As one of my partners used to say, if I had more time, I’d have written a shorter letter. That philosophy certainly seems on display as the first 8am Kaleidoscope conference kicks off this week in Austin, Texas. If the past is any indication, short educational sessions with expert panelists equals a hard hitting and dynamic conference.
For those who haven’t heard, 8am is the newly branded company that encompasses the various legal brands of AffiniPay, which included LawPay, MyCase, Docketwise, Casepeer, and CPACharge.
I have to hand it to 8am. Not many companies would simultaneously try to pull off a first-ever, state-of-the-art legal tech conference and a rebranding at the same time. 8am obviously loves a challenge.
The Rebrand
Why the rebrand and a somewhat cryptic name, at least on the surface? AffiniPay had clearly branched out into other services beyond payment, so the name change made some sense. A new name that didn’t come with a historic payment label gave clarity to what the AffiniPay companies were actually doing: providing all sorts of back-office tools from intake to billing to practice management and more. So that part makes sense.
But the name 8am? I have to say it had some people scratching their heads. (To me, when I first heard it, I thought of coffee.) As I understand it, the name was designed to reflect the idea that most lawyers and legal professionals start their day by working on all the non-billable sorts of work that has to be done to keep the lights on. Hence the name 8am.
Of course, the first reaction from many is WTF? But name changes and rebranding are commonplace and this time next year, 8am will be a standard name in the industry to which no one gives a second thought. Changing a name, rebranding, and selecting a name that has people talking isn’t all bad.
It’s a far cry from changing what a company stands for like Cracker Barrell recently tried to do. Or changing the product completely like Coca-Cola did with new Coke, way back when. Come to think of it, the fact I thought of coffee when I first heard the name is also not a bad thing. Before doing all the back office non-billable stuff in the morning, most of us first grab a cup of coffee .
Having a name that accurately reflects what you do and your focus enables you to better compete. It reinforces to your employees what you are about. You might not necessarily have picked the name for your company but then again, you aren’t 8am. Names matter. So, get over it.
But let’s talk about the conference.
About the Conference
Best I can tell, 8am is patterning the conference a bit like its previous live webinars about which I wrote last March. The sessions are all composed of a panel of experts with a moderator armed with questions. What’s different about the format is that the questions are not soft balls. They are designed to bring out the expertise of the panelists and, to some extent, incite debate and discussion.
Questions like what are the downsides of sticking with an hourly billing model? Or how can outdated pricing structures limit profitability, growth, or client satisfactions? Or will AI really change how I practice law? Is AI more likely to expand access to legal service — or entrench two-tiered systems where only the rich get “human” lawyers? Not easy questions. Not easy answers.
Again, best I can tell, the panelists were carefully chosen so that they can talk about the topic and respond to questions within their area of expertise. As 8am puts it, the presentation will be “delivered in a unique expert and peer driven environment.”
The Topics
By way of disclosure, I am on three panels. I have seen the questions and discussed them with both the moderators and the other panelists so we will come locked and loaded. I can safely say the discussions won’t just be thought-provoking; they’re designed to cut through the noise on pressing issues in legal right now.
So, what are the topics? I’m on one panel that will discuss emerging issues in legal with my fellow participants on the weekly LegalTech Week journalists’ roundtable. We don’t always see eye to eye, so it should be interesting. I’m also on a panel entitled “Adapting Your Billable Hour Model” with Gabriela Cubeiro of 8am, the always interesting and insightful Kim Bennett, CEO and Co-Founder of Fidu, and CPA Kelly Rohrs. Anytime you get a group like this together to discuss how lawyers bill — or should bill — for their services, you’re going to get some interesting takes.
The final panel I’m on is 30 use cases for AI in 30 minutes. That too should be a good discussion, not the least of which to see whether the moderator can keep us three panelists to the time allotted.
Other equally fascinating discussions include management and growth strategies for solo and small firms, how to use social media, the future of accounting, how to turn invoices into revenue, ethical consideration for the use of chatbots, growing your team, mastering client communications, ethical texting with clients (with the esteemed Mark Palmer), how to avoid the 10 most costly mistakes of firms, AI-enabled marketing (with ace marketer Gyi Tsakalakis), and much more. I know or know of most of the panelists and am confident that it’s going to be an interesting couple of days.
The Sessions: Mercifully Short
Also, in keeping with the previous virtual conference, the sessions at Kaleidoscope 2025 are short by legal tech conference standards. Other than the Keynotes, one by Leslie Witt, 8am’s Chief Product Officer, and the other a conversation with Olympian Gabby Thomas, the sessions are mercifully short. Most are 30 to 45 minutes in length.
I say mercifully because a shorter session makes the speakers really focus on what’s important and what’s not. What I said about the live webinar equally applies here: an approach where speakers have to be concise and deliver hard-hitting points in a limited period is a refreshing change from the typical hour-long mundane and PowerPoint-heavy presentations we typically see.
I’ve attended way more than my share of presentation where the speaker introduction goes on for 10 or more minutes, the speaker blabbers on and reads their wordy slides, and the audience reads their emails. When a three-person panel only has 30 minutes to make their points, you better listen, or you will miss it. And the panel better be concise.
Thanks 8am
In a world of often bloated legal tech conferences, sometimes the best approach is simply showing up at 8 a.m., ready to work. (The conference kicks off at 8 a.m. with breakfast btw).
So, kudos to 8am for a) pulling off a rebranding and b) putting together what looks to be a dynamic and thought-provoking conference. All at the same time.
Full disclosure: I am on three panels at the conference. 8am is picking up my travel expense and registration fees for attending.
Stephen Embry is a lawyer, speaker, blogger, and writer. He publishes TechLaw Crossroads, a blog devoted to the examination of the tension between technology, the law, and the practice of law.