Reinventing Professionals

I spoke with Jerry Ting, the CEO and co-founder of Evisort, an AI-powered contract analysis system. We discussed the genesis of Evisort and its recent $15 million investment, advice for legal tech entrepreneurs seeking investors in 2020, how investors should evaluate early-stage, pre-revenue companies in legal, ways that hopeful entrepreneurs could carve out their niche, and where legal tech is headed.

I spoke with Nehal Madhani, the founder and CEO of Alt Legal, a company whose cloud-based IP docketing software helps legal professionals prepare and manage hundreds of thousands of IP filings and deadlines daily. We discussed the expansion of Alt Legal’s docketing business, its upcoming trademark law conference called Alt Legal Connect, the keynote presentation by Jack Newton, the co-founder and CEO of Clio, and how Alt Legal Connect and other events are influencing the distribution and development of legal technology.

I spoke with Jonah Paransky, the executive vice president and general manager of Wolters Kluwer ELM Solutions. We discussed how customers are leveraging ELM Solutions, their appetite for artificial intelligence, how AI aligns with legal operations, and lessons about how legal teams should apply AI.

I spoke with Tim Pullan, the founder and CEO of ThoughtRiver, an intelligent contract pre-screening platform. We discussed the genesis of ThoughtRiver, how its technology works, ways that its platform differs from others on the market, the value for its clients, and where the usage of this technology is headed.

I spoke with Varun Mehta, the CEO of Factor, formerly Axiom Managed Solutions, an organization focused on performing complex legal work at scale. We discussed Factor’s primary focus, whether it is necessary for a “new law” company to concentrate on a particular service or technology to succeed, what Factor is disrupting, who it is replacing in the buying cycle, and how legal services are evolving.

I spoke with Matthew Prinn, the principal of RFP Advisory Group, a consulting firm that specializes in RFPs for the legal industry. We discussed key trends in how corporate legal departments are using RFPs, the biggest mistakes law firms make in responding to RFPs, and how RFPs and related technology are evolving.

I spoke with Mary DeSpain, the founder of Destination CLEs, a company that combines vacation with continuing legal education. We discussed the genesis of Destination CLEs, the advantage of associating leisure activities with professional education, and how this model of educating legal professionals reflects the changing nature of the practice.