Matercard's Eugene Bourke, Executive Vice-President of Global Partnerships and Segments and Shieldpay's Founder and Group CEO, Pete Janes, join Claire Van der Zant, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Shieldpay for a fire-side chat focusing on B2B payments, as well as discussing Mastercard and Shieldpay's journey together to date. 

Eugene Bourke is Executive Vice-President of Global Partnerships and Segments at Mastercard.

Eugene is EVP, Mastercard Global Partnerships & Segments. In this role Eugene is responsible for leading Mastercard’s global relationship with HSBC, scaling global business partnerships in new segments, as well as leading Mastercard’s strategy in the Insurance sector and with digital asset platforms. The business development team defines, explores, and develops new global flows by building partnerships to extend Mastercard's technology and data insights within non-traditional customer segments. 

Eugene joined Mastercard Advisors in February 2012, providing consulting services to Tier 1 UK banks. From 2013 to 2017 Eugene led Mastercard’s relationship with a set of major UK issuing banks including Lloyds Banking Group, Santander and Barclays, before taking on the role of SVP, Global Account Lead for HSBC Group. 

Prior to joining Mastercard Eugene spent over 7 years with Dun & Bradstreet latterly leading the Major Accounts team across the Energy, Telco, Technology, Government & Insurance sectors, as well as leading the global relationship with Shell.

In this special episode of Shieldcast, Eugene and Pete discuss with Claire:  

• Shieldpay and Mastercard's journey together to date, starting in 2018 at the Mastercard Start Path programme
• The barriers to streamlining high value, complex B2B transactions
• Why business has been slower to embrace new digital payment methods than consumer 
• The opportunities on the horizon in this space and the technologies that could have the biggest impact

Listen to this episode of Shieldcast to find out more!

Find other episodes in the series on our website: Shieldcast library

Podcast brought to you by Shieldpay - learn more: shieldpay.com

Head of Litigation Technology at Eversheds Sutherland Melina Efstathiou joins Shieldpay's Daniel Dunne to discuss the role of an in-house legaltech team, technology adoption in law firms and key uses and trends in emerging tools such as artificial intelligence (AI). 

Melina Efstathiou is the Head of Litigation Technology at Eversheds Sutherland. 

Melina joined the firm in August 2019, bringing with her over 10 years’ experience in the legal technology sector. Her remit includes building on the firm’s existing suite of technology solutions for disputes and investigations work.

Before joining Eversheds Sutherland, Melina most recently worked at Relativity where she was Senior Customer Success Manager with responsibility for client on-boarding, integration and successful adoption of Relativity’s technology in traditional and alternative use cases.

Melina is a qualified lawyer, and before moving into legal technology spent eight years practising law, specialising in financial crime and complex fraud investigations.

In this Class Actions episode of Shieldcast, Melina and Daniel discuss:  

• What a typical day looks like for an in-house legal technology expert
• The value of having an in-house legaltech function in a law firm 
• How technology teams work collaboratively with corporate legal teams 
• The challenge of tech adoption, driving new behaviours and building a tech-first culture
• Key uses and trends in emerging tools such as artificial intelligence (AI)

Listen to this Class Actions edition of Shieldcast to find out more!

Learn more about Eversheds Sutherland: 

Website: Eversheds Sutherland

LinkedIn: Eversheds Sutherland

Find other episodes in the series on our website: Shieldcast library

Podcast brought to you by Shieldpay - learn more: shieldpay.com

Matt Green, Blockchain Litigation Lead at Shoosmiths, joins Shieldpay's Daniel Dunne to explain the complex blockchain market, what is happening on the global stage and the role lawyers play in recovering digital assets.

Matt Green is the Blockchain Litigation Lead at Shoosmiths. 

Matt is a qualified solicitor with an initial interest in intellectual property and technology law. Now, he has a dedicated practice servicing businesses utilising blockchain technology, recovering crypto assets, and advising on copyright and trademarks. 

