Pearls On, Gloves Off: The Legal Innovation Podcast

In this episode, Mary interviews Abigail Nornoo, Global Head of Operations for Legal, CoSec & Investigative Services at Standard Chartered Bank. She spearheads a team of over 30 professionals, reshaping the landscape of legal ops. From Ghana to London: Abigail recounts her remarkable journey, detailing her transition from Ghana to the heart of London's banking scene, and the inception of her exhilarating career at Standard Chartered. Building from Scratch: Discover how Abigail pioneered the bank's legal ops function, tackling challenges head-on and expanding her role's scope through strategic innovation and leadership. A Diverse Role: As Head of Legal Operations, Abigail navigates various domains, including financial management, risk operations, and analytics, underpinning the entire legal framework of the bank. Team Growth Insights: Learn how Abigail strategically expanded her team from a solo venture to a 30-member powerhouse, emphasizing low-cost location benefits and establishing a Center of Excellence in India. Managed Services vs. Outsourcing: Dive into a compelling discussion about the pros and cons of in-house managed services versus outsourcing, exploring flexibility and infrastructure necessities. AI: The Future Frontier: Abigail shares exciting insights into the bank's focus for the next 12 months, centering on AI to enhance operational efficiency, highlighting the importance of experimentation and identifying potential applications. Thanks for listening! Here's how to stay connected: Mary's LinkedIn: Follow Here Ironclad's Socials: LinkedIn YouTube TikTok Rate & Review on Apple

In this episode of Pearls On, Gloves Off, go behind the curtain of legal ops at Salesforce with their SVP of Legal and Corporate Affairs Léo Murgel. Topics: From IT mergers to legal ops, Léo discusses the transition Unveiling the pillars of legal ops support and strategy AI's revolutionary role at Salesforce and the legal realm Legal ops duties—what they entail, their significance Léo's personal anecdotes on shaping legal ops strategy The synergy of different teams working together Salesforce's journey through digital transformation The strategic evolution of legal ops How Léo's team at Salesforce navigates new technology integration Crafting a vision for the future in legal ops Emphasizing change management in legal ops teams Stay connected and keep the conversation going after the show: 🌟 Mary on LinkedIn 🌟 Ironclad on LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok 🌟 Rate and Review on Apple Podcasts

In this episode of Pearls On, Gloves Off, we delve into the world of corporate operations with Nitin Batra, the Global Chief Operating Officer for Citi Private Bank. We explore his career journey, shedding valuable light on the influence of his legal operations background, the intricacies of corporate management, and the future of both the private banking sector and legal operations as a career path. - Unpacking the transition from a role focused primarily on legal operations to a broader, revenue-generating function. - The ongoing debate - are business functions better when centralized or decentralized? - A glimpse into the future of legal operations and its growing popularity as a career choice. - Challenges encountered in the establishment of legal operations and overcoming them. - The possibility of transitioning from legal operations to broader COO roles. - The crucial role preemptive structures play in managing corporate responsibilities effectively. - Insight into the daily challenges of managing a corporation's private banking sector as a Global COO. - Differences and similarities between general COO roles and specific department COO roles. - The interaction with legal departments during legal changes execution. - How business decisions and strategies shape operations within a company. - The strategic benefits and complexities of centralizing operations within a company across different functions. Stay Connected & Spread the Love: Mary's LinkedIn: Follow Here Ironclad's Socials: LinkedIn YouTube TikTok Show Some Love: Rate & Review on Apple Grab your headphones and dive in. Legal's never been this lively. 🎧🔥

Mary and Stefan Nunn unravel his journey from aspiring veterinarian to Legal Counsel at TravelPerk, highlighting the transformative power of legal operations, the innovative role of AI in the field, and the importance of entrepreneurial education and networking beyond the legal re From Vet Dreams to Legal Themes: A quirky leap from aspiring veterinarian to the legal counsel realm. Obstacles in the Legal Lane: The hurdles and exhilarating transition to legal operations. GW Pharmaceuticals and Self-Funding: Tales of contract administration and a self-funded legal practice course. Legal Ops - The Magic Wand: The transformative power of legal operations: think efficiency and standardization. TravelPerk - More than Just Travel: A deep dive into TravelPerk's tech-driven, efficient ethos where the legal team enables. AI in Legal? Heck Yes!: Generative AI's revolutionary impact on law and TravelPerk's tech-forward strategies. Education 2.0: A call for tech-savvy, entrepreneurial legal education. Stepping into Legal Ops: Golden advice: tribe-finding, mentor-seeking, and wide networking. Beyond Law: The potency of connections outside the legal bubble. The Future of Law: Reflecting on the profession's trajectory and the indispensability of business acumen. Stay Connected & Spread the Love: Mary's LinkedIn: Follow Here Ironclad's Socials: LinkedIn YouTube TikTok Show Some Love: Rate & Review on Apple Grab your headphones and dive in. Legal's never been this lively. 🎧🔥

