In The News

January 14, 2021 – Corporate Counsel

5 Challenges That Legal Departments Face While Promoting Diversity

While 2020 may have presented the United States with a major reckoning on diversity and inclusion, many legal departments will likely be continuing to reassess their own internal practices throughout the new year.[Subscription may be required]

January 6, 2021 – Corporate Counsel

Legal Departments Limited Budgets May Spur More In-house Staffing Services

Epiq announced last week that it was a launching a new supplemental staffing service geared toward corporate legal departments. Other legal vendors might be eager to follow in the e-discovery provider’s footsteps. [Subscription may be required]

January 4, 2021 – Law.com and Legaltech News

The E-Discovery Identity Crisis

The race to stay competitive in the e-discovery market is testing the boundaries of what it means to be a law firm—and how much disruption attorneys will tolerate. [Subscription may be required]

December 28, 2020 – Law.com and Legaltech News

Restrictions on Legal Services Loosened This Year. What Does That Mean for 2021?

After Arizona and Utah loosened restrictions on legal services, a few law firms and legal tech companies are considering modifying their business models. But beyond that, some question whether changes will have a broader impact. [Subscription may be required]

December 17, 2020 – Law360

Big 4, Alternative Providers Continue Their March On BigLaw

Throughout 2020, the Big Four accounting firms and alternative legal service providers continued to grow and solidify their place in the U.S. legal industry even amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read more at: https://www.law360.com/legalindustry/articles/1337999/big-4-alternative-providers-continue-their-march-on-biglaw?copied=1

December 17, 2020 – Law.com and Legaltech News

5 Things Legal Departments Want From Their ALSPs

Like many other corners of the business ecosystem, legal departments are grappling with how to improve efforts around diversity and inclusion, with the providers they rely upon being a key component. [Subscription may be required]

December 16, 2020 – Law360

Why Legal Ops Have Been Largely Unscathed By COVID-19

Most legal operations professionals who responded to a newly released survey said the coronavirus pandemic has had a minimal impact on their roles, although a vast majority also said they’re craving more innovation from the law firms they work with.

December 16, 2020 – Corporate Counsel

Legal Departments’ Concern: Law Firms Are Stingy When It Comes to Innovation

The 13th Annual Law Department Operations Survey released by the Blickstein Group found that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t hindered corporate law’s expectations or abilities. But legal departments still lack them when it comes to enforcing diversity goals. [Subscription may be required.]

December 8, 2020 – Law.com and Legaltech News

5 Ways Law Firm ALSP Growth May Accelerate Post-Pandemic

While the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t done businesses many favors, law firms’ tech subsidiaries may be in a position to not only weather the storm but come out in a stronger position on the other side. [Subscription may be required.]

December 1, 2020 – Law.com and Legaltech News

After Sliding at Pandemic’s Start, Law Firm Subsidiaries Are Soaring

Captives focused on e-discovery, alternative staffing and automated legal expertise all witnessed clients back off amid the widespread economic uncertainty of late March and April, but interest then rebounded [Subscription may be required.]

October 20, 2020 – Above the Law

Will Remote Work Change Law Departments’ Tech Priorities?

This year’s Legal Ops benchmarking survey could reveal some major shifts.

October 19, 2020 – Law.com and Legaltech News

Baker McKenzie’s New AI Project: Knowing What Clients Want, Before They Do

Baker McKenzie announced it’s collaborating with an AI technology developer to help it predict clients’ future needs. While the software may have less-than-perfect accuracy, lawyers still see a significant benefit. [Subscription may be required.]

September 16, 2020 – Law.com and Legaltech News

4 Reasons ALSPs Aren’t (Yet) Changing Law Firms

The perceived risk is that if they save a few dollars and something goes wildly wrong, it’s indefensible, and you’re going to look bad [and] you will have to defend yourself. [Subscription may be required.]

August 13, 2020 – Law.com and Legaltech News

COVID-19 Pushes More Legal Outsourcing, but Not All ALSPs Will Benefit

Budget realities and the move to remote work movement have accelerated the use of alternative legal service providers. But not all legal departments and law firms are comfortable leveraging these new companies. [Subscription may be required.]

