passive timekeeping, the velocity of time capture, and next-generation time entry. He highlighted the forces that are shifting the landscape in this area, such as mobile technologies, alternative fee arrangements, and the need for e-billing transparency.

I spoke with Dean Morrison, a national business development manager with Summit Funding Group, an independent equipment leasing company focused on supporting legal technology initiatives at small and mid-sized law firms. We discussed how financing for law firms differs from other industries, how the need for financing is evolving given the move toward cloud computing, and the most common mistakes that law firms make when financing their technology.

I spoke with Jim Merrifield, the Director of Information Governance for FileTrail, a records and information management solutions company. He is also the co-founder of the Information Governance Conference, which will have its inaugural event in September. We discussed his role at FileTrail, the genesis of the Information Governance Conference, the inherent challenges associated with producing industry events, and advice for those interested in applying information governance in their organizations. Merrifield suggested that legal teams identify quick IG wins using live metrics, maintain a plan B, and avoid reading too much into best practices.

I spoke with BJ Schaknowski, the Vice President of Sales and Professional Services at LexisNexis, where he is responsible for all sales and consulting for software solutions sold to law firms and corporate legal departments. We discussed the company’s sponsorship of the 2014 Raleigh Ironman 70.3 in June, the lessons that professionals can learn from triathlon, and how the event connects with the core values that LexisNexis promotes. Schaknowski noted that endurance races reflect various elements for success, including a passion for living; a commitment to hard work; thoughtful planning; and, a focus on positive outcomes, among other ideals.

I spoke with Doug Horton, the President and CEO of Handshake Software, a leading provider of SharePoint products and services in the legal community. We discussed Handshake’s mission, the impact of its recent acquisition of the Thomson Reuters OneView portal, the impact of SharePoint 2013 on the legal community, and his views on the SharePoint as a DMS debate, among other topics.

I spoke with Larry Port, the founder and CEO of RocketMatter, a total law firm management system in the cloud. We discussed the company’s evolution, its newest Pon Farr release, the value of evergreen retainers in the battle for collections, the need to focus on software performance improvements over feature enhancements, and the future of cloud-based law firm management.

I spoke with Kingsley Martin, the founder of KMStandards, a provider of contract standards and contract analysis tools. We discussed the genesis of KMStandards, how corporate counsel are embracing knowledge management for drafting agreements, ways that lawyers can overcome the efficiency paradox, and the future trajectory of contract analysis standards.

I spoke with Barclay Blair, the president and founder of ViaLumina, a consulting firm that advises Fortune 500 companies, software and hardware vendors, and government institutions, on information governance, who is also the Executive Director and co-founder of the Information Governance Initiative. We discussed why information governance has become such a critical concern in the legal community, key tips for managing information more effectively, the conflict between big data and e-discovery, and the future of the industry.

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.

I spoke with Jeffrey Roach, the president of Encoretech, a technology training firm focused on the legal industry. We discussed the company’s mission, the advantages of technological proficiency for legal professionals, his team’s unique approach to training, and the benefits of outsourcing these efforts.

I spoke with Ruth Carter, the founder of the Carter Law Firm in Phoenix. Carter is a 2012 ABA Legal Rebel and is the author of two ABA best sellers: Flash Mob Law: The Legal Side of Planning and Participating in Pillow Fights, No Pants Rides, and Other Shenanigans and the newly-released The Legal Side of Blogging: How Not to get Sued, Fired, Arrested or Killed. We discussed the genesis of her new book – The Legal Side of Blogging for Lawyers – and how bloggers can avoid crossing the line. She shared best practices for how she uses her popular blog, ways to avoid the biggest legal mistake bloggers make, examples of how the ethical rules can be helpful, and creative ideas for selecting content.

I spoke with Kevin Harris, a project manager for Orion Law Management Systems, a financial and practice management software provider. Harris consults with law firms about infrastructure, business practices, staff and attorney design, utilization, productivity, and collections, among other areas. We discussed how law firm preferences have changed over the past few years and key trends that are emerging in the legal technology market, among other topics.

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.

I spoke with Jason R. Baron, of counsel in the Information Governance and eDiscovery Group at Drinker Biddle & Reath in Washington, D.C. Jason served as the director of litigation for 13 years at the National Archives and Records Administration. We discussed a panel he is moderating at a seminar that UBIC is hosting about Conducting Legal Business in Japan and the Rest of Asia called Information Governance as a Global Priority: Some Thoughts Based on Recent U.S E-Discovery Case Law & Practice. Baron explained why information governance is such a popular topic in the legal profession, how Big Data is elevating information governance into a global concern, and key policy practices that can help organizations manage the convergence between information governance and electronic discovery.

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.

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. We discussed a panel he is moderating at a seminar that UBIC is hosting about Conducting Legal Business in Japan and the Rest of Asia called Law, Technology, and Asia: What Lawyers and Their Clients Need to Know. He described how attendees will benefit from the different perspectives, the challenges that litigants face conducting e-discovery in Asia, and the distinctions between e-discovery in Asia and the U.S.