HB Litigation News

Tag: Law Practice Technology

  • Law Firm Technology Directors? Yes.

    Law Firm Technology Directors? Yes.

    The Value of Law Firm Technology Directors with Sam McAllister

    In this episode we talk about the advantages of having technology and software development capabilities inside your law firm. Can you imagine? And we’re not just talking about someone who is adept at unjamming the printer.  

    While the legal tech industry offers myriad high-quality solutions (some of my best friends are technology solutions), there are times when a litigator just wants that one thing that the tech doesn’t do. Or, working with the tech has such a long learning curve that the attorney won’t embrace it, that is, if he or she even tries it.

    There are also service enhancements attorneys would like to offer clients – capabilities that set the firm apart, that demonstrate the firm has the client’s best interests at heart and that the firm is even (gasp!) innovative.

    Litigators want to get an edge at trial. They want to be able to collaborate smoothly with clients. They want clients to get answers to important questions quickly. Focusing on customer experience is not just for retailers anymore.

    Joining me to talk about how one law firm benefits from having its own in-house technology developer is Sam McAllister, Director of Litigation Technology at Lightfoot Franklin & White in Birmingham, Alabama.

    Sam works on creative solutions for the firm’s litigation defense teams in the categories of communications, workflows, automation, multimedia, task efficiency, jury selection, information organization, and courtroom visualization, and more. The results come in the form of proprietary software, custom platforms, and apps. Many make the firm more efficient, cost-effective, and better equipped to collaborate with clients. Some have the effect of wowing clients, too.

    It’s no wonder Sam found himself on the Fastcase 50, a unique award that celebrates innovative professionals in the legal field. Sam, they said, exemplifies the “build-your-own spirit” of the award.

    He is the leader of the firm’s Case Clarity Group, which provides “highly-developed technology to clients throughout the duration of a case, e-discovery collaboration with Lightfoot lawyers, and adaptive evidence models to make complex ideas simple.” And – I like this part – “ask any lawyer who knows him – Sam does what it takes to help you win a case and is known for bringing calm to the most intense of trials.” (I can think of some work groups that would benefit from a position I just made up – Director of Calm. I mean, a cat can only do so much.) Sam received his B.S. in computer science from Auburn University. Speaking of cats – Go Tigers!

    I hope you enjoy the episode. If so, give us a rating!

    *******

    This podcast is the audio companion to the Journal on Emerging Issues in Litigation. The Journal is a collaborative project between HB Litigation Conferences and the Fastcase legal research family, which includes Full Court Press, Law Street Media, and Docket Alarm. The podcast itself is a joint effort between HB and our friends at Law Street Media. If you have comments or wish to participate in one our projects please drop me a note at Editor@LitigationConferences.com.

    Tom Hagy

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    Tom Hagy
    Litigation Enthusiast and
    Host of the Emerging Litigation Podcast
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    Sam McAllister

    Sam McAllisterLightfoot Franklin & White

    Sam works on creative solutions for the firm’s litigation defense teams in the categories of communications, workflows, automation, multimedia, task efficiency, jury selection, information organization, and courtroom visualization, and more.

    The results come in the form of proprietary software, custom platforms, and apps. Many make the firm more efficient, cost-effective, and better equipped to collaborate with clients. Some have the effect of wowing clients, too.

  • Data Security for Small Law Firms with Ondrej Krehel and Gaspare Marturano

    Data Security for Small Law Firms with Ondrej Krehel and Gaspare Marturano

    Data Security for Small Law Firms with Ondrej Krehel and Gaspare Marturano

    Joining me to discuss this important issue is Ondrej Krehel, CEO & Founder of LIFARS, a New York-based incident response and digital forensics firm specializing in cybersecurity protection.
    Ondrej is recognized for his digital forensic expertise and ethical hacking skills. He participates in high-profile engagements around the world using his proprietary methodology to achieve the most rapid root-cause analysis and remediation. He is a former lecturer at FBI Training Academy who has led forensic investigations and cybersecurity involving the U.S. government, including military cyber special operations. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Forensics from Police Academy in Bratislava, Slovakia, an M.S. degree in Mathematical Physics from Comenius University in Bratislava, and an Engineering Diploma from Technical University in Zvolen, Slovakia.
    Joining Ondrej and me is Gaspare J. Marturano, Chief Marketing Officer at LIFARS. Gaspare is a former Director of Information Systems for a large Connecticut law firm and has consulted on these issues with a number of other law firms.
    This podcast is the audio companion to the Journal on Emerging Issues in Litigation, a collaborative project between HB Litigation Conferences and the Fastcase legal research family, which includes Full Court Press, Law Street Media, and Docket Alarm. If you have comments or wish to participate in one our projects, or want to tell me how insightful and informative Ondrej and Gaspare are, please drop me a note at Editor@LitigationConferences.com.
    I particularly enjoyed hearing about what one kid was doing at 17, an age when I was certain I would be sought out for my rock drumming artistry. Of course, that kid was operating a criminal enterprise. I was just trying to impress girls.
    Tom Hagy

    Law firms are sweet targets for hackers given the rich data they store, from intellectual property to confidential merger details to personal and health information.

