In this interview with Corporate Counsel Business Journal, Mark Nastasi, founder and VP of contract management company CobbleStone Software, discusses the evolution of cost-effective and user-friendly contract and procurement management software applications and continuous innovation in Contract Lifecycle Management.Continue Reading Technology Solutions for Corporate Law Departments

In this interview with Corporate Counsel Business Journal, Melanie Shafer, vice president of customer success and professional services with SimpleLegal, an Onit company, discusses the risks and opportunities corporate law departments face when purchasing software.Continue Reading Trust, Not Tech: Why In-house Teams Are Reluctant Software Buyers

In this piece from Corporate Counsel Business Journal, Herman Raspé, a partner at Patterson Bellknap and chair of the World Services Group Board of Directors, discusses a wide range of topics, including the “technologization” of the legal profession. One hurdle he sees is money. “When I look at how law firm budgets have evolved over time, budgets tend to be based on: What did we do in the past? How did we cover our expenses, fixed, variable, etc.? While technology was certainly increasingly a large line item, I think it will need to be a much more significant line item,” Raspé says. The second challenge I have observed—within my firm, within WSG and in my personal life – is the more we get used to technology, the less patience we have it. It has to work immediately. It has to work all the time.” There is, however, a path forward: “Embrace it! Technologization of the profession is a wonderful thing,” he continues. “Daunting at times, but wonderful. I have enjoyed looking and experiencing and experimenting with new, technology-enhanced ways of building relationships with clients, building relationships within the WSG network, with other lawyers, and with other firms. Legal communication does

Continue Reading Embrace Technologization 

In the latest edition of Harvard Business Review, the leaders of McKinsey’s technology practice get down to the tricky but serious business of “separating real innovation from hot air.” That’s the difference between a big win and a costly flop. Klemens Hjartar, a senior McKinsey partner who co-chairs the tech practice globally, believes game-changers such as AI, 5G and cloud are hitting mass adoption tipping points. At the risk of missing the boat, he writes, corporate boards need to prioritize budgets for upgrading IT. “These aren’t the sexiest investments, but automating processes, investing in data foundations, cleaning up tech debt, and continually renewing the IT architecture are needed for the business to have a chance of taking full advantage of the new technologies coming online,” he writes.  William Forrest, global lead for McKinsey’s cloud practice, sees this as a ripe time to make bold bets. “Right now,” he writes, “companies have a can’t-miss opportunity to ramp up their cloud ambitions: as tech companies limit head-count and eliminate programs, top talent — not just the bottom 20% performers —are coming on the job market, While many of them are being snapped up quickly, companies should think through how to move quickly

Continue Reading Whither Tech?