77
I L T A N E T . O R G
A R E Y O U I N T E R E S T E D I N S E C U R I T Y A N D B U S I N E S S
D E C I S I O N S ?
From the Part 1 Summer issue, "New Generation of Security Challenges and Changes
Emerge as Law Firms Adapt to Work-From-Anywhere Environments" we have a
Podcast to compliment the Part 1 article!
L I S T E N T O P O D C A S T
L I S T E N T O P O D C A S T
L I S T E N T O P O D C A S T
A P O D C A S T A B O U T A N A R T I C L E … .
A B O U T A P O D C A S T ? W H A T ? H O W M E T A .
From the Part 1 Summer issue, "Launching a Law Firm
Podcast that Hits All the Right Notes"
P O D C A S T T O H E L P Y O U T R U S T , L O V E ,
A N D W E L C O M E L E G A L T E C H S T A R T - U P S
T O Y O U R F I R M !
From the Part 1 Summer issue, "Legal Tech Startups: The
Rewards of Being a Super-Early Adopter"
28
P E E R T O P E E R : I L T A ' S Q U A R T E R L Y M A G A Z I N E | S U M M E R 2 0 2 1
B Y G R E G R U S S O
New Generation of
Security Challenges
and Changes Emerge
as Law Firms Adapt to
Work-From-Anywhere
Environment
36
B Y C H R I S P O S T I Z Z I A N D T O M D AY
Launching a
Law Firm Podcast that
Hits All the Right Notes
P E E R T O P E E R : I L T A ' S Q U A R T E R L Y M A G A Z I N E | S U M M E R 2 0 2 1
48
P E E R T O P E E R : I L T A ' S Q U A R T E R L Y M A G A Z I N E | S U M M E R 2 0 2 1
E X T R A S
Legal Tech
Startups: The
Rewards of Being
a Super-Early
Adopter
by Evan Shenkman
L
egal technology startups have been at the forefront of
some extraordinary innovations as of late – especially
those in the A.I. and data analytics space. For those of
us in law firm leadership roles, each new day seems to
bring at least one LinkedIn invite or cold call from a
legal tech startup offering a demo. Truth be told, and despite the time
commitment, I tend to engage far more than I decline. Why? Because
with the right startups, the rewards of being a Super-Early Adopter
are plentiful.
I've been privileged to have enjoyed the benefits of Super-Early
Adopter status with a roster of now-well-known legal tech companies,
including Casetext, LegalMation, Manzama, and Blue J Legal. The
rewards of forging those relationships early on far surpassed the risk
and price of admission, providing exclusive benefits to my firms, to their
clients, and to me personally. Here's why:
Exclusivity
Exclusivity agreements – preventing the start-up from working with
a Super-Early Adopter's direct competitors for a set period – are an
increasingly common benefit of Super-Early Adopter status. I have seen
these range from one to two years depending on law firm and vendor,
and with especially impressive legal tech, exclusivity can provide an
invaluable differentiator between firms and their competitors for a
period of time.
Customization of the Tool in Your Favor
It's often a fool's errand to ask a seasoned legal tech or research vendor
to change their entire user experience and user interface to comport
with the customized needs and preferences of a single customer. Not so
when you are a Super-Early Adopter. This status often ensures a direct
line of communication with the vendor's senior leadership, developers,
coders, and designers, and they tend to be thrilled to receive your input,
and promptly oblige. And by guiding and customizing the tool, it will
become a far more valuable resource for meeting your firm's needs, and
far less likely to become shelfware.
