Pioneers and Pathfinders Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Today we welcome a true pioneer and one of the first legal operations professionals in the industry, Connie Brenton. Connie is CEO and founder of LegalOps.com—a community bringing together the legal ecosystem to drive competitive advantage. She has over 20 years of expertise and innovation experience in the industry, building community, and driving leadership. Connie started her legal operations career at the enterprise software company Sun Microsystems. She then launched the legal operations functions at the companies Oracle and NetApp. Connie also founded CLOC (Corporate Legal Operations Consortium) and was CEO of the organization. CLOC is one of the organizations under Connie’s leadership that defined legal operations as we now know it. Additionally, she co-authored the book Running Legal Like a Business with Susan Lambreth, a previous guest on the podcast. As a result of her work, Connie has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from American Lawyer Media.

In today's discussion, Connie talks about her decision to start LegalOps.com, what it means to run legal "like a business," the qualities necessary to be part of a legal ops team, and community-building in a hybrid world.

Our guest today is a prolific connector and skilled executive coach in the legal industry. David Cowen is the founder and president of The Cowen Group and founder of the Summit on Legal Innovation and Disruption (SOLID). David started in staffing and recruiting, where he learned more about the art of making connections. Years later, as the demand for litigation support and eDiscovery talent grew, David pivoted toward the legal industry as a subject matter expert in building office legal support and technology teams. He ultimately founded The Cowen Group, which became the nation's leading search firm in staffing and recruiting senior legal leaders and next generation legal technologists. Over time, the firm has transitioned to the events space, hosting legal events on numerous topics such as legal innovation, legal operations, and eDiscovery. Among these many events is SOLID, a global series which focuses on innovation and the practice of law. These working groups bring together the most innovative thinkers and practitioners to take deep dives together into the hottest issues in the industry (As a disclaimer, Seyfarth is a supporter and host of many of the SOLID conferences.). Additionally, David writes extensively on managing and developing careers, “the war for talent,” and the motivations behind investments in people, process, and technology.

In today's conversation, David discusses why he founded SOLID, how he ended up in the legal industry, how he has kept up with client demands, and the importance of asking people for favors.

Today we're joined by Kris Niedringhaus of Georgia State University College of Law. Kris has a few roles at the law school: associate dean for Library, Information Services, Legal Tech & Innovation; faculty director of the Legal Analytics & Innovation Initiative; and clinical professor of law. For over two decades, she has been a law librarian and law professor at universities throughout the US. She has also been with the Center for Computer Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI) for more than 20 years in various roles, currently serving as an author, board member, and chair of the Legal Research Community Authoring Project advisory board. She is an executive committee member of the Association of American Law Schools' Section on Technology, Law, and Legal Education. Additionally, Kris has written and presented on topics such as legal research, teaching methods, and law library management.

In our discussion, Kris talks about the Legal Analytics & Innovation Initiative, how law students should approach legal technology, finding her place in the legal world, and why she enjoys student hackathons.

This week, we welcome Leah Molatseli, founder of Contract Alchemists, a company with the goal of modernizing legal teams through legal operations, agile methodologies, and technology. Leah has over 10 years of experience in the legal field, and has a certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from the University of Notre Dame. After practicing for a few years, she co-founded Lenoma Legal, a virtual legal tech startup aimed at helping small businesses in South Africa. Prior to starting Contract Alchemists, Leah was head of business development at Legal Interact, a legal tech company. She is also a speaker, a published author, and a council member at the University of the Free State. Additionally, she recently joined LexisNexis South Africa as an author and became a Voice and Brand Council Member at the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium (CLOC).

In today's conversation, Leah discusses the legal community in South Africa, how she approaches her writing, the TV shows that inspired her to become an attorney, and how being purpose-driven shapes her decision-making.

Today’s guest is helping people understand technology concepts and jargon so that they can succeed in the digital age. Sophia Matveeva is the founder and CEO of Tech for Non-Techies, an education and executive coaching company that was inspired by her previous experience starting a tech company and struggling to communicate with developers. Through this education platform, business leaders—including legal professionals—can learn more about technology, entrepreneurship, and career success, without having to learn how to code. In addition to her work at Tech for Non-Techies, Sophia is a startup mentor at the Chicago Booth Polsky Center of Entrepreneurship, and has advised leading accelerators, including Chicago Booth’s New Venture Challenge and the Techstars x Blackstone Launchpad. She also sits on the advisory board to Riviter, which uses AI to predict consumer trends for the world’s biggest brands. Sophia has contributed to the Harvard Business Review, Financial Times, The Guardian, and Forbes, writing on entrepreneurship and technology, and she hosts the Tech for Non-Techies podcast. She has also guest lectured at the University of Chicago, London Business School, and Oxford University.

In our wide-ranging discussion, Sophia talks about the origins and objectives of Tech for Non-Techies, perfectionism versus flexibility in the legal world, the readership of her tech blog, and allowing time for curiosity.

Today we welcome Sue Bunnell, Assistant General Counsel & Executive Director at Wells Fargo, and a career catalyst. Sue has been with Wells Fargo for over two decades, serving many different functions. In her current role, she partners with senior business, risk, and compliance leaders. She also oversees the Catalyst Program, which helps high-potential professionals learn and examine their goals in order to achieve the next steps in their careers. Sue is also a frequent speaker who facilitates workshops for a wide range of groups, and she partners one-on-one with professionals, focusing on strong self-advocacy skills. Additionally, Sue is board co-chair at Leading Women in Technology, an organization that helps professional women develop the skills, experience, and approaches necessary to map their own paths to success and achieve their goals. She is also a board member at Professional BusinessWomen of California.

In our conversation, Sue talks about the importance of self-advocacy, the qualities of an ideal mentor, the Catalyst Program, and her work in Leading Women in Technology.