In this episode of Pearls On, Gloves Off: Community at its Finest. Dive into the Irish Tech General Council, chaired and founded by Sarah. The LinkedIn Guru. Sarah's insightful pieces on legal operations and tech are a must-read. A Seat at the Table. Why GCs need to report directly to the CEO in a rapidly expanding company. Choosing a CLM Provider. Sarah's playbook for picking a contract lifecycle management provider. Plus, a golden scorecard and RFP template! Burnout and AI. Sarah's perspective on lawyer burnout and the revolutionary role of AI in the legal space. The Power of Unity. The sheer force of community building among legal professionals. They share, they care! Dublin's Tech Pulse. How the Dublin tech community is marking its space on the global map. GC Reporting - A Deeper Dive. Understanding the undeniable connection between GCs and the CEO. AI and the Legal Landscape. AI's potential, the upcoming AI act in the EU, and its ripples in the legal arena. Starting From Zero. Hear Sarah's journey of constructing a legal function from the ground up. Spoiler: Contractors and outside providers play a big part. Running Legal Smartly. Legal isn't just about laws. It's about efficiency, technology, and smart operations. Connect With Us: Mary's LinkedIn: Follow here Ironclad's LinkedIn: Follow here Ironclad's YouTube: Subscribe here Ironclad's TikTok: Check us out here Rate and Review: Show us some love on Apple Podcasts!

In this special episode of Pearls On, Gloves off: This isn't your regular episode. It's a mashup of three scintillating conversations from the one and only contracts talk show, Ironclad Live, which Mary hosted in Dallas on September 7th. Dive in as Mary engages with legal luminaries from St. Jude Hospital, the Houston Texans, and L'Oréal. Conversation 1: St. Jude Hospital with La'Resa Young Mary and La'Resa highlight the heart and soul of St. Jude: its mission and the importance of fostering a spirited, fun culture. The duo dive into the digital renaissance at St. Jude. Fresh systems, new-age policies, and the tech transformation underpinning it all. Ironclad's role? Massive. La'Resa underscores its stellar efficiency in contract and data management, and how it's been a time-saver. Conversation 2: Houston Texans with Sunil Jamal Gridiron chat! Sunil spills the beans on potential rebranding and new uniforms for the Houston Texans. It's more than a style update—it's a lot of contracts. How does Ironclad fit in? Sunil's praise says it all: streamlined contracts, quick access to data, and the AI edge that's redefining the game. A poker background? Sunil shares how his poker prowess translates into his legal and negotiation strategies. Conversation 3: L'Oréal with Charles Hurr Charles introduces Mary to L'Oréal's sunny star: La Roche-Posay sunscreen, the official sunscreen of the U.S. Open and the contracts that enable the partnership. AI and Ironclad: Charles discusses how AI is revolutionizing contract management, but not without its challenges. Napster-era copyright issues ring a bell? On a lighter note: Mary and Charles share their newfound love for pickleball, an unexpected gift from the pandemic times. Stay Connected! 📲 Follow Mary on LinkedIn 📲 Follow Ironclad on LinkedIn 🎥 Catch us on YouTube 💃🎵 Tune into our TikTok 🍏 Rate and review on Apple Podcasts

