107: Doing Legal Differently with Adobe’s Lisa Konie

LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law

I’m a peer, not a ‘snowflake’

In this week’s episode, we talk with Lisa Konie, Senior Director of Legal Operations at Adobe Systems, and a CLOC board member.

Legal Operations and Efficiency

When defining legal operations it’s helpful to look at all the things that naturally fall on the shoulders of lawyers but don’t have anything to do with the delivery of advice. Legal Operations is focused on making in-house legal and their relationships with outside counsel and other legal services organizations more efficient. Outside Counsel relationships and partnerships are built on a foundation of trust and satisfaction, legal operations make them better, faster, stronger, and ensures high quality. Similarly by effectively implementing AI and other efficiency technology lawyers can focus on more strategic activities. Legal departments today don’t want lawyers doing operational work; they want them doing what their uniquely capable of doing; work that requires legal advice.

Legal Operations Drives Value

When looking to create a relationship with a prospective client like Adobe, Lisa suggests thinking differently. Learn the business model of the client, learn about their culture, and their industry. Where legal operations exist understand their role within the business; if you’re bringing forward ideas and efficiency legal operations is a terrific entry point. Think of in-house legal as a small law firm of peers that could use help with tools to be successful. Lend your expertise and help them be more efficient, resolving pain points as a peer; not a super snowflake client.

Change the Conversation

It’s time to change the conversation to value, and how firms and vendors can help in-house legal can get more value for their spend. In-house legal wants to talk about matters and effective outcomes for their organization; not billing and the allocation of resources assigned to our account. Talk impact; present data they can use, share, collaborate and help proliferate the ideas needed to do legal differently.

Lisa Konie is the Senior Director of Legal Operations at Adobe Systems and a CLOC board member. She’s responsible for her organizations Legal and Government relations departmental operations including strategic planning, outside counsel relationships, tool implementation, and communications. Ensuring departmental effectiveness and efficiency while effectively fulfilling the needs of the business.

Lisa Konie on LinkedIn