In 2019, he set the precedent in common law jurisdiction worldwide that crypto assets are property and he continues to develop proven best practices and build a catalogue of successful high court decisions.  

Alongside his legal practice, he's an active voice in the market regularly contributing to academic papers, lecturing at universities, and hosting his own podcast ‘In Early: the crypto podcast’.

In this Class Actions episode of Shieldcast, Matt and Daniel discuss:  

• What blockchain technology is and how to define it
• The role of a litigation lawyer in blockchain and crypto disputes, and the opportunity for law firms
• The four key areas of change, development and growth in the market
• Recent case examples in the UK and in the US
• Funding: the next big opportunity for opening up the market

Listen to this Class Actions edition of Shieldcast to find out more!

Disclaimer: Shieldpay Ltd is not involved in any crypto currency related activitiespursuant to our regulatory permissions. This episode has been produced with the sole purpose of informing and educating our audience regarding the subject matter.

Learn more about Shoosmiths: 

Website: Shoosmiths.co.uk

LinkedIn: Shoosmiths

Podcast: In Early - The Crypto Podcast

Thank you for listening. 

Find other episodes in the series on our website: Shieldcast library

Podcast brought to you by Shieldpay - learn more: shieldpay.com

Find other episodes in the series on our website: Shieldcast library

Podcast brought to you by Shieldpay - learn more: shieldpay.com

Lara Melrose, Litigation Finance Portfolio Advisor at Orchard Global, joins Shieldpay's Daniel Dunne to clarify what the litigation funding engagement looks like for law firms, provide her advice for legal teams navigating the market, and explore what is happening in the UK and globally for this fast-growing area of financing.

Lara Melrose is a Litigation Finance Portfolio Advisor at Orchard Global.

Prior to joining Orchard Global in 2020, she was a Managing Associate at Mischon de Reya LLP in their litigation practice, where she handled complex and high value commercial and financial disputes. Previously, she worked in the Commercial Litigation department at Addleshaw Goddard LLP and started her career at Freshfields Brukhaus Deringer LLP. 

Lara holds a BA in Law with French from Nottingham University and a Post Graduate Diploma in Law from Nottingham Law School. She is a qualified solicitor in England and Wales.


In this Class Actions episode of Shieldcast, Lara and Daniel discuss:  

• The four key stages of engagement with a litigation funder 
• An outline of the key information claimants and law firms need to prepare and present to successfully secure funding
• How to choose a funder: assessment considerations for law firms seeking financing
• Regulation and the legitimacy of players in the market 
• The global outlook and emerging areas of growth in the market

Listen to this Class Actions edition of Shieldcast to find out more!


Learn more about Orchard Global: 

Website: orchardglobal.com

LinkedIn: Orchard Global

Thank you for listening. 

Find other episodes in the series on our website: Shieldcast library

Podcast brought to you by Shieldpay - learn more: shieldpay.com

Pogust Goodhead's Global Chief Operating Officer, Alicia Alinia, and Chief Technology and Marketing Officer, Rich Hill, join Claire Van Der Zant, Revenue Director of Shieldpay for a conversation focusing on how cutting-edge law firms such as Pogust Goodhead are innovating and defying the status quo in all aspects of what they do, driven by their strong ethos and being a purpose-led law firm.

Alicia Alinia is Partner and Chief Operating Officer of Pogust Goodhead and has over 20 years of experience in the legal sector. Alicia serves on the firm’s Global Board and provides leadership and implements the firms’ strategic vision. She is responsible for driving results, facilitating growth, and increasing overall efficiency across multiple jurisdictions with an uncompromising commitment to improving client experience.  

Alicia started her career as a litigator having been involved in many high-profile cases representing institutional and individual clients. 

She moved into Executive leadership with a specific specialism in transformation & change, culture change,  performance improvement, restructuring & turnaround.  

Alicia is an experienced public speaker and media commentator across tv, local and international news.

Richard Hill is Chief Technology and Marketing Officer for Pogust Goodhead. 

