Today's General Counsel, May 2025 by Today's General Counsel

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EDITOR’S DESK

As the legal operations community gears up to converge in Las Vegas for CLOC’s highly anticipated Global Institute (CGI), running May 5-8, we couldn’t be more excited to present Today’s General Counsel’s first-ever legal ops-themed issue.

Whether you’re attending the buzzy event in person or monitoring it from afar, this special edition of the magazine is packed with valuable insights to help you and your team thrive in the rapidly evolving world of legal operations. A lot of the themes explored in this issue are sure to spark engaging conversations at CGI.

One of the issue’s standouts is our exclusive interview with Adam Becker, CLOC Board Member and Director of Legal Operations at database technology company Cockroach Labs. In this in-depth conversation, Becker sheds light on the major trends and challenges reshaping the legal ops landscape. Among his key recommendations for legal ops professionals looking to stay ahead: staying current with the latest technology and mastering the art of data analysis.

Becker also stresses the need for legal ops professionals to deepen their understanding of legal principles and the intricacies of a lawyer’s work. “It’s time to dig in deeper,” he emphasizes. “That gives our legal teams an instant trust of us and our understanding, but it also gives us insight into what truly drives decisions and thought processes when we are putting other processes into place.”

Yet even for individuals with a solid grasp of those skills, career advancement in legal operations can be an uphill battle. Unlike traditional law firm paths, which offer clear progressions from associate to partner, legal ops professionals often face a glass ceiling when it comes to ascending to senior leadership roles.

Today’s General Counsel Columnist Tommie Tavares-Ferreira explains that tricky dynamic in her article for the issue.

“Unlike other business functions, legal operations lacks a formal educational track—there’s no MBA equivalent, no standardized certification that guarantees a leadership role,” she says. “That means professionals must be intentional about their growth.”

Thankfully, Tavares-Ferreira provides us with plenty of actionable advice on how to achieve that career progression and multiple pathways to get there.

Both Becker and Tavares-Ferreira, who will be sharing their expertise at a career development panel during CGI, underscore the critical role that technology plays in the legal operations field. We at Today’s General Counsel couldn’t agree more. That’s why this issue also covers key topics like electronic document hoarding, contract management, agentic AI, and workflows—ensuring you stay ahead of the curve on the latest industry developments.

We hope you enjoy this issue and find it thought-provoking. If you like what you are reading, subscribe to receive our free Legal Operations Weekly newsletter in your inbox.

Looking forward to seeing you in Vegas!

Amanda Kaiser Editor-in-Chief

11 CLOC’s Adam Becker Talks Legal Ops Trends and Challenges in 2025

Read this exclusive interview with CLOC board member Adam Becker, in which he discusses the legal ops trends and challenges that are likely to dominate the CLOC Global Institute (CGI).

COLUMN / INFORMATION GOVERNANCE INSIGHTS

BY MARK DIAMOND

15 How to Prevent

Employees from Hoarding Electronic Documents

By Mark Diamond

Hoarding electronic documents raises costs and poses serious risks. Mark Diamond of Contoural writes that change management, addressing employees’ underlying attitudes and routines, is key to prevention.

19 The Dark Side of AI in Contract Management: How to Avoid Ethical and Social Risks

By Sean Heck CobbleStone Software’s Sean Heck examines the best way to tackle the challenging ethical and social implications of AI in contract management.

Optimize These 5 Legal Operations Workflows to Boost Performance

By Alaura Jacobs

Mitratech’s Alaura Jacobs explores how automated legal operations workflows streamline routine tasks, approvals, and data integration and spare teams the heavy lifting.

24 GCs Need Efficiency, Legal Ops Need Structure— Legal Tech Delivers Both

By Evan Wong

Legal teams are often caught trying to balance two things: efficiency and structure. Checkbox’s Evan Wong writes about how legal tech can play a pivotal role in navigating this challenge.

COLUMN / THE LEGAL OPS LENS WITH TOMMIE TAVARES-FERREIRA

26 Legal Operations Career Development: How to Break Into Leadership Roles and Thrive

By Tommie Tavares-Ferreira

Many legal ops professionals hit a glass ceiling in their career. Today’s General Counsel Columnist Tommie TavaresFerreira dives into the challenges of legal operations career development and provides advice on how to break into a leadership role.

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CLOC’s Adam Becker Talks Legal Ops Trends and Challenges in 2025

Adam Becker is a board member of CLOC, the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium, and the Director of Legal Operations at database technology company Cockroach Labs. In this exclusive interview with Today’s General Counsel, he discusses the legal ops trends and challenges that are likely to dominate the CLOC Global Institute, which runs May 5-8, 2025 in Las Vegas

What are some of the biggest legal ops challenges that you’re seeing in 2025?

Adam Becker: On the work front, we must keep up with the changing and expanding role of a general counsel or a chief legal officer within their organization. As our bosses become more ingrained in the business and strategic components of it, [legal operations professionals] have to support them differently. This may mean understanding our company’s business plans even more deeply than we do now, taking on more of a running of a legal department to give our GCs time to focus on their new demands.

Another area is technology. Its applications to the legal world are still developing. And it’s becoming clear that we can create significant enhancements both in legal processes and certain legal technologies. It’s incumbent on us to really dig in and understand the developments as they happen. We should be able to envision how this tech will simplify or improve existing legal tasks. We should prepare ourselves, learn about new applications, and maybe even prepare to move away from what is becoming old technology. Weirdly enough, old doesn’t mean 10 years anymore. It could be more recent than that, but it’s a challenge because so much is happening so quickly, and you can be out of date six months after you start something. Relatedly, data is more important than ever. We

Adam Becker is a board member of the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium (CLOC) and Director of Legal Operations at SQL database company Cockroach Labs. His past experience includes senior-level legal operations roles at Endeavor and MetLife. He also spent a decade working at law firms in operations and management, professional development, and recruiting.

legal ops folks need to approach [data] differently. Understanding it, seeing the story it tells. How are we going to relay that story to our legal team stakeholders and how it will play into new technology? Strong data analysis will make newer GenAI tools work better.

I have a long list, I’m sorry. We, legal ops people writ large, we need to develop and engage an even deeper understanding of the legal principles and work that our lawyers do, so we can come up with the best solutions. We’re doing this in a lot of ways already and I think it’s time to dig in deeper. That gives our legal teams an instant trust of us and our understanding, but it also gives us insight into what truly drives decisions and thought processes when we are putting other processes into place. We have to educate ourselves on things which we need to understand deeper. Maybe in the past, having a cursory understanding was enough. Now it’s time to go deep.

What about challenges for legal ops as a profession?

Adam Becker: Like every other industry, legal ops faces uncertainty, particularly given broader economic

conditions. And uncertainty is inherent every day. You feel it more when things are more visible, but that just means we must consistently prove our value and contributions. There’s been discussion about whether legal ops is becoming devalued or seen as more tactical than strategic. I think we have to remember, in any profession, no role is guaranteed. We’re doing a lot more than we used to. Interestingly enough, the legal ops role is becoming more defined, more mature within a lot of organizations, but it’s not commoditized. It’s, in fact, the opposite.

From the view of a strategic leader, we’re adding more and more to how departments and firms run. We need to proudly amplify our impact, ensure that the legal teams recognize the essential nature of our work. I think legal ops professionals must to be visible and part of the fabric of the legal team. We are, but it’s becoming more important.

What should legal ops professionals should be doing right now to put themselves in the best possible position for future career development and advancement and what kind of training and upskilling do you suggest?

Adam Becker: We must dive deeper into the hardcore part of the legal practice and there are many ways to educate yourself. A lot of it you can just, quite frankly, have conversations with knowledgeable people, who are more than willing to help you out because they want to get you where they are. For example, if you’ve been doing legal ops for five years and now you’re moving into litigation-focused roles, it’s incumbent on yourself to learn the basics, or maybe even not-so-basics of litigation in that particular industry. That’s what I mean by the deeper part. You have to understand what is a priority to the business and how that litigation portfolio fits into it. Is it a settlement? Is it a litigation all the way, trial sort of situation? How do they view it and what does that mean for how we approach operations?

When you’re working on something specific, it is always a good idea to learn as much as you can about the actual work. I’m starting to feel quite strongly about that across the board.

For upskilling, I’m focused on data. We need to understand it, how to use it, how to review it, how to audit it, how to apply it to these developing technologies. It will provide us with great insights into priority areas, efficiency targets, and will have more direct utility for our teams, especially if we’re taking on something we don’t normally do. Again, learning the process and then applying the data to it.

What would be your advice for anyone who’s looking to break into legal ops now?

Adam Becker: There are many roads into legal ops—it’s like Rome. The overall job market is tighter. The nice thing about legal operations is that it’s always drawn people from diverse backgrounds—legal adjacent, lawyers, paralegals, IT. My current advice is to learn the legal principles we talked about earlier. That should be first and foremost. If you’re going to be working with contracts, learn the general technologies out there. Learn how lawyers and businesspeople view contracting, from start to finish. What clauses matter? Why are they important?

