What does it mean to lead legal operations when there’s no clear blueprint?

In this episode of The Abstract, host Tyler Finn sits down with Adam Becker, Director of Legal Operations at Cockroach Labs and board member at CLOC, for a candid conversation about evolving careers, scaling legal departments, and the growing scope of legal ops. From breaking the “lawyer mold” to embracing AI-native strategies, Adam shares personal lessons on confidence, curiosity, leadership, and why legal ops is entering a new season of strategic impact.

The discussion also explores how CLOC’s community and resources help elevate the field, and why every legal ops professional should see themselves as a partner to the GC — not just a process owner.

Read detailed summary:  https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-101  

Topics
Introduction and career arc overview: 0:00
Early clues that pointed to process thinking: 1:14
Breaking out of the lawyer mold and recognizing transferable skills: 2:09
Confidence, curiosity, and pivoting into legal ops: 5:51
Driving impact at MetLife and Endeavor: 8:33  
Why legal ops requires conviction, not just thick skin: 11:09  
The people-process-tech triangle — and why “people” matters more: 14:13  
Culture and collaboration at Cockroach Labs: 16:36
Balancing scale with flexibility in a fast-growing company: 18:53
How legal ops has evolved through CLOC’s growth: 21:14
Is legal ops at a crossroads? And what’s CLOC’s role in the future?:  26:22
Rapid Fire: 32:59

Connect with us:
Adam Becker - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-becker-896a7a3/
Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinn
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft  

SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues.

Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.