Richard graduated from the University of Brighton with a degree in Mathematics & Computer Science.  

With over eighteen years’ experience in the digital marketing, cinema and media industries, he has cultivated several early-stage start-up companies from inception through to exit. Richard enjoys leading and developing cutting edge software solutions through the effective leveraging of his commercial, product development, digital marketing, and technical background.  

Richard leads Pogust Goodhead’s global technology & marketing initiatives and is responsible for our client aggregation, client processing, information security, systems and the software development of innovative platform capabilities that help cement Pogust Goodhead as the global leader in group litigation.


In this Class Actions episode of Shieldcast, Alicia, Rich and Claire discuss:  

• Why more companies are merging their marketing and technology teams together to form a singular, united function
• What law firms can learn from other commercial industries about technology and customer experience
• How bold leadership drives the firm to think, feel and do differently 
• How being a purpose-led organisation benefits company culture and talent acquisition
• The importance of collaboration and knowledge sharing across the market, both nationally and internationally 

Listen to this Class Actions edition of Shieldcast to find out more!

Find other episodes in the series on our website: Shieldcast library

Learn more about Pogust Goodhead: 

Website: pogustgoodhead.com

LinkedIn: Pogust Goodhead

Twitter: @PogustGoodhead

Podcast brought to you by Shieldpay - find out more: shieldpay.com

Find other episodes in the series on our website: Shieldcast library

Podcast brought to you by Shieldpay - learn more: shieldpay.com

Founder and CEO of DirectID James Varga discusses the power of open banking to streamline the class action claimant bank verification process and how Shieldpay and DirectID have partnered to support the first use case for group litigation settlements.

Note: This is a rerelease of a recent webinar we hosted.  

James Varga is the CEO & founder of DirectID, a global credit & risk platform providing open banking data to decision-makers.

Since 2010, James has relentlessly pursued the opportunity to use open banking as the foundation for a streamlined credit & risk process that is fairer for all. James sees financial services as a global trust network – a network he has used to passionately address issues such as identity, credit & risk and financial inclusion.

In this Class Actions episode of Shieldcast, James and Pete discuss:  

• What is Open Banking, why was it introduced and what are the applications of the initiative?
• What have been the historical challenges with verifying account ownership?
• How can Open Banking be used to address key challenges in high volume transactions, such as compliance and fraud prevention? 
• What might be the next evolution of Open Banking and how can there be further developments to improve the digital payments process? 

Listen to this Class Actions edition of Shieldcast to find out more!

Learn more about DirectID: 

Website: direct.id

LinkedIn: DirectID

Twitter: @_directid

You can read about Shieldpay's partnership with DirectID here.
To rewatch the webinar recording, you can register for access to the video here. 

Find other episodes in the series on our website: Shieldcast library

Podcast brought to you by Shieldpay - learn more: shieldpay.com

Founder and CEO of Case Pilots Clare Ducksbury joins Shieldpay's Daniel Dunne to discuss the role technology plays in the class action claims process, touching on the importance of collaboration with law firms and how putting the claimant first is absolutely paramount to managing a successful case.

Clare Ducksbury is the Founder and CEO of Case Pilots, an acclaimed provider of claims administration services. Prior to Case Pilots, Clare set up and managed the Claims Resolution Tribunal for Holocaust Dormant Bank Accounts in Switzerland and spent 10 years as a Partner at Forensic Risk Alliance.

In this Class Actions episode of Shieldcast, Clare and Daniel discuss:  

• How legal technology supporting collective action cases has developed over the past 20 or so years - Clare takes us back to 1998!
• The importance of implementing digital technologies to better meet the needs of claimants and their expectations of speed and convenience
• Why law firms and tech providers need to focus on educating the public to better establish the new regime in the UK and across Europe
• How key players in the market can better collaborate and support the long-term evolution of the regime

Listen to this Class Actions edition of Shieldcast to find out more!

