In this episode, I talk to Martin Clausen, CEO of Syngrato about the exciting rise of computational contracts and his new product, HyperContracts. We discuss what computational contracts are, the benefits of building computational models of commercial relationships, simulating outcomes before and after execution, how version control works when dealing with computational contracts, why applying a coding mindset to contract drafting can improve quality and decrease risk, and why they are different from smart contracts!

Topics of discussion

• The origins of HyperContracts

In this episode, I talk to Christophe Frerebeau, Founder and CEO of Della. We discuss the evolution of AI in law, why other AI tools have been focusing on the wrong problem,  the Q&A approach to AI contract review, the interaction of legal AI with voice services, how contracts can be re-designed to lead to better outcomes, the use of AI in contract negotiation and the areas where the legal AI hype is justified.

Topics of discussion

• Introduction to Della and the problem it solves

In this episode, I talk to Adam Roney, Founder and CEO of Calls9. We discuss the challenges facing professional services organisations, the move from professional services 1.0 to 2.0, the role of technology in driving change within professional services, the stages of a digital transformation journey, success factors when approach a digital transformation project and the importance of company culture.

Topics of discussion

• From innovation competition winner to tech CEO

In this episode, I talk to Tara Waters, Partner and Head of Ashurst Advance Digital, who began her career as a web developer and then moved into the law. We discuss the current state of tech within law firms, how the focus has evolved from digital services to digital products, considerations for law firms looking to build their own software, differentiating with technology, what legal tech can learn from open banking and the need for what Tara calls the "law-to-law model" to drive greater collaboration and client value.

Topics of discussion

• Going from web development to law

In this episode, I talk to Owen Oliver, Head of Product at StructureFlow and former co-founder of Workshare Transact. We discuss the challenges of building new tech products, how the legal tech landscape has changed in the last few years, why it made sense to take the Transact platform in-house at Workshare, his experiences as a legal tech intrapreneur and why he's excited to now be tackling visual modelling of corporate structures and transactions at StructureFlow.

Topics of discussion

• The origins of Workshare Transact

In this episode, I talk to Tom Dunlop, Founder and CEO of Summize. We discuss his journey from representing Team GB in badminton and getting into sports agency, to working as an in-house lawyer for fast-growth tech companies and founding Summize. We explore how legal tech vendors can succeed by leveraging the 1% principle to focus on delivering simple, yet high-value solutions that can deliver significant benefits for their customers.

Topics of discussion

• The importance and benefits of automated contract summaries

In this episode, I talk to Andy Wishart, Chief Product Officer at Agiloft. We discuss his journey from studying AI and Psychology at University, co-founding ContractExpress and becoming an accidental product manager, to cracking the US market, selling the business to Thomson Reuters and starting the next chapter of his career with Agiloft in January 2021.

Topics of discussion

• AI in the late nineties

In this episode, I talk to Daniel Porus, Chief Commercial Officer at Legatics. We discuss the key considerations for organisations looking to acquire a legal tech tool, how they can successfully navigate the procurement and onboarding process, and what needs to be in place to ensure they see value and return on investment.

Topics of discussion

• Winning the hearts and minds of key stakeholders

In this episode, I talk to David Howorth (Co-Founder & Director) and Giles Thompson (Head of Growth) at Avvoka. We discuss the role of lawyers in tech, the current state of document automation, the impact of the global pandemic on tech adoption and what constitutes a next generation document automation tool.

Topics of discussion

• The role of lawyers in legal tech

In this week's episode, I talk to Haley Altman, Global Director of Business Development & Strategy at Litera, and previously the CEO of Doxly (now Litera Transact). We discuss Haley's journey from Silicon Valley lawyer to LegalTech founder, current consolidation in the market, as well as the present and future state of transaction management and DealTech.

Topics of discussion

• Haley's background and path to becoming founding CEO of Doxly