August 5, 2020 – Law.com

What Is New Law? The Definition Can Be Broad, but It’s All About Value

While most agree that New Law provides a large umbrella, it’s also one with a purpose: augmenting and supporting the traditional path of law with increased value. [Subscription may be required.]

April 23, 2020 – Legal Marketing Association

Data from a Decade of the Annual Law Department Operations Survey: An Update for Today’s Troubling Times

Insight from Brad Blickstein into potential changes in expectations for law department operations professionals.

March 2, 2020 – AI in Practice – Pinhawk

Solving Problems with AI: Contract Management

Part 2 of Pinhawk’s AI in Legal Practice overview by Brad Blickstein covering pre-execution and post-execution contract management.

March 2, 2020 – Law.com and Legaltech News

2020, The Year Legal Operations Finally Flourish

Now, thanks to technological advancement and consistent incubation, we are hitting that critical mass where legal ops is recognized as an important part of the legal department across industries, company size and geography. [Including data and information from the 12th Annual Law Department Operations Survey. Subscription may be required.]

February 18, 2020 – Lawyers Weekly

Just 1 in 3 LDO Professionals Thinks Their Law Firms are Innovative

Despite all the recent emphasis on innovation from private practice firms, LDO professionals think their law firms are no more innovative than they were a year ago.

February 6, 2020 – Law.com and Legaltech News

Reality Check: It’s Not About Adopting AI, It’s About Solving Problems

A Legalweek panel highlighted how companies that expect to wipe out all inefficiencies or challenges with AI are sadly mistaken. [Including comments by Brad Blickstein – Subscription may be required.]

February 5, 2020 – Law.com and Legaltech News

The Biggest Hurdle for Legal Tech Innovation? Law Firms’ Business Structure

Legal tech companies may have a hard time breaking into the law firm market, but observers say the opportunities are too great to pass up. [Including comments by Brad Blickstein – Subscription may be required.]

January 29, 2020 – AI in Practice – PinHawk

Solving Problems with Legal AI: Insight and Predictive Tools

PinHawk launches its coverage of AI in Legal Practice with an overview by Brad Blickstein. In the first part of a two-part article, Blickstein outlines how both the business and practice of law will be impacted by the next generation of AI-assisted tools for data analytics and outcome prediction.

January 27, 2020 – Wolters Kluwer Blog

Brad Blickstein Reflects on Joining the College of Law Practice Management

We talked to Brad about his recent induction as a fellow in the College of Law Practice Management (COLPM).

January 23, 2020 – LawSites

Legal PR Firm Launches NewLaw Practice Led By Two Industry Veterans

Baretz+Brunelle’s NewLaw practice “is a soup-to-nuts advisory group that will help law firms at every step, from evaluating opportunities for improvement, to building and implementing new tools and processes, and then helping the firms take that message to the market.”

January 22, 2020 – Law.com and The American Lawyer

Baretz+Brunelle Hires Signal Industry’s ‘New Law’ Embrace

Consultant and “futurist” Brad Blickstein and law firm management and strategy veteran Beatrice Seravello will lead a new practice for the PR and advisory firm [Including comments by Brad Blickstein – Subscription may be required.]

January 22, 2020 – Legal IT Insider

Baretz+Brunelle creates “NewLaw practice” and hires Brad Blickstein & Beatrice Seravello as co-heads

Baretz+Brunelle announced today the creation of a “NewLaw practice” to be led by well-known industry executives Brad Blickstein and Beatrice Seravello, who have joined the firm as partners.This new practice group will advise law firms and others in the legal ecosystem on “ways to thrive in the modern marketplace.”

November 8, 2019 – Law.com and Legaltech News

5 Considerations to Make When Shopping for AI Legal Technology

Adopting artificial intelligence (AI)-powered software can be nerve-racking. The financial expenditure and time spent implementing the technology into a lawyer’s workflow can be fairly high. [Including comments by Brad Blickstein – Subscription may be required.]

October 28, 2019 – Mag and InHouse CommunityUS

Don’t believe what you read. AI is going to eliminate legal jobs – maybe yours.

We talk to Brad Blickstein about how artificial intelligence legal software will affect in-house departments, and the evolution of in-house work.

October 1, 2019 – Peer to Peer, ILTA’s Quarterly Magazine

The AI Hype Cycle in Full Swing

The AI story may be hype-ridden right now, but as the technology gains wider adoption it will change the way legal services are delivered and inevitably take jobs from lawyers.

