Digital White Papers

I L T A W H I T E P A P E R | K N O W L E D G E M A N A G E M E N T 22 F U T U R E O F K N O W L E D G E M A N A G E M E N T : F R O M T H E P E R S P E C T I V E O F T H E N E X T G E N E R A T I O N O F I N D U S T R Y L E A D E R S as possible about their organizations—the services provided, the clients served and the administrative infrastructure required to do both. KM professionals work to solve problems for attorneys and/or clients, so it's helpful to have been one or the other (or both). Non-attorney professionals need to find ways to interact with attorneys at firms and with clients – either directly or via conferences or online groups. If project management, product management, and innovation management aren't in your wheelhouse, courses on these subjects abound. Make use of them. If you are technically inclined, become an expert on a new tool and learn the underlying technolo. Innovation in legal is moving at breakneck speed, and firms must either embrace it to remain successful, or fall behind their more innovative peers. To be best positioned for future success, KM professionals must ensure that they work for a firm that has fully embraced innovation and KM. Buy-in from senior leadership is critical, both from a financial standpoint, and from an internal marketing standpoint for KM initiatives. If a KM professional's firm only provides lip-service to KM – failing to put its money where its mouth is, or failing to have senior management cheerlead KM efforts – future success will be almost impossible to achieve (both for the KM professional, and ultimately, for the firm). ILTA AR ES Evan Shenkman is the Senior Director of Knowledge Management for the 400+ attorney labor and employment law firm FisherPhillips. He previously served as a KM Director at Ogletree Deakins, and prior to that, as an AV-rated Shareholder litigating labor and employment matters for a decade. He works creating processes, practices, and software to allow firm attorneys to work smarter, faster, and more in sync; creating internal and client-facing collaborative tools; and helping making the practice of law more efficient for attorneys and clients. Evan is a frequent presenter on KM topics at ARK and ILTACON and was an ILTACON Program Committee member in 2016 and 2017. He was also co-Chair the NYC Practice Support Lawyers network for 5 years. Alicia Ryan is the knowledge and innovation delivery manager at Fenwick & West. She works primarily on knowledge management and business analytics initiatives in the firm's corporate group, including formalizing and expanding the group's knowledge base and assisting in the implementation of cross-functional projects designed to increase the accessibility of information and expertise within the firm. Martha Breil is the Knowledge Management Leader at McGuireWoods. She is part of the ClientSync team, which supports the firm's client value initiatives focusing on helping the firm's lawyers delivery the highest level of client service in a cost-effective and efficient manner. Prior to entering the legal industry, Martha was a knowledge manager for a big four accounting firm and a Fortune 50 corporation. She has fifteen years of experience building strategies for knowledge management, solution adoption, process improvement, project management, and business analysis. Martha is an active ILTA member and volunteer currently serving on the Program Planning Council. She earned her graduate degree in knowledge management at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Kate Cain is the Director, Practice Information and Marketing Technology at Sidley Austin. Kate is a leader with more than 20 years' experience with information management, business analytics and technology, focusing on the alignment of firm strategy and business goals with information, process and technology solutions. As Sidley's Director, Practice Information and Marketing Technology, Kate drives initiatives focused on leveraging information to support the operations, development and growth of the firm's practices and client relationships. Her teams connect the practices with the marketing, business development, client relations and knowledge management functions by implementing technologies and related processes to capture critical information regarding the firm's clients, services, personnel and relationships and delivering the information in the appropriate context, ensuring it is relevant and actionable. Kate has extensive experience developing and executing the relationship, experience management and business intelligence strategies. In addition, Kate is a long-time ILTA volunteer, including serving six years on the Board of Directors, and a frequent speaker and writer on information and knowledge management topics.

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