If you’re looking to break in, hone in on the experience you have that you can bring to legal ops. Maybe it’s business administration, maybe it’s having been a lawyer. Anecdotally, I get outreach from lawyers who will say, “I’m interested in doing this, but I’ve never done anything like you.” And then maybe we’ll look at a bullet in their resume, and they have. They just have to highlight it and break it out from their legal work. Don’t overlook what you’ve done and what you can bring.

I think learning about the practice of law, learning about what’s happening in tech and honing in on the experience that you can bring to make a legal department better, or law firm, is my advice to break in.

On technology, how are legal departments deploying more general AI tools like ChatGPT and more legalspecific tools? What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

Adam Becker: I like the way you asked this because it does feel like a “GPT vs. legal AI” debate right now. Maybe it’s like that in other industries too. General AI tools are helping with some basic day-to-day legal tasks. Even though I never talk about my current job and attribute anything, I’ve certainly used it for certain types of documents, and spreadsheets, charts and things of that nature. What might have taken me hours in the past, I can do it in seconds. It’s pretty impressive. Legal tech’s a little bit different. I’m not an expert, I’m not a surveyor, but I’ve seen an increase in use across the board and in particular in eDiscovery and legal research. It’s becoming more acceptable, especially with the right citations and references It still has to be validated and checked, but it’s happening.

Contracting is a huge area. Contract redlining has come a long way and I feel like there’s a new company every few months in that space. I heard there are now over 200 contract management vendors out there and they’re all bringing AI in. Some are starting new, native AI systems, and some are integrating AI. We’re not at the point yet where we’re letting AI write a brief, but it’s definitely helping with the blank page problem both in everyday use and in the legal context. I’ve seen things that can write policies within seconds that are compliant with the [General Data Protection Regulation], [California Consumer Privacy Act], whatever else comes out.

We, legal ops people writ large, we need to develop and engage an even deeper understanding of the legal principles and work that our lawyers do, so we can come up with the best solutions.

A lawyer may run a question through a research tool or a policy through a policy analysis, and then go have a conversation with outside counsel. They walk into that conversation prepared for what they want to talk about.

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It better prepares in-house lawyers to have meaningful and strategic conversations with law firms and not get overwhelmed, not get surprised.

What are you most excited about for CGI this year?

Adam Becker: I’m the board liaison to the Education Advisory Council. That council receives, reviews, vets, selects, preps all the sessions that get put on at CGI through the general submission process—there are 40-something open call sessions. The program is very, very strong this year. Our speakers are focused on presenting relevant wins, trends, and developments in creative and new ways. The mixture of people presenting is great. Every year it gets better and better. I’m looking forward to seeing how all these sessions come out and also to some of the new formats that our friends at CLOC are introducing this year—different ways of learning, different ways of sharing.

So, I think the content is strong. But honestly, I’m always excited when we get together, and get to interact in this way and hear success stories from each other, connect on the Braindate level, one-on-one and in small groups. Even in this big conference in our big ecosystem, being able to connect with people for a little while on an individual level or in small groups to talk about things that you’re working through, it’s validating. You get to see how powerful our roles are in the modern practice of law, how we are helping to advance the way legal work gets done.

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INFORMATION GOVERNANCE INSIGHTS BY MARK DIAMOND

How to Prevent Employees from Hoarding Electronic Documents

By MARK DIAMOND

Hoarding electronic documents—whether emails, documents, or outdated records—carries more risk for many organizations than the accumulation of paper documents. While some digital content is legitimately important or required for retention, a significant portion of what employees save is either duplicative, obsolete, or lacking in business value. Every year, these files pile up on desktops, file shares, cloud platforms, and external drives, intensifying data storage and eDiscovery costs. They also raise privacy and intellectual property concerns. Unfortunately, attempts to curb this growing digital glut often fail, largely because organizations overlook human behaviors and fail to take an effective approach.

HOARDING BEHAVIOR IS A LEARNED HABIT

People do not start hoarding documents overnight. In today’s work environment, creating and saving files or emails is practically effortless. Employees can store emails in a local personal storage table (PST) file, back them up in cloud drives, or keep decades’ worth of documents on network file shares. Migrating to cloud-based environments typically does not resolve hoarding; it sometimes makes it even easier to stash

massive amounts of information. Over time, this practice solidifies into a workplace culture of unbridled data accumulation.

Telling employees to stop hoarding, or threatening them with punitive measures, rarely works. Even the most robust policies and sophisticated technologies will fail if employees disregard them. Instead, change management—addressing the underlying attitudes and routines—is essential for success.

Change management— addressing the underlying attitudes and routines— is essential for success.

CREATE A MODERN AND COMPLIANT RECORDS RETENTION SCHEDULE

A strong records retention schedule is the bedrock for any initiative aimed at managing information more efficiently. It should define how long various categories of documents need to be kept, clarify what is considered a “record,” and specify disposal timelines. Developing this schedule often begins with

understanding real-world workflows and needs.

In our experience, interviews with employees can be more revealing than surveys. While surveys show “what” is happening, interviews uncover the “why,” revealing deeper motivations and pain points. By discovering issues such as “We are overwhelmed by emails” or “Finding specific files is a nightmare,” organizations can reshape both their retention policies and user behaviors in a way that reduces risk and helps employees find information more efficiently.

SAVE INFORMATION IN THE RIGHT PLACE WITH THE FIVE-SECOND RULE

For employees to follow policies consistently, storing and classifying content must be quick and intuitive—ideally within five seconds. If the correct action takes too long or is confusing, employees will likely circumvent the process.

Making it simple to place files in designated folders or to add necessary metadata is one strategy. Another is adopting user-friendly systems like SharePoint or an enterprise content management platform, where employees can drag and drop documents and emails to the right repository without extensive manual tagging. By eliminating friction, such processes make employees

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less inclined to hoard data in unsanctioned or scattered locations.

FOCUS ON GETTING CONTROL RATHER THAN MASS DELETION

Contrary to what some might believe, the initial aim should not be mass deletion but rather establishing control. Control implies placing files and emails in central repositories where policies—particularly

automated retention settings—can be systematically applied.

By disabling local PST files and migrating data into an email archiving system, organizations can manage retention globally. This approach also facilitates legal holds, because content can be quickly identified and preserved for litigation or compliance matters. Once data is centralized, organizations can establish automated disposition strategies to defensibly remove outdated information without placing the burden on individual employees.

USE AUTOMATED DISPOSITION TO MAKE OLDER DOCUMENTS “FADE AWAY”

Automated disposition is a core component of successful information governance. When files have reached the end of their retention period, they should be systematically purged or archived according to policy, rather than lingering forever because no one has the time or inclination to remove them. Over time, this helps lower storage costs, reduce discovery burdens, and mitigate risks associated with sensitive

or private information staying accessible longer than necessary.

CHANGE MANAGEMENT: THE ENGINE OF CULTURAL SHIFT

Information governance change management focuses on modifying user behaviors, not just deploying new IT tools. Before employees alter their habits, they need clear, consistent reasons for doing so. Organizations must investigate what drives them to hoard: Are they saving emails because a manager once told them never to delete a message? Are there conflicting instructions from Legal or Records Management? Are departmental processes inherently reliant on old files?

This exploration often reveals that employees have genuine business reasons—or perceived obligations— to save everything. Identifying these drivers is the first step in designing interventions that show employees a better way.

SELL THE WINS FOR EMPLOYEES

Employees will not discard longstanding practices without understanding what benefits the new approach provides. A communications strategy that highlights “wins” is vital. For example, many workers hate mailbox quotas. Switching to a time-based retention policy can eliminate size constraints, granting users a sense of freedom while still facilitating automated removal of aged items.

Time-based retention is usually more effective in the long run than size-based restrictions, as it results in consistent, scheduled cleanups. This change can also improve search functionality, eliminating the need to root around multiple PST files.

Organizations should promote these advantages prominently, using emails, posters, lunch-and-learn sessions, and town halls to spread the word. The more employees understand the positive impact, the more willingly they will adopt new policies.

DON’T FORGET TO MEASURE

No change management initiative is complete without metrics. Start by collecting a baseline: How many PST files exist? How large are they? Where are files stored across the network? After rolling out new policies, compare the situation against this initial benchmark to see how effectively hoarding has decreased. Metrics might include reduced data storage footprints, fewer PST files, or increased adoption of official repositories like SharePoint.

Equally important is assessing behavioral shifts: Are employees classifying records correctly? Are they complying with retention schedules? Identifying areas of noncompliance allows you to adjust training and communication. This iterative cycle of measurement and refinement ensures that the organization keeps progressing toward its information governance goals.

CONCLUSION

When properly executed, efforts to curtail electronic document hoarding can produce impressive results. One organization defensibly disposed of 45 million emails, representing about 65% of its stored messages, after implementing these measures. Another saw a 50% drop in unstructured data volumes. Achieving such outcomes requires sustained commitment to policies, technology, and above all, the

cultural and behavioral shifts that make those tools effective. It’s important to develop a robust communications and training program, produce clear and resonant messaging, and ensure employees have the resources they need to adapt. Ultimately, preventing employees from hoarding electronic documents protects businesses from legal, financial, and operational risks. It also improves employees’ daily work experience—a significant win for everyone involved.