October 1, 2019 – Legal IT Today

Are AI projects limited to big law fimrs with big workforces, big budgets and big data?

It may be smaller firms with more flexible staffing and billing models that benefit the most from AI.

September 30, 2019 – Above the Law

The Legal AI Efficacy Interview Series: Jim Michalowicz of TE Connectivity

Which AI tools work well and what is each tool designed to do?

July 1, 2019 – Peer to Peer, ILTA’s Quarterly Magazine

We Expect More…

AI Promise Meets Reality

June 28, 2019 – Above the Law

Livin’ In The Future

What can legal ops learn from the Inaugural IP Operations Survey?

May 30, 2019 – Three Geeks and the Law Podcast
Brad Blickstein on Legal Operations and #CLOCAfterDark

April 30, 2019 – Above the Law
I’m Going Down To Lucky Town

A wishlist for this year’s CLOC Institute.

February 28, 2019 – Legaltech News
How Effective Are Legal AI Solutions at Actually Solving Problems? This Report Wants to Find Out

The Blickstein Group Legal AI Efficacy Report, aimed at being released before ILTACON 2019, will take the approach of a skeptic to find how well legal-oriented artificial intelligence solutions are solving buyers’ problems.

April 30, 2019 – Above the Law
I’m Going Down To Lucky Town

A wishlist for this year’s CLOC Institute.

January 29, 2019 – Above the Law
The Price You Pay — And How You Pay It

The 11th Blickstein Group Annual Law Department Operations survey shows alternative fee arrangements still on the rise.

January 18, 2019 – Legaltech News
Integrating New Tech Without Old Headaches Is Easier Said Than Done

The “Technology Adoption Done Right” panel at Legalweek 2019 will explore how firms can better implement emerging technologies throughout their practice from the conceptual stage through engaging employees in a new workflow. With comments by Brad Blickstein.

December 20, 2018 – Above the Law
There’s A New World Coming

Today’s release of the 2018 Blickstein Group Law Department Operations Survey Report reveals law departments are taking advantage of #newlaw options.

December 5, 2018 – Legaltech News
Ten Years of Technology in Legal Operations: What’s Changed?

In its earlier days, legal operations and law department technology were very much intertwined. But now, there is a widening gap between technology and technology effectiveness.

December 4, 2018 – Legaltech News
Enough Hype Already: Inside Legal’s (Over?) Excitement with AI

While many in the legal industry still over hype AI technology, some are beginning to separate fact from fiction. But the hype hasn’t been all bad—or good—for the legal market. [with comments by Brad Blickstein]

November 12, 2018 – Above the Law
Become The Hand That Turns The Key

7 tips to help legal department operations professionals stay front and center.

November 1, 2018 – Legaltech News
2018’s Hot Tech Trend? User Adoption

Want to get good at change management? Brad Blickstein asked Lucy Bassli, who says that starting with the RFP process is ‘about seven steps too late.’

October 12, 2018 – Above the Law
Growin’ Up: The Legal Ops Function Matures

LDO’s top challenges are now like other business functions.

September 27, 2018 – Legaltech News
Legal Ops Increasingly Relied Upon for ‘Business Discipline’ Over Past 10 Years

The 10th anniversary Law Department Operations (LDO) Survey from the Blickstein Group Inc. shows how operations professionals’ challenges, involvement, and even salaries have shifted over the past decade.

September 27, 2018 – Legaltech News
Legal Ops Increasingly Relied Upon for ‘Business Discipline’ Over Past 10 Years

September 21, 2018 – Above the Law
Put Your Foot To The Floor And Don’t Look Back

Ten years of data shows enormous change in legal ops’ relationship with outside counsel

September 20, 2018 – Law360
Having Proved Their Worth, Legal Ops Pros Face New Hurdles

With comments by Brad Blickstein [subscription may be required]

August 29, 2018 – Above the Law
Law Schools Are Finally Starting to Do Their Part

Now it’s your turn, Corporate America

August 1, 2018 – Texas Lawyer
Cautious Optimism Over the Increasingly Prevalent Alternative Fee Arrangements

