Studio A

Aderant

Behind every great law firm is a team of professionals working hard to keep operations running smoothly. With the challenges of staying on top of complex billing requirements, managing time reports, and navigating constantly shifting industry trends, it’s easy to see why most firms write off millions in uncollected revenue each year. To help your firm stay in the green, we’re introducing Studio A, a new podcast from Aderant. Studio A is purpose-built to help you run your firm like a well-oiled machine. In each episode, legal business leaders and industry experts will share problems firms face and the revolutionary approaches and cutting-edge software they use to solve them. Because ultimately, in the business of legal firms and the ever-evolving world of technology, you can’t afford to fall behind.

  1. HACE 5 H

    Inside Michael Best’s Strategy for AI and Legal Innovation

    AI is reshaping the legal industry, pushing firms to rethink leadership, innovation, and the traditional billable hour. As technology accelerates, law firms face a defining question. Will they simply adopt new tools, or transform how legal services are delivered? In this episode of Studio A, Will Ayers sits down with Jason Schultz, CIO at Michael Best, to explore what real transformation looks like inside a modern law firm. Jason explains how his team approaches innovation as a long-term strategy and why building capability across people, process, and technology matters more than chasing the latest AI tools. He also discusses how Michael Best is institutionalizing innovation through structured programs, cross-functional collaboration, and an AI center of excellence. From improving financial visibility across the work-to-cash cycle to managing the cultural side of change, Jason shares what it takes to turn technology investments into meaningful outcomes. Join Jason as he shares his perspective on trustworthy AI, leadership during rapid change, and why the future of law firms will belong to those willing to rethink their business model and how they deliver value to clients. Highlights: AI and the Billable Hour: Rethinking the Economics of Legal ServicesInstitutionalizing Innovation: Building Long-Term Capability Inside Law FirmsTrustworthy AI: Governance, Transparency, and Responsible Adoption Jump into the conversation: (00:00) Introducing Jason Schultz (00:46) The Future of the Billable Hour in the Age of AI (02:09) Leading Innovation and Technology at Michael Best (04:04) What Leadership Looks Like During Industry Transformation (08:20) The Difference Between Adopting Tools and Building Capability (13:27) Balancing AI Urgency with Operational Discipline (16:20) Why Data Foundations Matter for Legal Innovation (17:01) Modernizing the Work to Cash Cycle (19:44) Improving Financial Visibility Across the Firm (22:02) Data Driven Decision Making and Firm Investments (23:03) Building an AI Center of Excellence (26:00) Surface Automation Versus Embedded Intelligence (28:42) Trustworthy AI and Governance in Law Firms (32:01) Where AI Augments Lawyers and Where Humans Lead (35:00) Leading Change in a Traditionally Slow-Moving Industry (37:40) Preventing Innovation Fatigue (40:02) Signals That Transformation Is Working (43:03) The Future of Law Firms in the AI Era (49:01) Closing Thoughts and Key