Mark Diamond, founder & CEO of Contoural, is a leading expert in records management, privacy, AI governance, and compliance strategies. He and his company help bridge legal, compliance, security and business needs and polices with effective processes, technology and change management. He can be reached at markdiamond@contoural.com

The Dark Side of AI in Contract Management: How to Avoid Ethical and Social Risks

By SEAN HECK

Artificial intelligence (AI) has infiltrated every facet of modern business, with the promise of efficiency, accuracy, cost reduction, and more. However, the allure of AI-powered contract management may mask a darker side—one rife with ethical and social implications that deserve careful consideration. Beyond the streamlined workflows, automated clause extraction, and other features lies a complex web of potential pitfalls. Let’s explore these challenging implications of AI in contract management.

PROMISE VS. BIAS: A DICHOTOMY OF EFFICIENCY

AI in contract management offers clear advantages. Contract intelligence can uncover business insights that would otherwise remain hidden. Natural language processing (NLP) can automate the extraction of key terms, dates, and more—reducing manual effort and minimizing human error. This efficiency translates into faster turnaround times and reduces operational overhead.

However, this efficiency can come at a price.

One of the most pressing concerns about AI efficiency is the potential for algorithmic bias. Since AI models are trained on historical

data, they may reflect existing societal biases. If the data used to train a contract artificial intelligence engine is biased, then the system may perpetuate or even amplify those biases, leading to discriminatory outcomes. For instance, a contract intelligence engine may consistently flag contracts from specific demographics or industries as high risk—even if there is no objective justification.

The allure of AI-powered contract management may mask a darker side—one rife with ethical and social implications that deserve careful consideration.

THE HUMAN ELEMENT: LOST IN THE ALGORITHM?

Contract management is not merely a technical exercise, but a deeply human endeavor. It involves face-to-face (or virtually so) negotiation, relationship building and maintenance, and nuanced decision-making. Artificial intelligence

in its current form cannot replicate these essential human qualities. As such, an over-reliance on AI-driven contract analytics can lead to the devaluation of human expertise. Experienced contract managers might find their roles diminished and replaced by algorithms that prioritize speed over wisdom.

Additionally, a lack of transparency regarding the specifics of AI-powered decision-making can create a “black box” effect. In other words, when contract AI flags a contract as highrisk, it may be difficult to understand why or the reasoning behind the decision. This lack of transparency can erode trust and make it difficult to challenge potentially biased or incorrect outcomes correctly.

JOB DISPLACEMENT: A LOOMING REALITY

The automation capabilities of artificial intelligence give rise to job displacement concerns time and again. Although AI does not entirely replace contract managers, it nevertheless brings with it the forced evolution of their roles. Routine tasks, such as contract review and data extraction, are automated, giving managers more time for strategic decision making. To make this transition, heavy upskilling and

reskilling may be required. To that end, not all contract managers are likely to rise to the occasion in some circumstances.

The impact of this job displacement can extend beyond individual jobs; rather, it can have wider societal implications, paving the way to further income inequality and contributing to unrest. Companies must proactively address these concerns with training programs and strategies for responsible implementation of contract artificial intelligence that prioritizes legal professionals’ well-being.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: BEYOND THE BOTTOM LINE

Beyond the more practical and material concerns of bias and job replacement, AI in contract management raises fundamental ethical questions. Who is responsible when AI-driven contract management leads to a negative outcome, such as in negotiation? How do we ensure that contract intelligence engines are used ethically and responsibly?

This issue of accountability is complicated. If an AI contract management system commits an error to the point of causing financial loss or legal liability, who will be responsible? Is it the developer, the company that deployed it, or the contract manager who utilized it?

Another problem is that the current lack of definite legal and regulatory parameters for AI makes assigning responsibility almost impossible. More daunting is that the possibility of misuse is a concern: AI-powered contract management software could be turned to take advantage of loopholes, be manipulated in terms, or give unfair advantages in contract negotiations. To ensure that AI is used in a responsible way requires commitment to transparency and accountability.

NAVIGATING THE FUTURE: A CALL FOR RESPONSIBLE CONTRACT AI IMPLEMENTATION

The dark side of AI in contract management is not insurmountable. On the contrary—by acknowledging ethical and social implications while taking proactive steps to mitigate them—we can harness the power of AI for positive outcomes. We should:

• Prioritize ethical development of contract AI

• Emphasize human oversight

• Invest in training and reskilling

• Develop clear legal and regulatory frameworks

• Foster open dialogue and collaboration

The present and future of contract management will surely be shaped by

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artificial intelligence. However, we must ensure that this transformation is guided by principles of ethics and commitment to the human business experience. By embracing responsible approaches to AI implementation, we can unlock the full potential of this powerful technology while mitigating its darker side.

Sean Heck is the Content Marketing Manager at CobbleStone Software. As an expert in contract lifecycle management software, Heck provides leading best practices, use cases, and thought leadership about the technology. He can be reached at s.heck@cobblestonesoftware.com.

Optimize These 5 Legal Operations Workflows to Boost Performance

By ALAURA JACOBS

Technology options for legal teams are endless, and the application of technology can be daunting. As teams manage workloads, business goals, and ad-hoc requests, technology must support the business without becoming a burden itself. Automated legal operations workflows streamline routine tasks, approvals, and data integration—without the heavy lifting.

While “workflow” can take many forms — like setting automated filters in your email, for example — they are not created equal. Legal teams can benefit from implementing workflows designed to meet legal’s need for security, permission, and integrations with existing tech you use

every day (like matter management and eBilling tools, Salesforce, eSignature, Teams, Slack and more).

If your 2025 goals include standing up technology quickly, driving adoption, and creating a few champions along the way, here are five workflows you should be implementing for immediate impact.

1 Commercial Legal Requests

A legal request portal or “front door” streamlines intake, tracking, triage, and self-service for sales-related legal requests.

Why Workflow? Quickly deploy pre-approved contracts like nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) or legal FAQs, directing requests to workflows instead of your inbox.

Improved visibility into status and assignees reduces deal cycle times and positions legal as a strategic partner, not a bottleneck.

To drive adoption, look for technology that can be embedded in email, intranet, Slackbot, or directly in Salesforce. Inside, logic dynamically routes requests based on department, amount, urgency, or other criteria, plus integrations with eSignature routes pre-approved contracts without manual intervention.

Workflow Tip: In your first version, include an “all other requests” option with an open text field. This helps track ad-hoc requests, which can later be analyzed for common patterns and automated in future workflows.

2 Vendor Intake & Invoice Reviews

While sales teams send invoices, other departments receive them—for contractors, vendors, technology, and partnerships. A vendor onboarding and invoice review workflow automates evaluation, approval, and compliance management.

Why Workflow? Each agreement requires different levels of vetting— some need only department sign-off, while others require legal, IT, or security review before reaching finance. Regardless of complexity, routing all agreements through a workflow ensures they are stored in a central repository or integrated with vendor management systems. Plus, a structured process makes it easy to review, consolidate, and optimize investments by identifying overlapping services.

Workflow Tip: The workflow doesn’t have to end with payment. Renewal or review reminders can be configured for dynamic time frames or specific dates, with notifications including key agreement details. This creates a proactive negotiation and renewal process.

3 Outside Counsel Conflict Waivers

Conflict waivers are the first step in establishing a successful relationship with a law firm. This process should be smooth and efficient, allowing both teams to begin work quickly.

Why Workflow? Ensure timely reviews and approvals, maintain compliance, and improve collaboration with law firms. Workflow captures necessary conflict details, routes them for approvals, and logs all actions for easy auditing.

Workflow Tip: Choose a workflow technology that allows external

parties to participate as users or submit forms anonymously. This streamlines adoption without adding costs or requiring time-consuming license setup.

4 Trademark and IP Requests

Trademark, intellectual property, and patent requests are essential for protecting products, maintaining a competitive edge, and ensuring rights are upheld in the marketplace.

Why Workflow? Streamline approvals, filings, and renewals, ensuring efficiency.

While “workflow” can take many forms — like setting automated filters in your email, for example — they are not created equal.

While requestors complete an easy-to-use form, the data is sent to your matter management system for processing and storage.

Conditional logic can reroute or reject submissions if key steps— like a trademark search or asset creation—haven’t been completed, reducing the need for numerous back-and-forths. Look for collaboration features to allow teams to refine and discuss requests without leaving the workflow.

Workflow Tip: Set up automated approvals for routine filings and notifications for renewal deadlines to keep stakeholders informed and prevent lapses in intellectual property (IP) protection. Sync updates

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with your matter management system for seamless tracking and compliance.

5 Employee Onboarding

A seamless onboarding experience sets the tone for success. Onboarding workflows manage tasks outside of traditional human resources (HR) functions, including hardware/software setup, policy acknowledgments, training, and role-specific activities.

Why Workflow? While HR handles core onboarding, legal can benefit from the automation, compliance, and potential cost-sharing that comes with inter-department workflows. Plus, a seamless onboarding for new legal team members means they can also hit the ground running.

