The PERSUIT Podcast

Most of our guests started their legal journeys in private law firms before pivoting to corporate in-house legal departments. In this insightful episode, the shoe is on the other foot.

Veronica Gromada spent nearly 20 years with Walmart’s in-house legal department, leading teams of attorneys, paralegals, and various professionals and managing the retailer’s extensive tort litigation portfolio.

Now, as a partner at the prestigious law firm Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P., Veronica is not only overseeing their products liability group. She is also the co-chair for multiple ESG initiatives.

Hear how Veronica is using her Fortune One experience to give her colleagues new perspectives on business relationships and how she’s championing diversity in AMLAW firms.

Join us as we discuss:

• [3:03] Pivoting from a massive in-house department to private practice

• [13:51] Why law firms need to adopt a business mindset

• [23:56] The challenges of being a black female partner

• [34:34] How AI will free legal professionals to better serve clients
  

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The roles of chief legal officer or general counsel can mean different things in different corporate hierarchies.

But if there’s one thing that Ben Adams has learned on his way to becoming CLO and Corporate Secretary at Western Union, it’s that those men and women must be true problem solvers.

He’s always reminding his in-house team that a uniform legal background will only get them so far. It’s the willingness to adapt and learn the ins and outs of their business that will take them places.

Ben gives us an exclusive peek into how his team manages the legal challenges that can arise in financial services and how they’re cautiously approaching AI to help with international transactions.

Join us as we discuss:

• [7:53] Core values and the Western Union Foundation

• [19:46] If in-house legal job titles really tell the whole story

• [28:53] How technology ties into transparency in legal departments
  

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

• Western Union Foundation
  

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As AI tools continue to infiltrate the global workforce, how can legal ops teams separate relevant AI services from ill-fitting alternatives? And how can in-house teams best leverage some of these exciting new data models to make informed decisions?

Sue Manik, Head of Supplier Performance at Standard Chartered Bank, believes that legal professionals must reevaluate how they think about data if they want to keep up with accelerated innovation.

Sue walks us through the changes she’s witnessed in legal operations’ evolution from data-wielding sidekicks to collaborative partners and how Standard’s D&I task force is breaking barriers.

Join us as we discuss:

• [3:10] How embedding in legal operations opens up new opportunities

• [12:43] Why legal professionals should never take data at face value

• [20:44] Measuring ROI on legal operations initiatives

• [33:32] Standard Charter Bank’s D&I task force

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The role of the GC has come a long way since the days when everyone only wanted to work for big law firms.

GCs have now evolved into a more strategic and important role within organizations, where lawyers are doing more of the legal work and interacting with the business. 

For the role to continuously improve, lawyers must stay endlessly curious, evaluate what they’re doing and improve upon it, and learn how to delegate.

This week, we're joined by Sterling Miller, CEO and Senior Counsel at Hilgers Graben PLLC. Sterling’s diverse professional experience has enabled him to strategically adapt to each position, embrace change, and disrupt the legal department.

In this interview, we delve into what it takes for the GC to chart a more strategic path within their organization.

Join us as we discuss: 

• [08:23] How the GC role has evolved 

• [21:34] How lawyers can be more productive

• [26:01] How to foster innovation and diversity in the legal department

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

• Sterling Miller

• Hilgers Graben PLLC

• PERSUIT

Hear more stories by following Innovative Legal Leadership on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform.

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The legal landscape is in a constant state of evolution, and teams must embrace that change to stay ahead.

They need to push alternative ways of doing things and work differently.

In this webinar, we delve into what it takes to initiate change within an organization.

Join us as we discuss: 

- [07:40] How Shane created the legal ops function at Commonwealth Bank

- [14:18] Shane’s problem-solving process and how he implemented a rollout

- [20:53] Strategies for winning the hearts and minds of lawyers

- [24:36] What proper change management looks like

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

- Shane O’Connor">Shane O’Connor

- Commonwealth Bank of Australia">Commonwealth Bank of Australia

- PERSUIT">PERSUIT

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Unbeknownst to many, mass arbitration is actually something that recently evolved in the legal landscape as an alternative to large class action lawsuits.