While we celebrate the innovation and look forward to working under alternative fee arrangements more often, the death knell for billable hours hasn’t sounded yet, with data from the Blickstein Group Law Department Operations Survey

July 24, 2018 – Above the Law
Just Another Roll of the Dice

David Cambria Gambles Big at Baker McKenzie

June 27, 2018 – Legaltech News
Law Department Operations Professionals Are Flexing Their Purchasing Power

June 26, 2018 – Above the Law
Ten Years Burning Down The Road

May 3, 2018 – Complex Discovery
Study from Blickstein Group and Exterro Shows That In-House Legal Spend Is On the Rise, While Outside Legal Spend Is Decreasing

The second annual survey evaluates the frequency and effectiveness of twenty-two techniques to reduce legal spend, with insights by Brad Blickstein.

May 2, 2018 – Corporate Counsel
Legal Departments See Cost-Controlling Value in Technology

The 2nd Annual Study of Legal Spend Management found that legal departments still have room to mature in how they measure and control their legal spend, with insights by Brad Blickstein. [Subscription may be required.]

May 2, 2018 – Above The Law
How Are In-House Counsel Spending Their Money?

Will that money trickle down to the Am Law 51+ firms that routinely report the worst sags in demand? Includes data from the Blickstein Group-Exterro 2nd Annual Study of Effective Legal Spend Management.

May 1, 2018 – Law360
In-House Legal Budgets To Expand As Outside Spending Falls

After years of cuts, overall legal spending is on the rise, with nearly half of the law department decision makers who participated in a recent study expecting their total in-house budget to increase this year and most anticipating their outside investments to drop. Includes data from the Blickstein Group-Exterro 2nd Annual Study of Effective Legal Spend Management. [Subscription may be required.]

January 2, 2018 – Law360
4 Reasons To Hire Out Your Legal Ops

Hiring a legal operations professional to optimize services and boost efficiency in a law department can shift and distribute certain tasks away from general counsels and other lawyers, who increasingly are under pressure to deliver more with fewer resources and spend less each year, with insights by Brad Blickstein. [Subscription may be required.]

December 13, 2017 – Legaltech News
There’s No Shortcut to Legal Operations Maturity

The 2017 Law Department Operations Survey reveals that while some may look for shortcuts, problems do not get solved with technology alone. [Subscription may be required.]

October 19, 2017 – Legaltech News
The AI Marketplace: Escape the Backward Approach to Artificial Intelligence

Searching for AI, rather than tools that solve problems, is a backwards approach. [Subscription may be required.]

August 4, 2017 – JD Supra
The Death of the Billable Hour: Is Microsoft Ushering in a New Era for Law Firms?

Analysis of Microsoft’s intention to move 90% of their work to alternative fee arrangements, with comments by Brad Blickstein

June 1, 2017 – Corporate Counsel
Inside Liberty Mutual’s Legal Tech Transformation

How one century-old legal department is leveraging data, deploying tools and changing corporate culture to prepare for the future of law, with insights from Brad Blickstein. [Subscription may be required.]

May 30, 2017 – Legaltech News
Don’t Forget Small Data: Inside GE Select Connect

Intimidated by Big Data? GE’s law department believes it found a simple answer. [Subscription may be required.]

May 9, 2017 – Corporate Counsel
Late Bloomers? Corporate Legal Lags in Tech-Related Savings, Study Finds

Coverage of the Inaugural Blickstein Group-Exterro Study of Effective Legal Spend Management. [Subscription may be required.]

May 9, 2017 – Above The Law
Legal Operations Takeover? Live Conversation From The 2017 CLOC Institute

Law firm, legal ops, and legaltech experts—including Brad Blickstein—come together for a conversation live from CLOC

February 13, 2017 – Legaltech News
4 Key Legal Operations Lessons from This Year’s LDO Survey

This year’s survey sees shifts in e-discovery handling, metrics use and more. [Subscription may be required.]

December 21, 2016 – The Times of London
Survey: hourly billing not dead yet

A report by Blickstein Group, the international research consultancy, showed that adoption of alternatives to hourly billing was “still relatively low”. “The hourly billing rate is still very popular,” the researchers said, “and predictions of its demise are premature.”

