The 5th Annual Emerging Legal Technology Forum

For law firms and corporate legal departments in the digital age, embracing a versatile and sustainable client journey is a core lever for success. From intake to invoicing, client service is increasingly viewed across a constellation of experiences—both in-person and virtual—influenced by technology, 24/7 connectivity, and interpellative social forces. This opening session pivots upon a simple yet nuanced premise: in an increasingly competitive and tenuous market, what does exemplary client service truly look like? How confident are industry leaders in the profession’s embrace of the modern experience economy? Is the modern legal services delivery model wholly sufficient or in need of a proverbial tune-up? Our distinguished panel of industry leaders shall discuss.

Panelists:
Horatiu Druma-Strugariu, Head of Canadian Content, Alexsei
Monica Goyal, Director of Legal Innovation/Lawyer, Caravel
Joe Green, Of Counsel & Director of Client Experience, Gunderson Dettmer
Ginevra Saylor, Director, Innovation and Knowledge Programs, Gowling WLG

In an economic downtown, strategic account management is an effective means for corporate legal departments and law firms to demonstrate value, partnership, and growth. Indeed, thanks to enhanced data analytics and increasingly sophisticated technologies, legal service providers are poised to strategically enhance client relationships through proactive and efficient means. What are legal service providers doing well—or ultimately lacking—in their current account management approach? What resources can prompt more informed and productive engagement with key clients? How is the latest wave of data analytics capabilities helping providers align with broader enterprise goals or priorities?

With COVID-19 prompting a dramatic pivot toward digital strategies and online marketing, scrutiny around content planning and the existing marketing technology (“martech”) stack is a valuable exercise. Whether through bespoke interactive web portals, dynamic mobile applications, webinars and 3D virtual conferences, or CRM and email marketing integration, the tools with which legal service providers develop and deploy strategic content continue to evolve. This session offers a rigorous examination of modern content creation and technology platforms across the profession. How are law firms and corporate legal teams (re)evaluating the way clients consume and access insights? Where and how might martech—or knowledge management writ large—be reimagined to meet client needs and best support employees?

Panelists:
Sukesh Kamra, Chief Knowledge & Innovation Officer, Torys LLP

By some estimates, the arrival of Web 3.0 (“Web3”) is expected to generate 1.76 trillion US dollars in GDP growth over the next decade—a not insignificant figure to the legal profession. As many in the industry are aware, legal client demand for guidance on a host of Web3 technologies—cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and DAOs—has yielded a flurry of new specialized practice areas and outpouring of lucrative work in both mature and emerging markets. Blockchain, famously described as the most significant new technology since the internet, has clearly become an influential fixture in the global public square. And with blockchain-based Web 3.0 now gathering steam, savvy legal service providers are moving quickly to shore up bench strength and enter the untamed wilds of the metaverse. This presentation offers an important and comprehensive look at opportunity and reward around this newest technological innovation. Where and how can legal service providers lay claim to such fertile ground?

Panelists:
Amy ter Haar, Legal Counsel, Global University System and Board Member, Ocean Falls Blockchain Group
Matthew Rappard, Chief Technology Officer, Vaultie
Aileen Schultz, Director, Data and Model Policy and Ethics, Thomson Reuters

No client journey is complete without the opportunity to share feedback on one’s overall experience. Indeed, across the global legal profession, there is a direct correlation between formal client feedback processes and improved legal fee realization, according to Thomson Reuters Market Insights research. This closing conversation offers a timely and interactive opportunity to understand the tremendous potential of client experience audits within small to large organizations. Participants are asked to consider the evolution and impact of after-action reviews or client listening and feedback initiatives in a dynamic and transformative market.

Panelists:
Fernando Garcia, Vice President, Legal and General Counsel, Cargojet
Janet Sullivan, eDiscovery Counsel and Global Director of Practice Technology, White & Case LLP

Please join us for cocktails as we wrap up the day’s proceedings.