alt.legal: We Keep Waiting On The World To Change

Some key personnel moves.

One day our generation / is gonna rule the population. — John Mayer

Yikes, does anything good come from quoting John Mayer? Well, I stand by it.

The last alt.legal roundup in legal tech and innovation was well-received, so let’s kick off 2019 by giving that another whirl. I try to focus on stories that begin to shift the direction of the legal industry, one little step at a time. We see enough stories about bumps in associate compensation, splashy lateral moves by rainmaking partners, or M&A activity anywhere across firms or service providers. But there are a few moves that, when curated and read together, paint a picture of how the gears of our industry can turn a little more smoothly.

So we’re focusing on some of the interesting changes — mostly personnel — could point to a changing legal world.

  1. Baker McKenzie has made two important hires, Jae Um and Casey Flaherty. This is a coup because a) these are two important minds with proven track records now being asked to contribute and lead transformation; b) Baker McKenzie has long been the standard for global presence and is the perfect context for a natural experiment for innovation at scale; and c) they join David Cambria, a well-respected former legal ops guru, to make a formidable team bent on operational excellence. Casey and Jae fellow travelers in the alt.legal world who are returning to Biglaw, equipped to the hilt with insights and new networks. If they can’t transform the delivery of legal services in a global law firm, I’m not sure who can.
  2. Reynen Court has announced its leadership slate as well. This includes Christian Lang, the new Head of Strategy and friend to alt.legal. You may recognize his name from various podcasts, blog posts, the NY Legal Tech Meetup, or from my co-columnist Joe Borstein’s description as being “not hard on the eyes.” Reynen Court is supported by some of the world’s top law firms and seeks to deliver legal applications through an automation platform ensuring security and simplicity. It’s a bold endeavor and one that will require more than good tech — it will require a strategy for adoption and a network of influence. Christian will certainly bring a big dose of both and Reynen’s investment into leadership indicates a seriousness about making this work.
  3. IBM Blockchain Accelerator has announced ten growth-stage startups in its portfolio for its acceleration program together with Columbia. Another good friend of alt.legal, Jules Miller, Partner, IBM Blockchain Accelerator, is leading the effort. “We’re helping the most promising companies with existing traction to scale their blockchain business networks,” wrote Miller in the announcement. The startups focus on a variety of blockchain applications, including tokenizing corporate debt, auditing a food supply chain, and creating a platform for IP registration and transaction. We’ve seen many an accelerator come through town, intrigued by the potential for investment in legal tech and innovation but without the chops or skills to make it really run. This team appears focused on getting this right and pulling some good outcomes across the finish line.
  4. Inspire.legal is not just another legal tech conference, even if it is immediately following the commotion known as LegalWeek New York 2019. In this inaugural year for Inspire, the aforementioned Christian Lang and friends are focused on getting the right voices in a room to tackle the industry’s biggest problems through unpanels, workshops and connections. If you want to register for it, you still can here; it promises to be a great time.

A new kind of law firm. A new delivery platform for legal apps. Ten new takes on blockchain use cases. A new breed of legal innovation conference. And there’s much, much more happening out there.

It is a really exciting time to be in the ever-growing alt.legal world. Looks like time is almost up for those of us who have been waiting for this world to change.

Sponsored


Ed Sohn is VP, Product Management and Partnerships, for Thomson Reuters Legal Managed Services. After more than five years as a Biglaw litigation associate, Ed spent two years in New Delhi, India, overseeing and innovating legal process outsourcing services in litigation. Ed now focuses on delivering new e-discovery solutions with technology managed services. You can contact Ed about ediscovery, legal managed services, expat living in India, theology, chess, ST:TNG, or the Chicago Bulls at edward.sohn@thomsonreuters.com or via Twitter (@edsohn80). (The views expressed in his columns are his own and do not reflect those of his employer, Thomson Reuters.)

Sponsored

CRM Banner