December 20, 2016 – Inside Counsel
The Billable Hour Just Won’t Die, Report Finds

While alternative fee arrangements are gaining popularity, data recently collected by the consultancy Blickstein Group Inc. shows that discounted hourly billing rates are still much more common than AFAs [subscription may be required].

December 16, 2016 – Law 360
BigLaw Fails To Bend To GC Billing Needs, Survey Says

Corporate legal departments in 2016 had little faith in law firms to be change agents and drivers of innovation in a climate where departments are increasingly seeking cost-effective alternative fee arrangements, according to results of a survey recently published by Blickstein Group [subscription required].

December 15, 2016 – Corporate Counsel
The Billable Hour Just Won’t Die, Report Finds

December 9, 2016 – Reinventing Professionals
Survey Reveals Key Developments in Law Department Operations

Discussion between Brad Blickstein and host Ari Kaplan about the genesis of the Blickstein Group and the Law Department Operations Survey, the issues the survey addresses, how the role of legal operations professionals has changed, and the surprising results of his research.

December 7, 2016 – Legaltech News
Anything is Game: 3 Key Cybersecurity Concerns for Department Operations Staff

More than three-quarters of law departments are responsible for or meaningfully influence their companies’ cybersecurity. Here’s what to watch for [subscription may be required].

November 28, 2016 – Corporate Counsel
Findings from the Ninth Annual Law Department Operations Survey

Taking on New Levels of Responsibility and Gaining Respect

October 14, 2016 – Legaltech News
The New Law Firm Investment Opportunities

ABSent outside investment, does true innovation even stand a chance? A look at the ABA’s Commission on the Future of Legal Services. [subscription may be required].

September 6, 2016 – Legaltech News
Where Is All the Data? Only the Shadow (IT) Knows

Law department operations professionals are in the perfect position to take the lead on mitigating Shadow IT risks. [subscription may be required].

August 12, 2016 – Legaltech News
Gaining the Power of Metrics Means Looking At More than Just Legal Spend

Rather than simply focusing on metrics around spending, find data points that help the company avoid disputes and other legal issues. [subscription may be required].

June 23, 2016 – Legaltech News
Next Generation ELM Must Be About Process, Collaboration, Automation

Brad Blickstein provides insights from last month’s Corporate Legal Operations Consortium (CLOC) on the future of enterprise legal management. [subscription may be required].

May 5, 2016 – Legaltech News
Law Firm Confidential: Getting a Grip on Your Breach Response

Law firm breaches are a wake-up call for department operations professionals. [subscription may be required].

April 7, 2016 – Legaltech News
In-House Counsel Have Long List of Info Gov Initiatives: Study

Amid the growing amount of data breaches comes greater focus on enterprise-wide information governance, including comments by Brad Blickstein [subscription may be required].

March 24, 2016 – Legaltech News
Making the Most of Your Legal Department Operations

Creating competitive advantage involves balancing tools, process and culture, including comments by Brad Blickstein [subscription may be required].

March 4, 2016 – Seyfarth Lean Consulting Blog
In-House Counsel Survey Roundup

The Blickstein Group Law Department Operations Survey was listed as one of Seyfarth Lean Consulting’s Five Favorite In-House Counsel Surveys

December 1, 2015 – Bloomberg BNA Big Law Business
Corporate Law Departments Keep Hands Off eDiscovery

Law departments are not bringing predictive coding in-house or hosting data on internal servers per the Eighth Annual Law Department Operations Survey, including comments by Brad Blickstein.

November 24, 2015 – Legaltech News
More In-House Law Departments Have Formal Metrics: LDO Survey

Legal departments are running more like a business, and the latest figures prove it, including comments by Brad Blickstein [subscription may be required]

November 23, 2015 – Blickstein Group Press Release
Law Departments Starting to Embrace Metrics and Reporting, Says Eighth Annual Law Department Operations Survey

Blickstein Group today made available the results of its Eighth Annual Law Department Operations Survey.

November 3, 2015 – Legaltech News
Quality Control: Fostering Higher Quality Data For Better E-Discovery

Read about the insourcing of enterprise e-discovery software, including comments by Brad Blickstein [subscription may be required]

September 21, 2015 – Legaltech News
Law Department Operations: What Comes Next in the Evolution of ‘For Services Rendered’?