Workflow Tip: Set up parallel routing so IT, hiring managers, and others complete tasks simultaneously, so the process keeps moving.

By automating these five legal operations workflows, legal teams can achieve cost savings, compliance, and efficiency. They also drive user adoption through easy-to-use technology, strengthen cross-functional collaboration, and foster innovation in legal operations.

Alaura Jacobs is the Senior Product Marketing Manager for Corporate Legal Solutions at Mitratech. She is a digital transformation expert who drives product marketing, go-to-market strategy, and customer success storytelling. Jacobs can be reached at alaura.jacobs@mitratech.com

GCs Need Efficiency, Legal Ops Need Structure—Legal Tech Delivers Both

By EVAN WONG

Legal teams are often caught trying to balance two things: efficiency and structure. Thankfully, legal tech plays a pivotal role in navigating this challenge.

On one side, there’s pressure to move fast—keeping up with business priorities and minimizing friction. On the other, there’s the need for standardized workflows that ensure smooth, error-free operations.

This highlights the push and pull between general counsel (GCs) and legal ops.

GCs want speed. They need efficiency to focus on high-impact work and avoid getting bogged down by admin tasks. Simultaneously, legal

ops are responsible for making sure legal workflows are in order—organized, scalable, and trackable. When these priorities don’t align, the result is frustration, inefficiencies, and missed opportunities.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. The right technology can bring both sides together, giving GCs the agility they need while allowing legal ops to maintain the structure that makes it all work.

COMMON STRUGGLES THAT CREATE FRICTION

On paper, GCs and legal ops are working toward the same goal— making the legal department a high-

performing, business-aligned function. But in practice, their approaches can clash.

GCs are focused on outcomes. They want to cut through red tape, resolve matters quickly, and free up time for strategic work. If something is slowing the business down, they want it fixed—yesterday.

Legal ops knows that speed without structure leads to chaos. They think in terms of systems, consistency, and long-term scalability. A process that works once isn’t enough—it needs to work every time, for everyone.

Tension arises when these perspectives don’t align. Without the

right tools, this misalignment creates bottlenecks and a legal team that feels like it’s always running to keep up. This is where technology comes in—not just as a tool but as a way to align priorities and bridge operational gaps.

HOW LEGAL TECH BRIDGES THE GAP

The best in-house legal teams aren’t just efficient or structured—they’re both. The right technology makes this possible by helping GCs move quickly without sacrificing organization and giving legal ops the structure they need without slowing things down. Here’s how technology, such as legal intake and workflow software, makes it work:

Single Source of Truth

When intake, matters, and reporting all live in one place:

• All requests and matters are automatically drawn from various sources into one system.

• GCs get instant visibility into their team’s workload.

• Legal ops can track and manage processes efficiently.

• No more chasing updates across emails and spreadsheets.

Workflow Automation

Routine tasks no longer drain time:

• Approvals and intake requests are triaged based on predefined rules.

• Documents and contracts are generated automatically.

• GCs can focus on strategic work instead of admin.

• Legal ops ensures consistency by reducing manual intervention.

Data-Driven Decisions

Real-time insights replace reliance on intuition:

• GCs can quantify legal’s impact and justify resources.

• Legal ops can track efficiency, spot bottlenecks, and refine processes.

• Everyone makes decisions based on up-to-date facts and metrics.

Scalability

As legal’s workload grows, tech keeps things under control:

• Processes scale without adding friction.

• Governance and compliance remain intact.

• Legal can support the business at every stage of growth.

The right technology can bring both sides together, giving GCs the agility they need while allowing legal ops to maintain the structure that makes it all work.

With the right technology, GCs and legal ops don’t have to pull in opposite directions. Instead, they work together—faster, smarter, and more in sync with the business.

STRENGTHENING THE GC-LEGAL OPS PARTNERSHIP

Legal tech is a powerful tool—but it’s only as effective as the people using it. When GCs and legal ops work as partners instead of separate functions, legal becomes stronger, more strategic, and far more efficient. That starts with breaking down

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silos. Shared tools, shared visibility, and regular check-ins keep both sides aligned, ensuring legal isn’t just reacting to business needs but actively driving value. When each understands the other’s priorities, collaboration becomes second nature.

Alignment also means agreeing on what success looks like. GCs care about managing risk and proving legal’s business impact. Legal ops focuses on efficiency and resource optimization. The best way to bridge the gap is to define key metrics that reflect both perspectives. When reporting reflects shared priorities, decision-making becomes more strategic and effective.

Finally, the strongest legal teams embrace a culture of data and innovation. Legal is evolving, and those who cling to “the way it’s always been done” risk losing their competitive edge. The most successful teams continuously use performance metrics to refine their processes, explore new tools, and stay open to change. When GCs and legal ops embrace adaptability, legal becomes a proactive force—driving efficiency, reducing risk, and delivering measurable business impact.

Evan Wong is the Co-Founder and CEO of Checkbox, the leading AI intake and matter management software used by corporate legal teams including SAP, BMW, and Pepsi, to capture, automate and track all matters without changing how lawyers and business users work. He can be reached at evan@checkbox.ai

THE LEGAL OPS LENS WITH TOMMIE TAVARES-FERREIRA

Legal Operations Career Development: How to Break Into Leadership Roles and Thrive

By TOMMIE TAVARES-FERREIRA

Today’s General Counsel Columnist Tommie Tavares-Ferreira will be speaking about legal operations career development and leadership as part of the “The Legal Operative: Think, Act, Lead” panel on May 6, 2025 at the CLOC Global Institute (CGI) in Las Vegas. Fellow panelists include CLOC Board Member Adam Becker and Organon Chief of Staff to the General Counsel Stacy Lettie.

Legal operations has evolved into a critical function within corporate legal teams, enabling professionals to drive efficiency, implement technology, and optimize legal spend. But while the path to a director or vice president role is clear, advancing to the C-suite

or beyond legal operations requires leaders to carve their own path. Legal operations career development can be challenging.

Unlike law firm careers, which have a clear progression from associate to partner, legal ops professionals often hit a glass ceiling. Vice president and senior vice president roles are rare, and the concept of a chief legal operations officer (CLOO) remains largely theoretical. Without transitioning to a chief operating officer (COO) role, upward mobility can seem limited.

Let’s explore two fundamental challenges:

1. How to reach a leadership role in legal operations

2. What to do once you’ve hit the “glass ceiling”

DOING THE WORK AND PROMOTING YOURSELF TO LAND A LEADERSHIP ROLE

Unlike other business functions, legal operations lacks a formal educational track—there’s no MBA equivalent, no standardized certification that guarantees a leadership role. That means professionals must be intentional about their growth.

It’s important to do two things: do the work to position yourself as a leader, and promote yourself as a leader. You need to demonstrate leadership-level impact.

On the work front, don’t wait for permission to act. If you see an opportunity for improvement, raise your hand and own it. Leaders don’t just execute—they identify and drive solutions. Then you have to make sure that others know about it. Developing a professional brand demonstrates expertise and opens doors to new opportunities.

Here’s how to do that:

• Identify pain points and solve them: Find inefficiencies in your legal department and proactively work on solutions. (Example: If contract turnaround times are slow, propose and implement a contract intake system.)

• Take on stretch projects: Volun-

teer for initiatives that expand your scope beyond your current role. (Example: If legal operations doesn’t own legal budgeting, offer to help finance with legal spend analysis.)

• Work cross-functionally: Leadership requires collaboration—start working with finance, IT, and HR early. (Example: If your legal team is considering AI, spearhead research on available tools and potential implementation.)

• Own a major technology initiative: Technology implementations (CLM, AI, workflow automation) are some of the most visible legal ops projects. Take the lead and showcase the business impact.

• Write and share insights: Publish articles on platforms like Today’s General Counsel, LinkedIn, or your company’s blog. (Pro tip: Share realworld challenges you’ve solved rather than generic “how-tos.”)

• Speak at conferences: CLOC, ACC, LegalOps.com, RLLB, and SOLID are prime venues for legal ops professionals to showcase expertise. (Pro tip: Start by participating in panels or roundtables before pitching a solo session.)

• Engage in webinars and podcasts: Contribute to industry webinars or join legal tech panels. Starting a podcast (like Tom Stephenson and I did with Dear Legal Ops) can also be a powerful way to establish thought leadership.

THE IMPORTANCE OF NETWORKING, MENTORS AND COACHING

Legal operations can be isolating, especially if you’re the only person in your company doing the job. That’s why joining the right communities and seeking out opportunities to work

with mentors or career coaches are critical pathways for career growth.

Suggestions:

• Join CLOC, LINK, ACC Legal Ops, LegalOps.com. These organizations provide direct access to professionals who’ve been in your shoes.

• Engage in Slack groups, LinkedIn communities, or legal tech roundtables to keep up with industry trends.

• Connect with GCs, COOs, CFOs, and other business leaders—not just legal ops peers.

• Ask insightful questions, offer help, and actively participate in discussions.

• Build genuine relationships rather than treating networking as a transaction.

