New York Conference: 2023 Program

Tuesday, October 24

8:00 AM: ARRIVAL AND BREAKFAST

8:45 AM: WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION

Jason Winmill Chair Buying Legal Council

9:00 AM: Berning Questions: Critical Topics in an Uncertain Age

Bernardine Lai Director, Outside Counsel Relationships U.S. Bank

Bernardine Lai heads outside counsel relationships for U.S. Bank and is the Law Division’s DEI Champion. She leads initiatives to deepen and broaden U.S. Bank’s relationships with law firms in a meaningful and sustainable way that is consistent with U.S. Bank’s values and strategic and business goals.

Bernardine grew up in Australia, is an immigrant three times over, and started her career as a telecommunications transactions lawyer in big law in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region, including working for Vodafone in Tokyo and Deutsche Telekom/Siemens in Beijing.

BLOCK 1: Managing Inflation in Legal Services

9:30 AM: Exploring Emerging Trends in Rate Negotiations

Jean Yang Vice President, AI Center of Excellence Onit

Chris Bennett Senior Enterprise Account Manager Onit

In the rapidly evolving landscape of law firm management, rate negotiations, and legal procurement, staying ahead requires a deep understanding of data-driven strategies and the transformative potential of artificial intelligence. Join Jean Yang, VP of Onit's AI Center of Excellence, and Chris Bennett, Senior Enterprise Account Manager, to: 

• Explore the latest trends and patterns in rates
• Share lessons learned from real-life rate negotiations
• Discuss AI's impact on rate negotiations and legal procurement

10:00 AM: Building Your Dream Team: Transform OCM and Reduce Spend with the Right Mix of AI and Trusted Data Expertise

	Thomas Barothy Former Group Legal COO UBS		Andie Lam Director, Global Category Manager, Legal Novartis
	Dan Reed Chairman & Founder UnitedLex		Katie Bosley Director, Enterprise Solutions UnitedLex

Join senior stakeholders and gain valuable perspectives on what it takes to build and implement a modern outside counsel management program:

• Determine where to invest.
• Consider how to create capacity and bandwidth with tech already in your toolbox.
  
• Build a business case by quantifying savings and the impact of process improvements.

10:30 AM: Expert Q&A

Jessica Williams Director of Legal Team Strategy & Operations FanDuel

10:45 AM: Networking Break

BLOCK 2: The Legal Services Market: Players, Changes, and Trends

11:15 AM: The Strategic Pause: Threading the Needle in Leaping vs. Looking on AI

Jess Block Executive Vice President, Market Solutions Factor

Chris Brancheau Vice President, Client Engagement Factor

Explore the delicate balance between swift adoption and careful consideration of AI technologies in the legal landscape. Discover how to harness the transformative power of AI, while also deliberately assessing risks and making informed decisions. Gain practical insights on navigating this complex terrain, empowering legal teams and their partners in legal operations and legal procurement to lead with confidence in the age of AI.

Learn more about Factor here.

11:45 AM: Power Tools and Partnership: Crafting a Winning Strategy

Joey Litman General Counsel Lumivero

Jonathan Greenblatt Vice President of Legal LinkSquares

At the beginning of a partnership, it is vital to establish alignment among legal, procurement, and operations functions. This alignment lays the foundation for a smooth and efficient workflow. By leveraging their unique strengths, teams can collaboratively make optimal decisions. However, the true strength of a partnership lies in the tools available to them.

Join us for an engaging fireside chat as we delve into the art of aligning legal, procurement, and operations functions. Explore the essential power tools required to create a streamlined intake and task management workflow, enabling more efficient management of legal and procurement tasks.

12:15 PM: Expert Q&A

Karen Helten Outside Counsel Senior Manager Salesforce

Andy Krebs Senior Director, Head of Legal Operations Twilio

12:30 PM: Lunch

BLOCK 3: ESG / DEI

1:30 PM: Creating an Authentic and Sustainable Culture of DEI

	Adrienne Fox Director, Global Procurement - Legal Services Novartis		Milly Parekh Senior Manager, Litigation Operations Johnson & Johnson
	Nexus Sea Partner O'Melveny & Myers		Zane Riester Senior Counsel Johnson & Johnson
	Mary Ellen Connerty Director of Diversity & Engagement O'Melveny & Myers

Join us as we delve into our 2023 update on diversity, equity, and inclusion in legal sourcing. Explore how organizations are working to advance a more inclusive legal industry, and learn about the key trends, challenges, and opportunities impacting DEI initiatives.

2:15 PM: Expert Q&A

Paul Lewis Director, Global Category Lead Johnson & Johnson

Andie Lam Director, Global Category Manager, Legal Novartis

2:30 PM: Networking Break

BLOCK 4: The Legal Tech Boom

2:45 PM: Beating Contract Chaos

Lauren Brasch Senior Manager, Global Legal Operations PayPal

Alec Guettel Co-Founder of Knowable and Axiom Law Knowable

Management of contracts has been a systematic failure across large enterprises. Why has it been so hard? What effective solutions are finally starting to emerge? A few companies getting real traction against contract chaos tell their stories.

3:15 PM: Understand to Unleash AI

Olga V. Mack Vice President & CEO, CounselLink CLM LexisNexis

Join a forward-thinking discussion on the use of generative AI by legal teams, exploring potential use cases and emerging risks.

3:45 PM: Expert Q&A

Matt Rossman Manager, Shared Services Sourcing Valley National Bank

BLOCK 5: Building the Modern Legal Department

4:00 PM: Legal Department Leadership: Taking the Reins

Andy Krebs Senior Director, Head of Legal Operations Twilio

This panel is designed for legal professionals seeking to step into leadership roles and make a significant impact. Gain valuable insights, practical tips, and leadership strategies from seasoned legal leaders.

4:30 PM: Legal Department Transformation: Latest Best Practices from the Field

Robin Snasdell Senior Managing Director Morae

Joshua Martin Director Morae

Discover cutting-edge approaches, gleaned from real-world experiences, that are reshaping legal departments today. Explore the forefront of industry innovation and gain valuable insights into how to implement best practices that drive meaningful change in your legal department.

5:00-6:30 PM: Cocktail Reception