Read about shifts in how law firms offer and deliver services, including comments by Brad Blickstein [subscription may be required]

April 28, 2015 – Corporate Counsel
Measuring Legal Department Success: 3 Key Metrics

Read about Key Performance Indicators, including comments from Brad Blickstein [subscription may be required]

October 1, 2014 – InsideCounsel
Self-service legal: Give the people what they want: Part 2
By Brad Blickstein

The business people in your company have a disdain for the expense and inefficiency of calling the law department for every little thing and so should you.

August 22, 2014 – InsideCounsel
Self-service legal: Give the people what they want: Part 1
By Brad Blickstein

Why not give the people what they want? By leveraging today’s technology, some companies allow businesspeople to write their own contracts and other documents with no intervention from the law department. The trend is called “self-service legal.”

July 24, 2014 – InsideCounsel
Calculating ROI to drive change
By Brad Blickstein

Consider a compliance system that identifies potential Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations. Its value may be hard to quantify without a statistician and a lot of assumptions, but it is substantial and should be considered in some fashion.

June 27, 2014 – InsideCounsel
Need benchmarking? Take the 2014 LDO survey
By Brad Blickstein

Now in its seventh year, it is the only survey dedicated to benchmarking the operations of legal departments in areas including staffing, technology, e-discovery, cost management, metrics/reporting, and relationships with outside counsel.

May 22, 2014 – InsideCounsel
Predictive coding: It’s not just for discovery anymore
By Brad Blickstein

Predictive coding can be extremely useful and powerful in a discovery context by dramatically reducing the size of review sets. But the tools can be used in many other ways, and law departments would be wise to start considering them.

April 23, 2014 – InsideCounsel
Ten years down the road
By Brad Blickstein

On QuisLex’s 10th anniversary, Ram and I sat down to discuss how the legal industry has changed, specifically how technology has been spurred by and resulted from those changes.

February 24, 2014 – InsideCounsel
Future horizons: The outlook of technology in law
By Brad Blickstein

The International Legal Technology Association (ILTA) recently published Legal Technology Future Horizons Transformational Forces, its leadership study on the future of technology in law.

January 27, 2014 – InsideCounsel
End of a trend and the shifting of LDO functions
By Brad Blickstein

In the years since 2008, the operations function has gained respect and many general counsel expect their “LDO” (an abbreviation that did not exist when we started) to deliver process, efficiency and cost savings to the law department.

December 13, 2013 – InsideCounsel
Bottom line remains top of mind

Five years after the beginning of the financial crisis, the bottom line remains top of mind for legal department operations managers and their teams, including comments from Brad Blickstein.

November 22, 2013 – InsideCounsel
What managers and GCs should know about technology in the law department

Though the survey targeted numerous practice areas, some of the most important findings revolves around the assessment and implementation of technology, including comments from Brad Blickstein.

November 22, 2013 – InsideCounsel
Why collaborating on technology is important for in-house counsel
By Brad Blickstein

Perhaps the biggest benefit of communication technology—from the printing press to the Internet—is the democratization of information.

March 26, 2013 – InsideCounsel
Strategies for leaner legal departments: Part 2

How to cut external costs and get the most from your service providers, including comments by Brad Blickstein.

February 26, 2013 – InsideCounsel
Strategies for leaner legal departments: Part 1

How your department can maximize internal efficiency and resourcefulness, including comments by Brad Blickstein.

February 23, 2013 – Crain’s Chicago Business
The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act isn’t new – but beefed-up enforcement is

FCPA, which stands for the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, has been one fine acronym for law and consulting firms benefiting from stepped-up enforcement of the law, including comments by Brad Blickstein.

June 2011 ILTA’s Peer to Peer
New Competition for Your Clients’ Work
By Brad Blickstein and Michael Bell

Read Brad Blickstein’s Peer-to-Peer article on the growing role of legal process outsourcers.

January 26, 2011 – E-Discovery Zone
Special Report Audiocast

Hear Brad Blickstein on the archived E-Discovery Zone Special Report Audiocast on E-Discovery Marketing.

February 1, 2011 – InsideCounsel
10 Tips To Strengthen Relationships with Outside Counsel

Read “10 Tips to Strengthen Relationships with Outside Counsel” including comments from Brad Blickstein.