• Look beyond legal: Other executives can provide valuable insights into business operations.

• Make it a two-way street: Offer your own perspective on legal technology and process optimization to create a reciprocal relationship.

• Seek coaches with experience in operations, leadership development, and business strategy (not just career coaching).

• Investigate whether your company reimburses coaching expenses through L&D (Learning and Development) budgets or other executive education programs or before you pay out of pocket.

WHAT COMES NEXT? BREAKING THROUGH

THE LEGAL OPS GLASS CEILING

Once you’ve reached a VP or head of legal operations role, the traditional corporate ladder starts to feel like a tightrope. You’re highly skilled,

deeply experienced, and operating at the top of your pay scale—but there’s no clear next step.

Legal operations professionals are some of the most strategic minds in corporate legal, but the industry still lacks a natural VP-to-C-suite pipeline. That means if you’re ambitious, you have to create your own next step. Here are four real, actionable paths you can take to break through the legal ops ceiling—and what I’ve learned from those who have done it successfully.

1 Become an AI Ambassador or Agentic AI Lead

Legal ops professionals are already using the technology drivers of their teams—AI is the natural evolution of that role. As agentic AI (AI that acts on behalf of users) becomes more embedded in legal functions, legal ops leaders will be the ones overseeing AI implementation, governance, and scale. This means that AI leadership is a massive opportunity. While legal departments are hesitant about fully autonomous AI, they need someone to lead AI strategy, ensure ethical AI adoption, and scale efficiencies across legal and compliance teams.

How to get there:

• Start using AI today: You don’t need permission to start learning—though you do need permission from your company to use these tools. Ensure any use of AI is vetted and approved by your organization and you follow their rules.

• Experiment with tools like Gemini, ChatGPT, Harvey, CoCounsel, Spellbook, Ruli, GC AI, and others to understand how AI integrates into legal workflows.

• Own an AI initiative in your department: If your team isn’t using AI yet, be the person who brings it in. Offer to test AI for contract review, playbook generation, or workflow automation and present findings.

• Position yourself as the AI expert: Start talking about AI in internal meetings, external panels, and LinkedIn thought leadership posts. The more you share, the more people associate you with AI leadership.

• Be proactive and don’t wait for permission: If you wait until the GC or CLO asks for an AI strategy, you’re already behind.

Real-Life Example:

Gabe Saunders: As Director of Legal Operations at wellness and fitness company Exos, Gabe spearheaded the implementation of AI-driven contract management solutions. By partnering with LegalSifter, he automated contract ticketing and triage processes, reducing the time per request from 20–30 minutes to just 45 seconds. This initiative not only improved operational efficiency but also contributed to his career advancement within the company.

2Transition to Business or Strategy Operations

If you love solving problems at a company-wide level, a move into business operations, strategy, or finance could be your next step. Legal ops leaders already have strong financial acumen, data analysis skills, and cross-functional experience, which directly translates into broader operational roles.

How to get there:

• Start thinking beyond legal: In your current role, take ownership of projects that impact the whole company (not just legal).

• Learn business metrics: If you don’t already, start tracking and reporting on KPIs that matter to the entire business, such as revenue acceleration, risk mitigation, and operational efficiency.

• Align with the COO or CFO: Build relationships with senior business leaders. Understand their biggest operational challenges and find ways to contribute legal ops expertise to broader company goals.

• Don’t be too legal-centric: If you want to transition out of legal, your conversations need to shift. Frame your contributions in business outcomes, not just legal efficiencies.

Real-Life Example:

Stephanie Corey: Co-founder of the Legal Innovators Network (LINK) and CEO of UpLevel Ops, a consulting firm focused on strategic legal operations, business process improvement, and leadership development. Stephanie transitioned from a traditional legal ops role to focus on legal operations consulting. Her work emphasizes aligning legal functions with overall business strategy, showcasing how legal professionals can pivot to broader executive roles.

3 Go the Chief of Staff Route: A Step Toward Executive Leadership

A Chief of Staff (CoS) role is perfect for legal ops professionals who excel at strategy, influence, and

cross-functional leadership. You become the right-hand to an executive (often the GC, COO, or CEO), helping drive strategic initiatives across the company.

How to get there:

• Start acting like a chief of staff now: Offer to lead high-visibility, cross-functional projects that require executive-level communication.

• If your CEO or GC has big operational goals but no time to execute, step in and drive those projects forward.

• Develop your executive presence: Start presenting to senior leadership and refining your ability to distill complex information into concise recommendations.

• Work on strategic initiatives: CoS roles are about long-term business planning. Volunteer for projects that impact company-wide strategy, such as M&A diligence, company reorganizations, or efficiency initiatives.

• Make sure you’re operating at a strategic level and not just executing like a project manager.

• Build relationships with executives: If you don’t have strong relationships with leadership, you won’t get the opportunity.

Real-Life Example:

Stacy Lettie: With over two decades as an in-house attorney, Stacy transitioned into legal operations and now serves as the Chief of Staff to the General Counsel at healthcare company Organon. In this role, she leads strategic planning and legal operations, demonstrating how legal expertise can be leveraged in Chief of Staff roles.

COMPARING LEGAL OPS VS COO RESPONSIBILITIES

Legal Operations

OKRs & strategic planning for the legal team

Budgeting & resource allocation for legal spend

Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Company-wide goal-setting & execution

Overseeing company-wide financial management

Implementing legal technology (CLM, AI, workflow automation) Driving digital transformation across all departments

Working cross-functionally with finance, IT, and HR

Managing outside counsel and vendor relationships

4 Pursue the COO Path: Scaling Operations Company-Wide

For in-house legal operations professionals, running legal like a business is a core part of the job. You optimize resources, manage budgets, implement technology, and drive efficiency—all of which mirror the responsibilities of a COO at the enterprise level.

In many ways, legal ops leaders already think like COOs—they just apply those skills to the legal function. The transition from leading legal operations to leading company-wide operations isn’t as far-fetched as it may seem.

The difference between legal ops roles and a COO role is instead of optimizing one department, a COO optimizes the entire company.

How to get there:

• Start raising your hand for enterprise-wide initiatives. Take on projects that span multiple functions—such as procurement optimization, enterprise risk management, or revenue acceleration.

• Look for opportunities to work with the CEO or CFO—legal ops leaders who build strong executive relationships are better positioned for broader roles.

Leading enterprise-wide collaboration

Overseeing procurement & operational partnerships

• Show the financial impact of legal ops projects beyond legal—whether through cost savings, revenue acceleration, or risk mitigation.

• Strengthen your financial acumen. If you don’t understand how your company makes and spends money, start learning now.

• Ask to shadow the VP of business strategy or join cross-functional financial planning sub-committees.

• Start thinking like a business strategist and not just like a legal strategist.

• Become data-driven: COOs live and die by metrics, financial performance, and operational key performance indicators (KPIs). If you don’t use data to quantify your impact, you’ll struggle to make the jump.

Real-Life Example:

Mary O’Carroll: As Director of Legal Operations at Google, Mary built one of the most well-recognized legal ops teams in the industry. She then transitioned into the Chief Community Officer role at Ironclad, where she focused on community engagement, thought leadership, and expanding the influence of legal technology across industries.

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Now, Mary is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Goodwin, a global law firm. In this role, she applies her legal operations expertise at an enterprise level, overseeing firm-wide operations, business strategy, and technology-driven efficiencies. Check out my interview with her on this episode of Dear Legal Ops.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

YOU DON’T HAVE TO WAIT FOR A TITLE

TO LEAD

If you want to move into a legal operations leadership role, the key is to start leading now—even if your title hasn’t caught up yet.

Legal operations career development requires you to:

• Take on high-visibility projects.

• Solve complex problems.

• Build relationships across departments.

• Showcase your expertise publicly.

Once you’ve demonstrated leadership in action, the title and promotion will follow.

Tommie TavaresFerreira is a leading voice in legal operations, currently heading up the legal operations function at healthcare fintech company Cedar. Her resume includes leadership roles at Peloton, Rakuten, and HBO, as well as advisory board positions at SpotDraft, Lawtrades, and SOLID. She also co-hosts the popular Dear Legal Ops podcast and co-leads the New York City CLOC chapter.

Beyond CLM: Right-Sizing Technology to Address the Biggest Pain in Legal

By DANIEL LEWIS | PRESENTED BY

For years, Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) has promised to streamline legal operations, offering greater visibility and process improvements. Yet, despite its broad capabilities, CLM has failed to deliver in the area that takes the most time and causes the most headaches — contract review.

Now, a new era of legal AI is emerging, shifting the focus from managing workflows to tackling the real bottlenecks. AI contract review software addresses the most time-consuming part of contracting, helping legal teams review

agreements faster, more accurately, and with fewer roadblocks.

WHY CLM HAS FALLEN SHORT

CLM emerged in the early 2000s to help legal teams collaborate across the five traditional stages of contracting — intake, review, negotiation, signature, and storage and management. Early CLM systems were basic repositories with search, reporting, and routing functionality. Over time, CLM expanded to include workflow automation, electronic signatures, compliance tracking, collaboration, and analytics.

