"Not just a cost center: legal departments should be innovators seeking efficiencies"
Focus on the Canadian Legal Innovation Forum in Vancouver
I was delighted to chair a panel sponsored by Kalexius‘ partner DiliTrust at ADB Insights‘ Canadian Legal Innovation Forum (CANLIF) in Vancouver last week. Thanks to the brilliant panelists Alice Davidson, Karim Amlani, Miranda Lam, and Katie J.! We had an inspiring discussion on leadership and the business of law.
A few takeaways from our session and the event:
The skills to succeed in legal are evolving. There is more to a legal leader than attention to details and a structured mind; you need curiosity, flexibility, active listening and a creative mindset, all of which help understand, address and solve challenges.
Being a good lawyer means very little towards being a good manager. Being a manager requires a whole other skillset, starting with empathy and emotional intelligence.
The GC role today looks very different to the same role twenty years ago. You can’t be “just a lawyer”, you need to understand the business inside out and have a genuine interest in the company’s ecosystem. This is essential to get on top of legal issues and work towards the broader business strategic goals.
Moving away from billable hours is the future. It benefits all stakeholders and encourages legal services to be provided more efficiently – clients know what they will be charged up front which provides transparency and trust while legal service providers see better utilization rates, and better employee/client satisfaction.