You can learn more about Case Pilots and the services they provide on their website: www.casepilots.com

Find other episodes in the series on our website: Shieldcast library

Podcast brought to you by Shieldpay - learn more: shieldpay.com

Co-founder of Avvoka, Eliot Benzecrit, discusses the importance of data in contracts, whether automation tools should aim to co-exist with Microsoft Word and how to achieve interoperability of legaltech platforms.

Eliot Benzecrit is the Co-founder of Avvoka, the next-gen document automation tool. Prior to starting Avvoka in 2016, Eliot was a corporate M&A lawyer at Slaughter and May, in London. 

In this Transaction Management episode of Shieldcast, Eliot and Geoff discuss:  

• The disconnect between the knowledge of the precedent and what's actually in generated deal documents
• Whether lawyers should leave Microsoft Word
• The two types of transactions where automation tools can provide real value
• Why data structuring is so important for transaction management
• How lawyers can use legaltech tools for cross party collaboration 
• Building an integrated legaltech system and how to achieve interoperability 

Listen to this Transaction Management edition of Shieldcast to find out more!

You can learn more about Avvoka and the services they provide on their website: www.avvoka.com

Eliot contributed to our recent Transaction Management eBook. You can read his insights on why we should care about data in contracts by downloading the book here. 

Find other episodes in the series on our website: Shieldcast library

Podcast brought to you by Shieldpay - learn more: shieldpay.com

Legal Practice Lead at iManage, Jack Shepherd, discusses his experiences making the jump from practicing lawyer to building legaltech products and offers his key pieces of advice and learnings on product development, collecting data and how to incentivise lawyers to adopt new tools.

Jack Shepherd combines his knowledge of legal technology with his experience working as a restructuring lawyer at an international law firm. He has a focus on the processes lawyers do in their day-to-day working lives, and how technologies and processes can feed into these and actually become adopted on the ground. He has particular expertise in transaction management, e-signatures and knowledge management. 

In this Transaction Management episode of Shieldcast, Jack and Geoff discuss:  

• Customers as the driving force behind iManage's recent acquisitions to expand their product offerings
• Why the transition from legal practitioner to legal technologist was the "challenge of a lifetime"
• How to incentivise lawyers to become interested in and adopt new tools
• The tension between technology pushing standardisation and a lawyer's inherent want to offer client-centric services
• What to do about data - the collection process and the insights to be extracted

Listen to this Transaction Management edition of Shieldcast to find out more!

You can learn more about iManage and the services they provide on their website: www.imanage.com

Jack contributed to our recent Transaction Management eBook. You can read his insights on whether technology has fundamentally changed how we close transactions by downloading the book here. 

Find other episodes in the series on our website: Shieldcast library

Podcast brought to you by Shieldpay - learn more: shieldpay.com

Co-founder and CEO of Juro Richard Mabey discusses the importance of developing and iterating product features as well as the driving factors for behavioural change in the legal sector.

Richard Mabey is co-founder, CEO at Juro - the all-in-one contract automation platform. 

Richard trained as a corporate lawyer with Freshfields before an MBA at INSEAD and a product role at LegalZoom. 

He's a Fellow of the RSA, an alum of the Georgetown Leadership Seminar and a Non-Executive Director of Bright Blue.

In this Transaction Management episode of Shieldcast, Richard and Geoff discuss:  

• Why engaging with customers is so important for continuous product improvement
• The art and science of developing a pricing strategy 
• How to find a content niche, deliver engaging pieces and build a community
• Why there is a clear distinction between designing a product for in-house versus private practice lawyers, and whether this is changing
• What is driving behavioural change and innovation in the legal sector

Listen to this Transaction Management edition of Shieldcast to find out more!

You can learn more about Juro and the services they provide on their website: www.juro.com

Richard contributed to our recent Transaction Management eBook. You can read his insights on how document formats will change in the future by downloading the book here. 

Find other episodes in the series on our website: Shieldcast library

Podcast brought to you by Shieldpay - learn more: shieldpay.com