Despite these advancements, many legal teams find that CLM fails to address the most painful aspects of their work. Why? Because CLM technology is far too broad. The claim to solve every challenge in each phase of contracting isn’t realistic. A single system can’t do it all — at least not well.

More than three in four (77%) of CLM implementations fail for two main reasons:

1. Implementation is complex and lengthy: Many CLMs require months of setup and a team of external consultants and project managers to get started, and 2. Adoption is low: Customers purchase CLM for a specific use case but often only use a fraction of features, leading to wasted spend.

Legal leaders must take time to understand and pinpoint their biggest challenges and who they impact most. For some legal teams, contract storage or tracking may be less challenging than slow and manual review, inconsistent contract language, and inefficient negotiations. Tools that attempt to cover the full contract lifecycle may lack the specialized capabilities needed to

address contract review bottlenecks in legal workflows.

This gap is why legal teams are turning to AI-powered contract review in record numbers. According to LegalOn’s State of Contracting Survey, AI adoption for contract review has increased by 75% over the past year, showing a clear shift toward more targeted solutions that directly address contract review.

Instead of trying to overhaul or replace existing systems, legal teams now have the option to right-size their technology stack by adding AI tools alongside their existing tools to address the most pressing pain points.

AI-POWERED CONTRACT REVIEW: THE MISSING PIECE

Instead of trying to overhaul or replace existing systems, legal teams now have the option to right-size their technology stack by adding AI tools alongside their existing tools to address the most pressing pain points. On average, in-house attorneys spend more than half of every business day (4.5 hours) reviewing and managing contracts, and almost two in three legal teams report delays in reviewing and approving contract terms that are straining their relationships with sales and procurement teams. It’s no wonder

that 77% of legal teams are looking to leverage technology more effectively for contract review.

However, lawyers who turn to consumer tools like ChatGPT to perform various legal tasks must use caution, as hallucination rates range from 69% to 88% in response to specific legal queries. As a result, the legal tech market is rich with startups touting AI tools that are purpose-built to reduce hallucinations. Yet, Stanford University’s Institute for HumanCentered Artificial Intelligence found that even these tools are found to hallucinate 17% of the time, spurring valid concerns around hallucinations and security.

WHAT LEGAL AI NEEDS TO GET RIGHT

That’s not to say that contract review isn’t amenable to AI. It’s the opposite. The best AI for this task must be anchored in attorney-written content and guided by legal expertise at every stage to ensure accuracy, consistency, and trustworthiness. Contract review technology should be trained and rigorously tested by lawyers with complete, practical playbooks built by experienced attorneys, not ChatGPT. Only then can a legal AI tool ensure quality results that businesses can rely on.

So, what is required for AI contract review to deliver on these promises?

• Defined issue-spotting and playbooks: Pre-built review standards ensure that AI operates consistently within defined parameters to spot issues with thorough, customizable playbooks that work without a lengthy implementation.

• Guided by legal expertise: Legal AI, built on attorney-written content

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and tested by lawyers, delivers trustworthy outputs with clear explanations for legal professionals to verify reasoning.

• Secure and Private: Technology that is SOC 2 Type II compliant with legal-grade protections ensures agreements are secure and private.

A SMARTER PATH FORWARD

We’re at a turning point in legal tech. Instead of one-size-fits-all CLM solutions, legal teams can now focus on specific needs and integrate purpose-built tools that solve the most painful parts of their work.

Beyond CLM, a new legal tech landscape is emerging — one where AI-driven tools like LegalOn Technologies deliver the efficiency, accuracy, and speed that legal teams have been promised.

Daniel Lewis is the US CEO of LegalOn Technologies, a global leader in AI contract review, and a leader in advancing legal technology. Previously, as co-founder and CEO of Ravel Law, Lewis helped pioneer the use of data analytics and visualization to transform legal research.

How GCs Can Leverage Legal Department Metrics to Drive Strategy

By LAURA GLEESON

By tracking the right legal department metrics, general counsel obtain real-time insights into how their team is operating—and receive the data they need to chart the path forward.

But there are so many metrics capable of being tracked. How do you identify the ones that will have the biggest impact on your department?

As a general rule, the metrics your legal department tracks should answer one of these three questions:

• How efficiently are we managing our budget?

• How effectively are we managing our workload?

• How well are we leveraging outside counsel?

Below, we’ll outline some metrics that address each of these questions and show you how tracking them can improve your team’s legal operations.

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

METRIC: SPEND-TO-BUDGET

As the general counsel, it’s important to establish the legal department as a strategic partner to the business. One way to demonstrate this is by showcasing that legal can serve as a reliable financial steward within the organization.

To build that reputation, legal must ensure it is effectively managing its budget. And tracking spend-tobudget at the overall and practice area level provides the visibility to make that possible.

Why It’s Important: At the overall level, this metric shows how your spend is tracking against legal’s budget for the year.

But there are so many metrics capable of being tracked. How do you identify the ones that will have the biggest impact on your department?

However, this metric becomes more meaningful for proactive financial management if you also track spendto-budget at the practice area level, because it’s at this level that it can be used to address potential issues before they become significant problems.

For example, there may be instances where your overall spend-tobudget is on track, but diving deeper into

the breakdown by practice area reveals that litigation is already at 100% of budget. Knowing this information could prompt you to reassess resourcing and avoid going over budget.

How to Track It: Create your overall and practice area budgets for the year in an e-billing and matter management system. The system can then automatically track spend to each of these budgets in real time.

WORKLOAD MANAGEMENT

METRIC: MATTER RISK AND COMPLEXITY

It likely goes without saying, but not all matters are created equal. That’s why having insight into a matter’s level of risk and complexity is important—because it allows you to have a more comprehensive understanding of how much time and attention each of your legal department’s matters will require.

Why It’s Important: If you’re not tracking this aspect of your matters, you may find yourself in a situation where an individual or team appears to be working on fewer matters, but they are actually facing a heavier workload due to the high complexity of the matters they are working on.

How to Track It: To track risk and complexity, require that your team classifies matters as either low-,

medium-, or high-risk and complexity when opening a matter in your e-billing and matter management system.

This, of course, requires a bit of work up-front to make those designations. However, this effort can pay dividends down the road by painting a fuller picture of the level of work your legal team is engaged with.

OUTSIDE COUNSEL MANAGEMENT METRIC: BLENDED RATE

By illustrating the average price a law firm charged for one hour of legal work, the blended rate provides a high-level overview of how efficient your firms have been in resourcing their work.

Why It’s Important:

Blended rate can be influenced by both the rates charged by individual timekeepers and the seniority of fee earners that are assigned to work (e.g. partners vs. attorneys). It is useful for comparing resourcing across your firms and signaling instances where it would be beneficial to dig a bit deeper into the resourcing of a particular law firm. When leveraged effectively, this

metric can drive meaningful conversations with your outside counsel firms that can ultimately result in increased value for money.

How to Track It: Your e-billing and matter management system can provide out-of-the-box reporting on law firm blended rates. Some systems allow you to compare the blended rate by firm for each practice area, and even leverage AI technology for deeper analysis.

For example, an analysis of blended rate among your litigation firms may reveal one firm bills at a higher blended rate than its peers. Matter management AI can help you understand why. It could highlight that this firm tends to involve more partners during the discovery and trial preparation phases of cases (a costlier option), while other firms largely limit partner time to the case strategy phase (a cheaper option). You can use this insight during your next relationship review with this firm to discuss the opportunity for a more cost-effective resourcing mix.

CONCLUSION

Tracking the right legal department

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metrics is essential to gaining a deeper understanding of how your department is currently operating, and will help you identify any areas for improved efficiency. Tracking these important metrics will also help you make informed resourcing and outsourcing decisions, and enable you to have meaningful data-driven conversations with your executive peers. Ultimately, doing so will help cement your reputation as a strategic, forward-thinking general counsel.

Laura Gleeson is the General Counsel, VP of Legal and Compliance at Brightflag. She has held several senior legal roles in private practice and in-house, including as a partner at Matheson and senior counsel at construction company PM Group, giving her firsthand exposure to the importance of legal technology. She can be reached at laura.gleeson@brightflag.com

AI and Information Governance: How Organizations Can Avoid Privacy Risks

By ROBERT KIRTLEY

Artificial intelligence is already a ubiquitous part of our lives. Whether you realize it or not, you are already interacting with AI. It may help you pick a restaurant on Yelp or guide you to a show to watch on Netflix. Similarly, AI is transforming how organizations collect and manage data. The converging worlds of AI and information governance pose significant privacy risks that legal teams should evaluate carefully.

ADVANTAGES OF AI IN MITIGATING PRIVACY RISKS

With the increasing volume of sensitive data, ensuring data security and privacy has become a top priority for organizations. Leading cybersecurity

firms have already incorporated AI-driven tools to detect and respond to potential threats in real time, minimizing the risk of data breaches, a major contributor to the leakage of private data.

