In-House Outliers

Recorded live at CLOC Global Institute, this episode features legal leaders Jason Winmill (Argopoint, Buying Legal Council) and Katrina Gowans (IFM Investors). Jason underscored the importance of engaging with the community as a legal ops professional, and talked about how to navigate obtaining resources for your legal team. Katrina discussed her approach to finding the right pace when implementing change for the in-house team, and touched on her observations about the impacts generative AI tools are already having on legal work.

Our 2024 "Live from CLOC Global Institute" podcast series kicks off with Heather Torres (Assistant General Counsel at Sonnedix) and Denise Doyle (Extreme Networks). Heather stopped by to reflect on her first year at CGI, and how data changes the way legal work gets done. Denise discussed the value of prioritizing legal spend management, the progress that is left to be made when it comes to leveraging legal data, and the potential of AI tools for legal work.

On this episode, legal leader Kaylyn Nichols joined Alex Kelly to discuss her approach to process optimization, as well as what she views as the central pillars of an effective legal operations strategy. Kaylyn also shared insights from her career journey, and discussed the transformative impacts AI will likely have on legal teams in the coming years.

On this episode, Chad Hallberg (Legal Operations Lead at Stripe) joined Alex Kelly to discuss the central pillars of the legal operations function, and Chad's approach to launching initiatives related to each pillar. Chad also underscored the importance of leveraging spend management as a launching pad for other legal ops projects, and discussed his career journey.

Lorna Khemraz (Lead AI Counsel at Legal OS) joined Alex Kelly on the podcast this week to discuss the ways that AI is poised to improve all facets of legal work. Lorna also shared her thoughts on the major differences between working in-house vs. private practice, and shared insights from her fascinating career journey.

On this episode, Martinique Aguero (Legal Operations Specialist at Zendesk) joined Alex Kelly to discuss her approach to improving legal department processes. Martinique also shared her top resources for developing her professional skillsets, and discussed the skills from her time working as a paralegal that she has carried over into her legal ops role.

On this episode, Savannah Ramsey (Senior Legal Operations Manager & Chief of Staff at Motive) joined Alex Kelly to discuss her "less but better" mindset and how it guides her legal ops strategies. Savannah also shared insights into how her mentors influenced her professional journey, and discussed how legal tech solutions have increased the functionality of her organization's legal team.

On this episode, Legal Operations Leader Sol Brody joined Alex Kelly for an in-depth discussion about the strategic initiatives that all legal ops professionals should implement when stepping into their roles. Sol also shared his advice for those new to the legal operations field, and talked about his own professional journey from the world of global trade to legal ops.

On this episode, Michael Dineen (VP of Data Science at Brightflag) joins Alex Kelly to discuss the recent rise in the functionality of A.I. tools, and how legal teams are contending with it. Michael also shares his thoughts on ChatGPT, how A.I. models work, and where generative A.I. might take the legal departments in the years ahead.

On this episode, Jessica Williams (Director of Legal Team Strategy and Operations at FanDuel) joined Alex Kelly to discuss her experience building out a legal ops function at FanDuel, and why she chose to prioritize e-billing. Jessica also discussed her fascinating career journey, and the knowledge-building initiatives she's leading for the Buying Legal Council.

On this episode, André Barrow (Head of Legal Operations at FARFETCH) joined Alex Kelly to discuss how he applies project management principles to his work in the field of legal operations to change how legal work gets delivered. André also shared his thoughts on the key priorities to focus on in a legal ops role, and discussed the importance of being part of a community while working in this industry.

On this special episode, Ian Nolan (Brightflag CEO and Co-Founder) joins Alex Kelly to reflect on Brightflag's incredible journey in celebration of the company's 10-year anniversary. Ian also discusses the rise of legal ops, the value that A.I. brings to legal departments' functionality, and what's on the horizon for Brightflag.

On this episode, Lindsey Marandola (Director of Legal Operations at Temple Health) joined Alex Kelly for an in-depth conversation about the challenges of building out a legal ops function from the ground up. Lindsey also shared insights into how she leverages data to make her in-house team more efficient, and discussed her fascinating journey to legal ops.

On this episode, Stano Gejdos (Global Category Manager at Syngenta) joined Alex Kelly for a discussion about the key learnings Stano has applied to legal operations from his experience working in procurement. Stano also shared tips for implementing alternative fee arrangements, and discussed the importance of evaluating the ROI of all the legal department's processes to improve cost savings and efficiency.

On this episode, Ashlee Best (Founder of Compass Legal Operations and Wellness) joins Alex Kelly to discuss how her IT background led her on a very unique journey to the field of legal operations. Ashlee also shares her thoughts on how legal tech can transform the legal ops function, and her goal of making health, wellness, and balance a focus for those working in the industry.

On this episode, Kristen Hart (Senior Paralegal, Corporate and Legal Operations at Vantage Risk Companies) joins Alex Kelly to discuss the challenges of establishing new processes within legal departments, and how strong communication between legal ops professionals and the General Counsel can help. Kristen also shares insights from her own legal ops career journey, and how others in the industry can find opportunities to continue to grow professionally.

On this episode, Brightflag's Chief Customer Officer Kevin Cohn returns to share his annual legal ops and legal tech predictions for 2024. Kevin also recaps his 2023 predictions, and offers insights into the role of A.I. within legal departments in the year ahead, what the future holds for legal operations hiring and compensation, and more.

On this episode, Alisa De Dominicis (VP Global, Legal, and E&C Operations at Rimini Street) joined Alex Kelly to discuss the various skill sets—from project management to technology integration—that go into being an effective legal operations leader. Alisa also shared insights into her career journey, and underscored some of the data that CEOs seek out from legal teams, as well as how that data is collected.

On this episode, Legal Operations Leader Laurie David-Henric joined Alex Kelly for a discussion about the importance of creating your own career opportunities by seeking out professional challenges, and how that mindset helped her build out the legal operations functions in the various roles she has held. Laurie also shared insights into how she has helped legal teams maximize limited resources through data, and the importance of cross-collaboration when working in legal ops.

On this episode, Kimberly Williams (Head of Legal Operations at SMBC Group) joined Alex Kelly for a conversation about her professional journey, and how it led her from working as an Associate to leading the legal operations function at her organization. Kimberly also discussed the keys to making legal technology implementations work, and how gathering the right data makes effective resourcing possible.