On this episode, Alex Kelly, Co-Founder and COO at Brightflag, joins Mary in the world of podcasting, legal operations and the evolving landscape of legal technology. Alex shares his experience running a podcast called "In-House Outliers," featuring conversations with legal leaders, including general counsels and legal operations professionals. The guests on his podcast mainly come from Brightflag's customer base and community, with a focus on trailblazers and thought leaders in the legal ops industry. Alex talks about how the podcast serves as an educational platform, providing insights and lessons learned from experienced professionals to benefit the emerging generation within the legal ops field. The conversation shifts to Brightflag's role in the legal tech industry. Alex describes Brightflag as a modern e-billing and matter management platform for corporate legal teams. Their commitment is to help legal teams and their finance partners operate more efficiently, aided by AI-powered technology and exceptional customer support. Mary and Alex agree that while matter management entails capturing essential data and acting as a system of record for legal matters, the specific tools and software best suited for different legal functions may vary. The conversation turns to the changing ecosystem of legal tech. With an increasing variety of companies offering flexible talent, managed services and other specialized roles, it's important to select the right tech tool for each task. This includes contract workflows, IP management systems for intellectual property matters, and other specialized tools. Resources mentioned: Alex Kelly - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexkellybrightflag/ Brightflag - https://www.linkedin.com/company/brightflag/ If you enjoyed today's show, please leave a 5-star review. You can find more information, as well as the resources mentioned in this episode, at ironcladapp.com. #LegalOps #LegalCareer

On this episode, Aine Lyons, Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at VMware, joins Mary to talk about legal ops, her time at VMware and new technologies. More than a decade ago, Aine was approached by a former GC at VMware about taking on legal ops. She declined because she didn't know anyone in legal ops and didn't know anything about it. Times have certainly changed. Aine now sees a lot of movement in the industry surrounding digital transformation, with more companies adding chief transformation officers and legal transformation leads to their lineup. There is also a rise in the number of consultants, both independent and with the Big Four. Aine believes in using creative storytelling to communicate to the entire company the mission and successes that the legal department is a part of. She likens it to Formula 1 racing, using terms like fast-track sales ordering and smooth-track transitions. Aine is a believer in communication across departments, and she says the easiest way to learn about what others in the company are doing, is simply to ask. Most people naturally want to learn from or mentor others. Aine sees a transformation coming in the next 24 months surrounding generative AI tools, and she believes that legal professionals should embrace the changes and educate themselves to be prepared for the inevitable. Resources: Aine Lyons - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ainelyons/ VMware - https://www.linkedin.com/company/vmware/ If you enjoyed today's show, please leave a 5-star review. You can find more information, as well as the resources mentioned in this episode, at ironcladapp.com. #LegalOps #LegalCareer

On this episode, Lisa Gilley, Chief Legal Officer at Higher Logic, joins Mary to talk about, among other things, community and engagement and how the Higher Logic platform allows organizations to give their community a home where they can interact, share ideas, answer questions and stay connected. Engagement with customers is critical for customer retention in any community, and the legal community is no exception. True engagement ignites a community through the sharing of ideas and lighting a fire of excitement about an organization. Lisa works on a small, supportive and collaborative legal team, and that builds trust among team members and leadership. That trust empowers her and her team to build their department the way that they want it and to acquire the tools they need to do their jobs better. Many GCs ask how they can show their value to earn that kind of trust, and Lisa's answer is to treat everyone in the organization like a customer and do your job in a way that creates customer satisfaction. Lisa's advice for other solo GCs is to get in early with technology and scale your technology as your department grows. You'll never regret having the tool in place. Resources: Lisa Gilley - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisagilley2021/ Higher Logic - https://www.linkedin.com/company/higher-logic/ If you enjoyed today's show, please leave a 5-star review. You can find more information, as well as the resources mentioned in this episode, at ironcladapp.com. #LegalOps #LegalCareer

On this episode, Katherine Roseveare, General Counsel - Global Functions, Global Operations and Legal Solutions, and Alex Herrity, Director - Global Legal Solutions at Adidas, join Mary to talk about managing technology in a global setting, the creative mindset of their legal team and building out a legal tech department and team from scratch. They talk through their creation of new legal technology for the company, which is based on three pillars: technology, efficiency and engagement. The technology is for maintaining a large portfolio, efficiency is about making legal as efficient as possible and engagement is making the legal team feel like one community. As they were building out a legal tech function, they had to learn a new way to work. They've gone from having outside tech business partners to having a tech product-led business, which created quite a change in their day-to-day lives. AI is a hot topic these days, and it's high on the list for implementation into the legal tech they're developing. They are being thoughtful and moving with the intention to make sure they use it for the right reasons. Resources: Katherine Roseveare - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-roseveare-33b5a314 Alex Herrity - https://www.linkedin.com/in/legalopshezzle/ Adidas - https://www.adidas.com If you enjoyed today's show, please leave a 5-star review. You can find more information, as well as the resources mentioned in this episode, at ironcladapp.com. #LegalOps #LegalCareer