These systems use behavioral analysis and anomaly detection to identify suspicious activities, providing a proactive approach to cybersecurity. Additionally, AI can help organizations comply with data protection regulations by automating the identification, deletion, and management of sensitive information. These capabilities are also incorporated into Data Loss Prevention (DLP) tools to reduce the risks of private information leaving the organization.

PRIVACY RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE USE OF AI

When integrating AI into an organization’s infrastructure and operations, several key privacy considerations must be addressed to ensure responsible and ethical use:

1 Data Collection, Consent, and Leakage

AI systems often require vast amounts of data for training and operation. It’s crucial to obtain informed consent from individuals whose data is being collected and used. Organizations must be transparent about the types of data collected and how it will be used, especially if it may be used by an AI tool for training purposes.

Detailed information on how data is used can be exceedingly difficult to determine if that data goes into an AI tool, especially one that is publicly available. One study released in February found that publicly facing tools like ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Copilot, and Google’s Gemini are both widely used and are a major source for leaking sensitive data. They found and documented numerous examples of sensitive and regulated data being regularly leaked.

Even if your internal security environment is secure, it is vital to understand the security risks to privacy that third parties can present.

In another example with a team I worked with, we used actual medical records that we had anonymized to perform a query. Specifically, we asked for diagnoses for patients that displayed similar medical conditions as those in the records we submitted. Not only did we get a series of answers with specific diagnoses, in some cases we actually got patient names, facility/location name, and doctor/med tech names for several records for patients that were not part of our data set. The Protected Health Information (PHI) for those patients was leaked by the AI tool we were testing, having been entered into the system by someone else.

2 Data Security: Protecting sensitive information

from unauthorized access is paramount. AI systems should incorporate robust security measures, such as encryption and access controls, to safeguard data against breaches and leaks.

Even if your internal security environment is secure, it is vital to understand the security risks to privacy that third parties can present. Your payroll vendor, for example, likely has substantial amounts of sensitive information and other PII on your employees. It is important to understand how they use AI and to limit what they can do with your data. Similarly, ensure that you have a good understanding of how any official AI vendors your organization uses or vendors that incorporate AI into their offerings protect the any data they have access to.

3 Regulatory Compliance:

Adhering to privacy regulations, such as the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), is essential. Organizations must ensure that their AI systems comply with relevant laws and standards to protect individual privacy rights.

GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy regulations also have specific requirements for how data is managed that have implications for the proper use of AI. For example, GDPR has specific requirements around transparency of processing and use of an individual’s data. This means that you must be able to articulate the purpose of data collection, how the data will be used, and what the impact may be. This means that you need to understand how any AI tool will use any sensitive data prior to submitting that data.

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These regulations also often require that you get explicit consent before processing a person’s data, with that consent being informed, specific and revocable. Revocation of consent means that individuals must have the right to access their personal data and to request its deletion. It may be extraordinarily difficult to determine how thirdparty AI systems use data and even more difficult to get that specific data deleted.

AI is likely to be as transformative as the internet itself has been for how we live our lives and conduct business. But just like the internet, AI and information governance practices pose risks and unintended consequences. It is vital to understand those risks, especially the privacy risks, to mitigate the risk to your organization.

Robert Kirtley is the Director of Cybersecurity and Information Governance at iDiscovery Solutions. Kirtley provides strategic counsel, operational expertise, and technological infrastructure solutions in the domains of compliance, information governance, and security. He can be reached at rkirtley@idsinc.com

TALKING LEGAL OPERATIONS WITH COLIN LEVY

Empowering Agentic AI in Contract Management: From Passive to Proactive

By COLIN LEVY

Imagine having your own AI agent that works autonomously without constant supervision to review contracts and save your team hours of work. This technology, known as Agentic AI, represents a fundamental shift in how computers help with contract management.

Unlike traditional AI tools that passively wait for commands, Agentic AI systems act as autonomous “agents” that independently perform complex tasks with minimal supervision. These digital collaborators don’t just respond to specific questions; they expect needs, make decisions, and execute multi-step workflows on their own initiative.

Here’s an example: A general counsel receives a new vendor agreement and immediately forwards it to her team’s AI agent. Within minutes,

it completes what would have taken an attorney hours.

The AI agent:

1. Scans the entire agreement against company standards, highlighting deviations

2. Flags that the liability cap falls 50% below acceptable thresholds

3. Suggests specific replacement language drawn from approved templates

4. Routes the document to the GC’s procurement specialist with concerns clearly marked

5. Automatically logs the interaction in the matter management system

6. Identifies missing confidentiality exclusions

7. Calculates the specific financial exposure of $250,000

8. Routes each issue to the specialist

and sets calendar reminders for upcoming negotiation deadlines

TAKING THE INITIATIVE

The system doesn’t simply process information; it completes entire workflows by chaining together multiple capabilities: language understanding, decision making, document creation, and process management. The key distinction lies in its autonomy and initiative—qualities that make it a true partner rather than merely a tool. Today’s contract management solutions already offer significant automation, but AI agents are poised to take these capabilities to new heights.

When a sales representative uploads a redlined agreement, current systems can find changed clauses and categorize them by type. The next generation

of AI agents, however, will analyze these changes with greater contextual understanding. These agents would not just identify 12 changed clauses, they would evaluate them against company policies. They would also automatically approve seven changes within pre-defined parameters, route three pricing changes to finance, and flag two liability alterations that pose genuine risk. This intelligent triage could reduce a legal department’s review burden by as much as 60% while ensuring proper oversight where it matters most.

Unlike traditional AI tools that passively wait for commands, Agentic AI systems act as autonomous “agents” that independently perform complex tasks with minimal supervision.

Post-signature management illustrates an even more dramatic evolution. Traditional contract management systems store executed agreements, automate the initial review of agreements, set reminders, and track obligations. But an AI agent can actively extract specific obligations from complex legal language.

A PROACTIVE APPROACH

After closing a services agreement, like the one in the scenario outlined above, the AI agent identified 27 obligations, eight key dates, and four conditional requirements without manual tagging. The system didn’t

merely schedule a calendar reminder for the renewal period—it analyzed which departments were responsible for which obligations, delivered customized duty summaries to each, and implemented graduated alerts that escalate as deadlines approach. This proactive approach prevents the costly oversights that plague even well-organized legal departments.

Data analysis represents perhaps the most transformative capability. While conventional analytics might track basic metrics like processing time, an AI agent delivers actionable intelligence. For example, if a legal team spends nearly half their negotiation time on an indemnification clause that other parties almost always reject—this clearly shows where the template needs changing. Similarly, the AI agent could point out an inefficient process when outside lawyers review contracts and deals take much longer to finish with little difference in final terms. By connecting contract terms with results, an AI agent could find that deals completed quickly had significantly higher renewal rates than long negotiations, showing a direct link between the contract process and business outcomes.

A VALUABLE NEGOTIATING TOOL

Agentic AI can also be a strategic tool during the M&A process, shaping active negotiations. Current technology might offer clause libraries or track changes, but AI agents can generate real-time counterproposals informed by historical outcomes. When facing ambiguous earn-out language, the AI agent could calculate a dispute probability based on similar past agreements, suggest alternatives with successful

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implementation records, and maintain a comprehensive audit trail documenting term evolution and reasons. This capability transforms negotiation from an art based primarily on individual experience to a data-driven practice incorporating institutional knowledge.

The contract management landscape is evolving from document-centric to relationship-centric approaches. The next frontier lies in creating symbiotic relationships between legal knowledge and AI capabilities. Current systems primarily execute pre-defined workflows. Tomorrow’s AI agents will actively find optimization opportunities, suggest process improvements, and continuously refine their understanding of organizational preferences.

Colin Levy leads the legal function as General Counsel and Evangelist of Malbek, a leading CLM provider. Levy also advises startups and invests in emerging technologies that propel the industry forward. He has authored “The Legal Tech Ecosystem” and “CLM for Dummies” and contributes regularly to many publications. He can be reached at colin.levy@malbek.io.

Legal Suite Managing Director Vivien Krotkine Discusses the Value of an All-in-One Technology Solution

PRESENTED BY

In this exclusive interview with Today’s General Counsel, Legal Suite’s Managing Director Vivien Krotkine discusses how an all-in-one technology solution meets the multiple challenges general counsel face.

Vivien Krotkine serves as General Manager of Legal Suite, a division of the Septeo group. He previously held the position of Chief of Staff to Septeo’s CEO, overseeing key strategic initiatives. Earlier in his career, he held roles in R&D at Saint-Gobain and in strategy consulting at McKinsey & Company. Krotkine is committed to accelerating the company’s transformation and enhancing the value it delivers to its clients.

What inspired the development of GaLexy?

Vivien Krotkine: Legal Suite was founded 25 years ago by attorneys, specifically for general counsel in corporate legal departments. The primary goal was to enhance the efficiency of corporate lawyers by assisting them with their daily tasks.

Today, Legal Suite’s GaLexy is an enterprise-level legal technology suite powered by AI, offering tailored implementation and support. While technology has evolved, our mission remains the same—helping corporate lawyers work more efficiently.

