One of the emerging trends I have noted previously on these pages is that a growing number of legal technology companies do not market to law firms, instead they market to corporate legal departments and the in-house counsel. The theory is that a big law firm, unlike a corporate legal department, is trying to bill as many hours as possible and, as a result, will resist technology that automates tasks ordinarily performed manually by lawyers.
It’s not entirely a fair characterization. Plenty of law firms are starting to adopt new technologies, not to mention ediscovery companies like kCura whose customers include almost every one of the AmLaw 200. Even Seal Software’s CEO Ulf Zetterberg recently told me in a conversation here on ATL that, although law firms have not traditionally been customers of theirs, they are beginning to see a shift. But, on the whole, the characterization is true.
Recently at Legaltech, I met with several companies who privately lamented that it was still difficult to convince Biglaw firms to purchase software that would otherwise be a no brainer for any business because of the time and money it saved. Here was my suggestion: talk to in-house counsels.
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Even if you’re not selling to in-house counsels, every in-house counsel should know about your product. Why? Because the best in-house counsels (and I met many of them at Legaltech) are doing whatever they can to leverage the best new tech to help their companies save money on legal. So, even if the in-house counsel isn’t your buyer, they are one of your decision makers. By keeping the in-house counsel community informed about how your product adds value, they will keep their outside counsel in check by asking them whether or not they’re using old, outdated processes or new, cost saving technology.
In much the same way that the drug companies run commercials on television encouraging you to “Ask your doctor if Cialis is right for you,” (and side-by-side bath tubs), legal technology companies need to market to in-house counsels in a way that encourages them to hold outside counsel accountable.
Are you an in-house counsel? I’d love to hear from you. Email me or tweet to me and let me know how you’re keeping your outside counsel in check.
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Zach Abramowitz is a former Biglaw associate and currently CEO and co-founder of ReplyAll. You can follow Zach on Twitter (@zachabramowitz) or reach him by email at [email protected].