There was an episode of 30 Rock a whole decade ago where, faced with an increasingly vapid entertainment industry, intrepid writer Liz Lemon worried that her job was disappearing. At this point she was met by three almost mystical figures: an American auto worker, a guy who played dynamite saxophone solos in rock and roll songs, and… a travel agent. They were the “people whose professions are no longer a thing” and they lived under the subways with the CEO of Friendster.
But the thing is, travel agents hadn’t really disappeared. While forfeiting some of their old market share to online booking outlets, travel agents regrouped around the tasks that they’re uniquely suited to take on. And Hotels for Trial is one such agency focused on the sort of complex and specialized travel scenario that calls out for dedicated professionals.
This wasn’t the meeting I’d expected to have at the International Legal Technology Association Conference last week, but after chatting with Ryan Spear, president of Spear Travel Group, a travel agent fit into the conference perfectly. “Because it’s the IT people who feel the pain when lawyers get there and the hotel has the wrong internet.”
Because sending a trial team across the country for weeks at a time is as much a technology question as the choice of eDiscovery platform. Sure, anyone could call up and book rooms and flights, but who is going to have the conversations with the hotel about the unique demands of modern litigation? Going to trial isn’t just about retiring to the room with some laptops. A successful team is going to negotiate a contract with the hotel to provide not just rooms, but dedicated wi-fi, security protocols, war rooms, food & beverage, transportation, etc.
And that’s in normal times. Over the last several months, firms have needed to know about testing requirements and PPE policies in public or semi-public areas of the hotel.
Getting all of this right is why Spear set up Hotels for Trial as a dedicated branch of his agency to serve the needs of modern trial travel and eliminating pain points that could crop up along the way. The group has been working with major Biglaw mainstays like Kirkland & Ellis, Skadden, and Weil and Spear said he’s happy to report the group has a 100 percent retention rate.
The best meetings at these conferences are the ones where you hear something you never expected. I didn’t go to ILTA expecting to talk to a travel agent, and yet I can’t imagine traveling for a major trial without one at this point.
Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.
