P2P

38 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 3 efforts to apply automation and AI. Where there's already a blurry line between CLMs and workflow tools, I found myself having trouble differentiating between a CLM and an automation tool that harnesses the power of AI. Workflow solutions were heavily featured, but can standalone solutions compete with holistic platforms? This is where partnerships and integrations with other core cloud-based tools can have a significant positive impact on legal operations. Integrated Tech Heats Up A recurring theme throughout the event was that legal departments still use multiple point solutions within their department. No single tool seems to meet the myriad needs of legal ops professionals. Further, depending on the size of the organization and its industry, the mix of those solutions can differ. Many legal departments found success with the combination of a legal-focused document management system (DMS) and enterprise legal management/matter management. These two solutions together can be greater than the sum of their parts and cover a majority of needs for most legal teams. However, because organizations are commonly using multiple tech solutions together to meet their needs, it is important to build a comprehensive legal technology strategy and roadmap that considers not only the "vertical" legal department technology stack (e.g., e-signature, ELM/ matter management, and DMS), but also how those tools fit within the enterprise-wide "horizontal" solutions (e.g., M365 and Teams, PowerBI, and Salesforce). One legal ops director mentioned a guiding principle of implementing "the minimum effective dose" of solutions that meet their core needs. Maximizing the Value of Legal Tech The value of integrated tech was highlighted during a Solution Lab panel discussion between Gregg McConnell, Director of Legal Operations & Innovation at Corteva, Ron Warman, Partner at Affinity Consulting, and Dan Hauck, Chief Product Officer at NetDocuments. They emphasized that to further elevate their operations, legal teams should be considering how they can continue to improve efficiencies in document-based processes across the legal document lifecycle. Gregg shared his experience building the legal operations team and capability at Corteva with NetDocuments as the technology hub. Ron shared how Corteva created a seamless workflow with the NetDocuments DMS and integrations from Onit (workflow automation), Black Hills IP Technology (data integration), and Memotech (corporate IP management). After shaking the dust off for in-person events this year, no one left CLOC wondering about the direction and need for legal operations. CLOC 2024 is moving to the Las Vegas Aria to accommodate greater capacity and, hopefully, shorten the walking commute from hotel room to conference floor (although I'm sure there will still be plenty of walking required). Until we meet again next year, I look forward to seeing what else will unfold as legal operations and the evolving AI landscape continue to grow and mature. ILTA F E A T U R E S Dain Scheibel is a tech and data strategy expert based in New York, NY with 12+ years of experience in management consulting roles at PwC and Analysis Group helping clients mature digitally. He currently drives NetDocuments' enterprise legal strategies and business development within corporate legal departments.

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