    The last decade is rife with headlines about data hacks and ransomware attacks at even the most sophisticated global law firms.

    Yet, according to the 2020 Legal Technology Survey Report conducted by the American Bar Association’s Legal Technology Resource Center fewer than half of the firms polled employ some of the most basic security measures, such as email and file encryption.

    What can smaller firms do to protect their data and that of their clients?

  • COVID-19 and the Courtroom with Alison Besunder

    COVID-19 and the Courtroom with Alison Besunder

    COVID-19 and the Courtroom with Alison Besunder

    Joining me is Alison Besunder on this timely and evolving subject.  It’s based on her article — Crisis is the Mother of Change: How a Pandemic Sparked Progress in Courtroom Efficiency — which will be featured in the January 2021 issue of the Journal on Emerging Issues in Litigation.
    Alison brings extensive experience counseling clients on matters ranging from the simple to complex, helping them prevent future disputes through proactive planning and to resolve disputes that proceed to litigation. She is a frequent speaker on topics such as Estate Planning During Divorce, End of Life Decision Making, Cyber-Security for Lawyers, and Social Media and Ethics.  She operated her own firm for several years and in 2019 joined Goetz Fitzpatrick LLP.
    The Journal is a collaborative project between HB and the Fastcase legal research family, which includes Full Court Press, Law Street Media, Docket Alarm and, most recently, Judicata. If you have comments or wish to participate in one our projects, or want to tell me how awesome Alison is, drop me a note at Editor@LitigationConferences.com.
    We hope you enjoy the interview.

    What efficiencies have been foisted upon our nation’s courts as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic? 

    What has worked and what has not?

    Are we going to see permanent implementation of things like webcam hearings and virtual trials?

  • Contract Drafting Fundamentals

    Contract Drafting Fundamentals

    Contract Drafting Fundamentals with Will Marshall

    Register Now

    Contract Drafting Fundamentals:
    What I Wish They Taught Me in Law School

    Speaker:

    Will Marshall | Partner
    UBM Law LLP

    Date:
    Thursday | July 23, 2020

    Time:
    2pm ET
    1pm CT
    12pm MT
    11am PT

    Duration:
    75 minutes

    Price:
    Early Bird Registration: $75
    After July 14: $95

    Special:
    Complimentary with discount code!

    What you get:

    • CLE credit

    • Course materials

    • Webinar recording

    • Answers to your questions!

    Contact CLE Manager

    Get practical insights on contract drafting.

    For new and seasoned attorneys alike, this 75-minute program will cover core, practical aspects of contract drafting, including a broad range of fundamental concepts, skills, and tips.  The program is designed to make you a more deliberate drafter and improve your ability to assess the purpose and effectiveness of each provision in your contract.  We will discuss not only what is on the page, but external dynamics that affect drafting and negotiation. Finally, we will reserve time to answer your questions.

    I am offering this program for free to my network to help you develop these foundational skills. If you haven’t received it, please contact me directly for the complimentary pass code.  — Will Marshall,  Partner, UBM Law Group LLP

    Key topics: 

    • The goals and challenges of good drafting.

    • The anatomy and building blocks of a contract.

    • Categories of contract language.

    • Typical sources of ambiguity.

    • Tips on everything from file naming conventions to how to draft a nested signature block and what a tipping basket is.

    • Your questions via live chat or by email before or and after the event.

    Send Will a Question

    Meet our panelist.

    Will Marshall

    Will Marshall | Partner
    UBM Law Group, LLC

    UBM Law Group

    Will is a co-founder of UBM Law Group. He has substantial experience in drafting and negotiating a wide range of commercial contracts, including SaaS and traditional software licensing agreements, supply, distribution, and professional services agreements, and confidentiality agreements.

    Prior to co-founding UBM Law Group, Mr. Marshall served as General Counsel and SEVP of Operations of Javo Beverage Company, a publicly traded manufacturing company in Vista, California. As one of the founding executives of Javo, he was integral in leading the ground-up capitalization and commercialization of the company over the course of a decade and he uses his in-house and executive experience to help his clients negotiate clear, effective contracts.

    Read more about Will Marshall here …

  • Kenneth Jones of Tanenbaum Keale on Law Firm Tech Development Capabilities

    Should Law Firms Should be Able to Develop Custom Technologies?

    Here is #10 of Jones’ Top-10 List.

    #10. Security. The cloud is great, and generally speaking, companies in this space operate systems in a highly professional manner. However, occasionally one encounters special business needs which call for extensive “above and beyond” levels of security. This could be times a firm is storing financial information, medical records, or other data they wish to absolutely, positively protect. In these situations — under the theory that “no one does things better than I do” —it’s nice to have the option to build super-secure systems with features such as encrypted data within database tables, and to manage the systems with a very small number of highly trusted professionals specifically known by the law firm. Read more of the article posted by Thomson Reuters.

    Kenneth Jones oversees various aspects of technology at Tanenbaum Keale LLP in the role of Chief Technologist. He leads efforts to support TK’s computing environment and infrastructure, one that features a strategy of professionally protecting and processing client data in the cloud with highly skilled and respected leading-edge business partners in the technology space. Ken also helps lead and support various TK programs in the areas of security, compliance, business continuity and firm administration. Learn more.