    49 min
  2. 25 MAR

    From Pricing to Profitability & How To Stop Margin Leakage

    For law firms, profitability is not just a reporting outcome. It’s shaped by decisions made throughout a matter's lifecycle. As AI changes how legal work is delivered, firms face a challenge. How do they ensure pricing intent translates into realized profit and cash? In this episode of Studio A, Will Ayers sits down with Richard Burcher, Founder of Virtual Pricing Director and VP of Pricing and Profitability at Aderant, to discuss why law firms do not have a pricing problem, but actually a pricing execution one. Richard explains how profitability leaks across the lifecycle of legal work through write-offs, poor time recording, scope creep, and billing adjustments. He also shares why pricing must be managed as an ongoing process, not treated as a one-time event at the start of a matter. The conversation also explores how work-to-cash connects pricing, execution, billing, and collection into a single discipline.  Join Richard as he shares insights on margin discipline, value-based pricing, and why firms that professionalize pricing and profitability will be better positioned for the future. Highlights: Pricing Execution: Why Law Firms Lose Profit After the Price Is SetProfitability Leakage: Understanding the “Waterfall Discounting” EffectWork to Cash Discipline: Connecting Pricing, Execution, Billing, and Cash Outcomes Jump into the conversation:(00:00) Introducing Richard Burcher(00:36) Why Law Firms Distribute Cash, Not Revenue(03:05) Where Profitability Leaks Inside Law Firms(04:54) Why Write-Offs Have Become an Industry Expectation(06:36) Pricing as an Event Versus Pricing as a Managed Process(07:40) The Cultural Shift Required for Pricing Discipline(09:20) Why Commercial and Financial Literacy Matters for Partners(09:40) How Work to Cash Connects the Entire Matter Lifecycle(12:46) From Retrospective Reporting to Real-Time Profitability Insights(15:00) Why AI Is Transforming the Delivery Model of Legal Work(17:07) The Growing Pressure on the Traditional Billable Hour(18:20) Time Recording as a Management Tool Versus a Pricing Tool(20:00) Why Value Pricing Will Become Increasingly Important(22:40) Why Aderant Acquired Virtual Pricing Director(25:04) What Will Separate Winning Law Firms in Five Years(27:06) Where Managing Partners Should Start Improving Pricing Discipline

    30 min
  3. 11 MAR

    How Aderant’s Cloud Infrastructure and AI Drive Efficiency for Law Firms

    AI and cloud technology are revolutionizing the legal industry, and law firms need to embrace these innovations to stay competitive. In this episode of Studio A, Will Ayers sits down with Cody Walker, VP of Business of Law and Platform Engineering at Aderant, to discuss how Stridyn is driving Aderant’s cloud transformation and shaping the future of legal technology. Cody explains how Stridyn serves as the foundation for Aderant’s cloud applications, breaking down data silos and enabling seamless integration across products. He also zooms into how AI is enhancing firm-wide workflows, providing real-time insights, and enabling rapid innovation without complex upgrades. Join Cody as he shares his vision for the future of AI and cloud technology in law firms, and how Aderant is empowering firms to stay ahead of the curve. Highlights: Stridyn Framework: Revolutionizing Aderant’s Cloud ArchitectureAI-Powered Innovation: Enabling Smarter Legal Operations Across ProductsThe Future of Law Firms: How AI and Cloud Technology Will Shape the IndustryJump into the conversation: (00:00) Introducing Cody Walker(01:31) Stridyn: The Foundation of Aderant’s Cloud Strategy (03:07) Unlocking AI Potential Across Legal Systems (05:32) Breaking Down Data Silos for Better Integration (07:08) Enabling Rapid Innovation with Seamless Adoption (08:42) The Future of AI and Cloud in Legal Practice (10:46) The Role of Trust in AI Development (12:08) Stridyn’s Data Plane and Autonomy in Legal Workflows (14:07) Why Data Foundations Matter More Than AI Models (16:46) Enabling Communication Across Systems (18:57) Governance, Permissions, and Client Trust (20:51) AI Without Disrupting User Workflows (22:35) The Importance of Native AI Integration (24:28) Balancing Autonomy and Human Involvement (26:10) Creating Long-Term Value with AI Innovation (27:19) Expert Sierra: Unlocking New Capabilities for Law Firms

    28 min

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Behind every great law firm is a team of professionals working hard to keep operations running smoothly. With the challenges of staying on top of complex billing requirements, managing time reports, and navigating constantly shifting industry trends, it’s easy to see why most firms write off millions in uncollected revenue each year. To help your firm stay in the green, we’re introducing Studio A, a new podcast from Aderant. Studio A is purpose-built to help you run your firm like a well-oiled machine. In each episode, legal business leaders and industry experts will share problems firms face and the revolutionary approaches and cutting-edge software they use to solve them. Because ultimately, in the business of legal firms and the ever-evolving world of technology, you can’t afford to fall behind.