LegalWeek Speakers and Panels

We’re looking forward to the keynotes by Blockchain and Emerging Technology Research Bettina Warburg, and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. In between networking and press meetings, we’ve got a busy schedule designed to take in some great conference highlights, so if you’re unsure of what to attend at LegalWeek 2020, read on for some insight.

And if you’re attending and would like to get in touch to meet with ThoughtRiver, we would like to invite you to take a short break from the busy conference to meet our CEO, Tim Pullan, and a few colleagues for a very relaxing English Teatime (or coffee if you prefer) in our room at the Hilton. Click here to book in a cuppa.

1. When Opportunity Knocks: As GCs Actively Seek Diverse Counsel, How Do You Get the Work? Tuesday, 4 February 2020, 12:30 - 13:30

Today, diversity tops corporate agendas, but the day-to-day adoption of growth in diversity strategies often happens behind the scenes. This panel of General Counsels and diversity experts is not to be missed. Join moderator Leila Hock of Diversity Lab, and panelists Annete Bernstein of AIG, Dawson Horn also from AIG, Mitch Zuklie of Orrick, and James Chosy, US Bank.

Session description

In recent years we have seen an influx in GCs looking to diversify their outside counsel roster which has presented law firms with the challenge of not just diversifying but also standing out amongst a crowded field of firms trying similar tactics. How do lawyers and law firms stand out? How are GCs actively giving and taking away work in efforts to improve diversity?

This session will bring together General Counsels and diversity experts to cover:

· How GCs are actively looking to reapportion their outside counsel spend?

· What stands out to GCs when hiring new counsel?

· How are law firms promoting their diversity efforts and what has the in-house response been?

· How have law firms and individual attorneys successfully pitched for new work?

· How are GCs diversifying their own ranks?

· How are they using data to make decisions?

2. A New Decade of eDiscovery: Fundamental Shifts in Big Data, Case Law, and In-House Demands: Tuesday, February 4, 2020, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

For tech enthusiasts, this is a must see. Speakers Robert Brownstone of Fenwick, Wendy Weber of Dropbox, Tim Anderson of FTI Consulting and Russ Grant of Onna are sure to put forward some great insight from behind the scenes of these long-established brands, as well as some fascinating future insight.

Session Description

Join us as we bring some of the brightest legal experts and tech gurus together for a discussion on eDiscovery trends of the new decade.

Key Questions:

· What do we want to hang on to into the 20's and what do we want to leave behind?

· What challenges and opportunities do we anticipate?

· How will next-gen technologies and laws reshape legal teams and how they operate?

3. Incentivizing a Culture of Innovation: Wednesday, February 5, 2020, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Innovation is at the heart of what we do, and we’re interested to see how large firms are approaching innovation at all levels. This panel session is set to be a real conference highlight, with no less than seven panelists: Tess Blair - Morgan Lewis Brad Blickstein - Blickstein Group Farrah Pepper - Marsh & McLennan Michael Heyrich - Bank of New York Mellon Kate Orr - Orrick Aaron Crews - Littler Marlene Gebauer - Greenberg Traurig

Session Description

Innovation hubs are no longer the exclusive domain of corporates, ALSPs, and tech companies. They're now beginning to take shape at large law firms. If you possess entrepreneurial DNA and solving big-ticket items within the legal industry, such as client pricing, delivery models, and social justice, excite your passions, then legal innovation may be your calling. In this thought-provoking workshop, we'll profile successful innovation programs, hubs & accelerators within the law firm sector and their ability to effect real change within the legal profession.

Key Takeaways:

· Learn about the driving forces & trends shaping legal innovation;

· Profiling innovation hubs & initiatives at BigLaw;

· How to breed a culture of innovation at your firm;

4. Using Artificial Intelligence to Predict Legal Outcomes, Tuesday, February 4, 2020, 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

As an AI-driven contract pre-screening platform, that uses automated risk review and AI guided remediation for in-house legal teams as well as global law firms, it’s no surprise that this session caught our attention. We’re looking forward to hearing what Abdi Aidid of Blue J Legal has to say about how AI and machine learning and data analytics are helping to predict legal outcomes.

Session description

Recent advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning have bolstered the predictive power of data analytics. The most advanced systems can now predict legal outcomes with 90% accuracy. Consequently, lawyers are now using these data-backed prediction tools to make more accurate and less biased decisions. Soon, these tools will be commonplace.

Key Takeaways

· The evolution of legal research tools and where we are today

· An overview of how data-backed prediction platforms are helping lawyers work more efficiently, ensure consistency of research and advice, and access the same legal insights as their private firm and public body counterparts

· A glimpse at the most advanced software in action

5. Introduction to the “Shared Responsibility” Model for Allocating Legal Risk in Enterprise Cloud Computing: Not Everything Digital is Binary: Wednesday, February 5, 2020, 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

We’re looking forward to hearing what Mara Arenson of Microsoft has to say about the allocation of legal risk between cloud service provider and customer.

Session Description

With the incredible variety of enterprise cloud services available these days, it is no wonder there is some confusion regarding the allocation of legal risk between cloud service provider and customer. The answer is not binary: neither party takes on all of the risk nor does either escape all responsibility. Instead, the parties enter into a relationship of “shared responsibility”, where the delineation of who is responsible for what will vary based on a variety of factors, for example, what services are involved, what legal authorities have jurisdiction and more. In this introduction to the shared responsibility model and its implications for legal risk, our expert presenters will lay the groundwork for counsel to develop a more nuanced approach to the legal risk calculus for enterprise clients moving to the cloud.

Key takeaways:

· Understand why enterprise cybersecurity responsibilities don’t simply transfer to the cloud service provider;

· Learn how to approach understanding and identifying the appropriate delineation of risk and responsibility in different kinds of cloud relationships;

· Develop the ability to advise clients on how their enterprise risk management programs interact with those of the cloud service provider and what questions counsel needs to ask of each party.

We look forward to seeing you at LegalWeek 2020, and again, if you would like to meet for our Tea Time event, get in touch today.