GaLexy is designed to adapt to the diverse needs of corporate legal departments. It is a standardized legal

tech platform with modules covering various legal areas, including contract management, matter management, litigation, intake processes, and legal spend management—all accessible through a single interface. Clients benefit from a comprehensive suite that includes all core functionalities, research tools, and the latest updates. Additionally, the platform allows for custom applications tailored to each client’s specific needs.

What do you see as the biggest challenges that legal professionals face when they’re addressing multiple areas of the law?

Vivien Krotkine: One of the key challenges companies face is the varying levels of security, which increase the risk of data breaches. Legal Suite ensures robust data protection by securing backups, safeguarding passwords, continuously monitoring servers, and conducting SOC 2 Type II audits.

Another major challenge arises when legal professionals rely on multiple software programs, causing legal operations to be scattered across different platforms. This fragmentation leads to inconsistent data, making reporting and strategic decision-making more difficult. By offering a single, integrated suite with one source of truth and a unified database, GaLexy eliminates issues related to data inaccuracy, inefficiency, and disjointed reporting. Cost is also a significant concern, as legal departments often operate within tight budgets. Using five or six different software solutions means multiplying expenses for licenses, training, and maintenance. In contrast, GaLexy provides a more cost-effective solution. Using more modules reduces the cost per module.

Additionally, legal teams often struggle with managing multiple interfaces and workflows. GaLexy simplifies operations with a single, intuitive interface. Training is another challenge—learning one platform is far easier and more efficient than mastering several.

To what extent does Legal Suite support clients during and after the initial implementation phase?

Vivien Krotkine: Simply providing software is not enough. From day one, we take a hands-on, personalized approach to support our clients at every step. Each client is assigned a dedicated Customer Success Manager to ensure their objectives and needs are met.

We offer customized training, both in-person and online, along with regular check-ins and 24/7 support through our teams in the United States, Canada and in France.

To maintain high client satisfaction, we conduct quarterly reviews to track progress, make necessary adjustments if any, and make sure the initial goals are met. Even after implementation, we continue to provide additional training sessions upon request, along with access to learning capsules, an online training platform, and a digital user club.

Legal Suite has a recent white paper that highlights the pitfalls of insufficient reporting capabilities. How does GaLexy provide legal professionals with better visibility, benchmarking, and strategic decision-making tools?

Vivien Krotkine: GaLexy streamlines and automates report generation and benchmarking. Its cross-functional add-on analyzes data, transforms it into real-time insights, and generates reports. These advanced features also provide key performance indicators, risk identification, and seamless communication across modules. With a single data source, users can create cross-module reports—for example, identifying a company’s biggest liabilities and linking them to specific contract types.

Additionally, GaLexy’s AI-powered capabilities and intuitive interface enhance visibility into department performance. AI-driven risk identification supports data-driven decision-making by analyzing contracts, highlighting potential risks, and recommending necessary adjustments for corporate lawyers.

Data security is a top concern for corporate legal departments. How does GaLexy ensure that its features remain aligned with the evolving needs of the legal industry, especially as regulatory requirements and workflows change?

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Vivien Krotkine: We place a strong emphasis on the regulatory environment. GaLexy enables clients to configure specific data fields tailored to their regulatory, operational, and industry-specific requirements. For instance, we developed a “Business Criticality” field for a major banking client, allowing their IT and compliance teams to systematically flag contracts subject to the European Union’s Digital Operational Resilience Act. Additionally, GaLexy integrates key regulatory frameworks such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

GaLexy also automates workflows and compliance tracking reports, reducing the risk of regulatory breaches. By centralizing data and reporting, it facilitates crossdepartment integration, ensuring that legal, compliance, and risk management teams can seamlessly access and collaborate on regulatory information. This unified approach enhances efficiency and ensures a structured response to compliance requirements.

Looking ahead, how do you see legal technology evolving, and what innovations can we expect from Legal Suite in the future?

Vivien Krotkine: First, we prioritize depth without compromise. GaLexy is a comprehensive, all-in-one legal suite, and we continuously expand its capabilities with new features. For example, we are currently enhancing our e-billing and budgeting features.

Second, we are actively refining the user interface, user experience, and overall design to streamline workflows. These improvements are designed to make GaLexy more efficient and user-friendly for everyone.

Third, we are enhancing AI capabilities. Our AI can automatically extract and input contract data, saving time and reducing errors. Furthermore, we aim to reduce risks and enhance contractual compliance through AI-powered risk analysis and document redlining.

Most importantly, we take a human-centered approach. Beyond software, we provide dedicated support, training, and change management to help clients achieve their goals. And if their goals evolve, we evolve with them. In short, we are a technology company that combines innovation with a human touch and a strong commitment to customer success.

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Join our upcoming interactive webinar, led by industry experts Mark Diamond and Tom Mighell from Contoural, to get a step-by-step game plan for bringing your records program up to date. What you’ll learn:

Where to Begin: Identify the key decisions to tackle early and strategies to engage other stakeholders while developing a clear program roadmap.

Building a Strong Foundation: Learn how to craft compliant, executable policies and implement effective records processes. See how your records program intersects with critical areas like privacy, e-discovery, various business units, and even AI.

Executing with Technology: Find out how to leverage the tools you already have to automate records management across the organization — you likely don’t need to spend more money to create an actionable policy.

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Mark Diamond CEO & President, Contoural

Tom Mighell COO, Contoural

Today's General Counsel, May 2025

Experience the Mitratech Difference. Your Trusted Partner in Enterprise Legal Management

Corporate Legal Solutions

EDITOR’S DESK

Optimize These 5 Legal Operations Workflows to Boost Performance

We are iDS

CLOC’s Adam Becker Talks Legal Ops Trends and Challenges in 2025

What about challenges for legal ops as a profession?

What are you most excited about for CGI this year?

Enterprise CLM

INFORMATION GOVERNANCE INSIGHTS BY MARK DIAMOND

How to Prevent Employees from Hoarding Electronic Documents

HOARDING BEHAVIOR IS A LEARNED HABIT

CREATE A MODERN AND COMPLIANT RECORDS RETENTION SCHEDULE

SAVE INFORMATION IN THE RIGHT PLACE WITH THE FIVE-SECOND RULE

CHANGE MANAGEMENT: THE ENGINE OF CULTURAL SHIFT

SELL THE WINS FOR EMPLOYEES

DON’T FORGET TO MEASURE

CONCLUSION

The Dark Side of AI in Contract Management: How to Avoid Ethical and Social Risks

THE HUMAN ELEMENT: LOST IN THE ALGORITHM?

JOB DISPLACEMENT: A LOOMING REALITY

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: BEYOND THE BOTTOM LINE

NAVIGATING THE FUTURE: A CALL FOR RESPONSIBLE CONTRACT AI IMPLEMENTATION

Optimize These 5 Legal Operations Workflows to Boost Performance

1 Commercial Legal Requests

2

Vendor Intake & Invoice Reviews

3 Outside Counsel Conflict Waivers

4

Trademark and IP Requests

5 Employee Onboarding

GCs Need Efficiency, Legal Ops Need Structure—Legal Tech Delivers Both

COMMON STRUGGLES THAT CREATE FRICTION

HOW LEGAL TECH BRIDGES THE GAP

Single Source of Truth

Workflow Automation

Data-Driven Decisions

Scalability

STRENGTHENING THE GC-LEGAL OPS PARTNERSHIP

THE LEGAL OPS LENS WITH TOMMIE TAVARES-FERREIRA

Legal Operations Career Development: How to Break Into Leadership Roles and Thrive

DOING THE WORK AND PROMOTING YOURSELF TO LAND A LEADERSHIP ROLE

Suggestions:

WHAT COMES NEXT? BREAKING THROUGH

1

Become an AI Ambassador or Agentic AI Lead

How to get there:

2Transition to Business or Strategy Operations

COMPARING LEGAL OPS VS COO RESPONSIBILITIES

4

Pursue the COO Path: Scaling Operations Company-Wide

Real-Life Example:

FINAL THOUGHTS:

TO LEAD

Beyond CLM: Right-Sizing Technology to Address the Biggest Pain in Legal

WHY CLM HAS FALLEN SHORT

AI-POWERED CONTRACT REVIEW: THE MISSING PIECE

WHAT LEGAL AI NEEDS TO GET RIGHT

A SMARTER PATH FORWARD

How GCs Can Leverage Legal Department Metrics to Drive Strategy

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

WORKLOAD MANAGEMENT

OUTSIDE COUNSEL MANAGEMENT METRIC: BLENDED RATE

Why It’s Important:

CONCLUSION

AI and Information Governance: How Organizations Can Avoid Privacy Risks

3 Regulatory Compliance:

TALKING LEGAL OPERATIONS WITH COLIN LEVY

Empowering Agentic AI in Contract Management: From Passive to Proactive

TAKING THE INITIATIVE

A PROACTIVE APPROACH

A VALUABLE NEGOTIATING TOOL

Legal Suite Managing Director Vivien Krotkine Discusses the Value of an All-in-One Technology Solution

PRESENTED BY

Thank you to our contributors

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Issues

Articles inside

Legal Suite Managing Director Vivien Krotkine Discusses the Value of an All-in-One Technology Soluti