What should companies be aware of, and how can they deal with mass arbitration successfully?

This week, we're joined by Maui Gevero">Maui Gevero, Senior Manager of Legal Advisory at PERSUIT">PERSUIT.

We dive into what mass arbitration is and how companies can proactively address challenges arising from this.

Maui also shares his views on where the system loopholes are and what companies should do to test different approaches to handling mass arbitrations. He also leaves us with some tips regarding what companies requiring legal consultation must do.

Join us as we discuss: 

- The definition of mass arbitration (00:10)

- Maui’s best examples of mass arbitration cases (02:44)

- Three steps that companies should follow related to mass arbitration (07:18)

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A lot has happened since Inderpreet Sawhney">Inderpreet Sawhney became General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Infosys"> Infosys in 2017. After globetrotting through several firms and businesses, she now oversees an in-house team that is witnessing incredible advances in generative AI firsthand.

And like many other GCs and legal professionals, she’s curious to see how these innovations will redefine value in the field.

Inderpreet gives us her insights into what generative AI could mean for future lawyers, and some do’s and don’ts when transitioning from big law firms to in-house teams.

Join us as we discuss:

- How the role of GC has evolved from tactical to strategic (8:12)

- Generative AI and its impact on relationships with outside counsel (14:27)

- The evolution of the young lawyer’s traditional training ground (25:03)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

- Infosys Topaz">Infosys Topaz

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Nobody loves the billable hour. For too long, law firms have viewed it as a necessary evil, partly because the right technology just hadn’t shown up yet.

But now, ChatGPT and large language models have entered the public scene. And Jim Delkousis">Jim Delkousis, Founder and CEO at PERSUIT">PERSUIT, is loving every minute of it. Today, he’s watching AI breathe new life into his vision of a legal industry that values outcomes over time.

Don’t miss this exclusive peek into how Jim’s career path inspired him to start PERSUIT and why he’s excited about an AI-driven legal industry.   

Join us as we discuss:

- An overwhelming introduction to a powerful international firm (5:03)

- Realizing the need for a transparent legal marketplace (19:40)

- Why AI will drive the cost of knowledge creation to zero (30:51)

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Like many young attorneys, Cynthia Lareine">Cynthia Lareine, Director of Community Development at PERSUIT">PERSUIT, experienced the relentless grind early in her legal career. Feeling the pressure to always say “Yes,” she survived a culture that viewed clocking out as a sign of weakness.

But today, she’s channeling her drive and experience to help advance PERSUIT’s mission to drive better outcomes in the legal industry.

In this episode, we revisit Cynthia’s passionate interview as she talks about how she thinks innovation will help transform relationships and bring about real value to the field.

Join us as we discuss:

- How childhood discrimination influenced Cynthia’s career path (3:44)

- The pressures endured by junior associates at large firms (10:02) 

- How working with the African legal community led her to PERSUIT (23:00)

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Litigation is like war. Long, drawn-out, and unpredictable. Which is why many law firms are reluctant to quote fixed fees for these types of matters.

But David Falstein">David Falstein, VP of Product at PERSUIT">PERSUIT (and former lawyer and legal sourcing expert at J&J), thinks that’s really just an excuse to delay inevitable change. And he gives a compelling argument as to why AFAs can be a winning proposition for clients and firms, alike.

Tune in as we revisit this insightful discussion with David about transparent pricing in fixed fee arrangements.

Join us as we discuss:

- Debunking the uncertainty around alternative fee arrangements (13:34)

- Challenges to transitioning to a fixed fee model in law firms (24:30)

- Why billable hours are a mental health nightmare (30:49)

Hear more stories by following Innovative Legal Leadership on Apple Podcasts"> Apple Podcasts, Spotify">Spotify, or any podcast platform.

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