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Legalweek 2022 in Review: Integrated Technology Solutions and Imperatives

Alaura Jacobs |

After two years of remote conferences, the buzz in New York for Legalweek 2022 was infectious – energized with new ideas and an eagerness to collaborate.

The latest in artificial intelligence, contract management, and automation sparked excitement at various speaker sessions, happy hours, and on the convention floor.

At Mitratech’s booth, we talked with attendees about their current legal technology and identified opportunities for improvement. A common sentiment was frustration with disjointed systems that aren’t compatible and the number of vendors that companies must collaborate with to manage them. Mitratech’s complete legal operations solution offers a reprieve that resonated with attendees: A single partner for legal operations technology. By consolidating and streamlining day-to-day tasks, an integrated technology solution platform like Mitratech can help companies optimize efficiency and ROI. 

Another hot topic was workflow automation. Attendees were especially excited to hear about unique use cases and the community forming around them at Mitratech, where our co-innovation center encourages collaboration and crowdsourcing on new use cases, solutions, and feature functionality. Contract Management was another big area for innovation and improvement. As teams continue to work remotely, the process of drafting, redlining, and signing contracts has become all the more disjointed. Having an intelligent tool to bring the players and the documents together can save teams time while fostering stronger, longer-lasting relationships. 

When it comes to innovation, iteration is key

While the week delivered rich insights throughout many sessions, we were most looking forward to  Thursday, which was jam-packed with Mitratech panels. Opening our first session was our CEO, Mike Williams. In a discussion surrounding innovation in the legal space. Mike led with how organizations are consolidating their technology stacks with more deeply integrated solutions.

Innovation doesn’t have to be [the] ‘Big Bang.’ Iteration is key,

said one guest panelist. When it comes to leveraging technology to make an impact, Tara believes true innovation in a legal department can be achieved through small steps of adoption and efficiency, leading to significant changes over time.

Expert panel: Leveraging digital transformation and integrated technology solutions

Executive Director, Brain McGovern, kicked off session number two alongside a panel of legal operations veterans with 60+ years of combined experience. The group shared stories of adoption and implementation, agreeing that sometimes, the best way to start is by taking a step back. 

It’s like therapy. You first have to know what the other person is going through. Conduct a review, know what they’re doing, and then you can map that to solutions… Whatever you do, be sure to define the problem,

explained Wafik Guirgis, Sr. Managing Director at FTI Consulting. To get true buy-in from all stakeholders, the group advised thinking about your selection committee as your internal PR team. Don’t leave out the people you would consider detractors; They’re the ones you’re going to have to work the hardest to convince.

To get true buy-in from all stakeholders, the group advised thinking about your selection committee as your internal PR team. Don’t leave out the people you would consider detractors; They’re the ones you’re going to have to work the hardest to convince. 

The panel also touched upon some key roadblocks, successes, and moments of pride. George Chiu, Director of Systems Development at Prudential, shared,

Being a technologist, I like to solve problems. I like to see the smile on my business partner’s faces when they can complete a task with the click of a button instead of three hours. When I see businesses gain efficiency and collaboration through technology, watching their success and happiness is priceless.

The group concluded that technology is only half the battle, but it makes getting the work done a little easier. Liz Lugones, Legal Operations Senior Adviser at UpLevel Ops, added,

Technology isn’t going to replace the great legal mind – it’s there to enhance it, enable it, make it faster, make it data-driven.

We couldn’t agree more. Integrated technology solutions are the tools of transformation. The right platform can help mitigate risk and optimize efficiency, but its most important task is supporting a company’s greatest asset: its people.

Although finally home, unpacked, and back to work, we are still digesting the ideas from this past Legalweek and counting down the days until we see you all again next year!