he ABA’s Business Law Section M&A Committee’s flagship Private Target M&A Deal Points Study is considered the industry’s gold standard reference for deal points in private acquisition agreements. Through Practical Law's new partnership with the ABA, select Practical Law forms now contain integrated slides from the study as well as continuously updated Practical Law What's Market Analytics charts and What's Market's trends information.  This podcast discusses this new partnership, including a sneak peek at the timing of and several new data points to be covered in the soon to be released 2023 version of the study, among Barbara J. Oikle, the Senior Managing Editor of National Corporate and M&A Content at Practical Law and the two Co-Chairs of the study: Jessica C. Pearlman, a Partner at K&L Gates, LLP, and Vice Chair of the ABA’s Business Law Section’s M&A Committee and former Chair of the ABA’s Business Law Section’s M&A Committee's Market Trends Subcommittee, and Tatjana Paterno, a Member at Bass, Berry, & Sims PLC, and Vice Chair of the ABA's Business Law Section's M&A Committee's Market Trends Subcommittee. To view a toolkit with links to Practical Law forms that have been updated with this integrated information, see Private M&A Forms with Integrated Market Trends Information Toolkit.

The CDC estimates that about 7.5% of the U.S. population may be dealing with long COVID or what is also termed long-haul COVID, post-acute COVID-19, long-term effects of COVID or chronic COVID.  Because long COVID is not as well understood as COVID-19 in terms of causes, symptoms and treatment, it can be complicated for employers to deal with.  Lindsay Ditlow Of McDermott Will & Emery discusses what employers and employees should consider if dealing with Long COVID.

Various states are exploring new models on who can practice law, new ownership models of law firms, and other paradigm shifts.  Arizona changed its alternative business structure to non-lawyer ownership and investment in law firms.  Scout Law is the first such entities to take advantage of the change.  Steve Germann discusses why he created the new firm, and his expectations for similar firms. 

A lot of attention has been paid lately to lateral hiring and associate compensation, but changes are also taking place in law firm staffing.  Thomson Reuters Institute recently completed its annual analysis on law firm staffing ratios.  Today, we’ll talk about what the new trends are with Isaac Brooks, senior industry data analyst and Natalie Runyon, director, ESG content and advisory services.

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are the hot craze. While the initial coin offering ("ICO") craze of 2017-2018 fizzled out in the face of government enforcement actions, a resurgence in the global market for bitcoin and the new category of NFTs is fueling a new boom in digital assets as mainstream interest increases. Recently, Christie's became the very first major auction house to offer a fully digital work.  Internet celebrity Logan Paul made over $5 million selling NFTs. Musician Post Malone invited fans to play beer pong with him if they bought an NFT. Thomson Reuters recently hosted a two-day conference discussing risks and rewards for digital assets such as cryptocurrencies and NFTs. Louis Lehot of Foley & Lardner discusses some common legal considerations when launching an NFT marketplace, including documentation you need, intellectual property and other legal considerations, as well as overarching legal implications of this new technology.

Cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, Ethereum and dogecoin saw a record $9.3 billion inflow in 2021.  Governments and regulatory bodies are racing to keep up with explosion of cryptocurrencies, associated marketplaces and exchanges, and other digital assets such as NFTs.  Thomson Reuters is hosting a two-day exploration of risk and reward for the global crypto community.  Will anticipated oversight bolster or derail palpable momentum heading into 2023? The conference, which will be conducted both in-person and online, features expert from across corporate, legal, tax, and regulatory realms who will offer comprehensive guidance for both casual observers and industry veterans alike. The event will take place April 14 & 15, and registration is free at: https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en-us/posts/events/manifest-destiny-risk-opportunity-reward-around-digital-currencies/ Co-chair of the conference, Bradford Newmann, partner at Baker McKenzie, and Chair of the AI & Blockchain Subcommittee of the ABA, discusses some of the topics that the conference will address.

Get your brackets out!  For the first time in three years, March Madness, as we’re accustomed to seeing it, is back.  NCAA, NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and the Olympics all navigated their way through the pandemic through a combination of delays, bubbles, cancelled games, and various COVID protocols.  Will any of this have lasting effects on players’ rights, collective bargaining agreements, etc.? Glen Rothstein, a partner in the Litigation practice group at Greenspoon Marder, primarily in entertainment, sports & interactive gaming, weighs in.

The events last summer following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police shook the city of Minneapolis to its core.  Days of riots and unrest destroyed scores of business, particularly in the Lake Street area, where rebuilding is still taking place.  Many parts of the community have pulled together to assist with the rebuilding as well as tackle the broader community issues that also in the wake of the George Floyd killing even more than one year later. Sharon Sayles-Belton, vice president of alliances and partnerships at Thomson Reuters and former mayor of Minneapolis, and Rick Anderson, senior principal at Fish & Richardson discuss where things stand – more than one year later – in that most affected area of Minneapolis that was really Ground Zero for the events of last year, as well as in the broader community, and on the broader issues of racism and policing that are still being grappled with in Minneapolis and beyond.

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only affected in-person court hearings, but has similarly affected the arbitration world as well.  In-person arbitration hearings are now difficult to hold, owing to travel restrictions and the difficulty in safely conducting face-to-face hearings.   The arbitration world is rapidly adapting to remote arbitration hearings.  The Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, one of the leading institutions for international arbitration, is leading the charge to adapt arbitration processes and technologies to remote hearings. Lise Alm, head of business development, discusses how her organization is helping to transform arbitration heariings not only for the current situation but to prepare for the future as well.   Sebastiaan Bos, director of solutions for Europe, the Middle East and Asia at Thomson Reuters, joins the discussion to discuss how advanced workflow technologies such as HighQ can help enable this transformation. 

Global Lawyer Hackathon Addresses Climate Change Hundreds of lawyers around the world are participating in a unique global “hackathon” to create new contracts and model laws to help fight climate change.  The Chancery Lane Project aims to create legal frameworks to enable and encourage businesses and communities to have a positive impact on the environment, and envisions a world where every contract and law enables solutions to climate change. Becky Clissmann, environmental law editor at Practical Law, discusses the project and how it engages legal professionals to empower businesses and communities to help meet goals of net zero emissions.  

Small law firms have had to endure not only the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the legal market, but also the additional challenges of being a small business during the current conditions. The 2020 State of the U.S. Small Law Firms Report looks at how small firms are faring against the recent challenges.  Mark Haddad, general manager of the Small Law Firm Segment at Thomson Reuters discusses the report’s findings, and how the current situation also presents opportunities for firms. 

The tremendous disruptions caused by COVID-19 may introduce a new term to the business lexicon: business divorce.  Many small, privately-held and family-owned businesses may not have anticipated the kind of business and personal stressors being brought on by the pandemic. Lee Weinberg of Weinberg Gonser LLP discusses how “business divorces” may surge because of the COVID-19 situation.

When the year began, 2020 had been expected to be a growth year for the Canadian legal market.  Now the outlook has changed to one of uncertainty. But legal needs remain, and law firms and corporate legal departments still need to meet those needs, and therein remains potential opportunities.  Thomson Reuters is offering the new 2020 State of the Legal Market in Canada Infographic which uses data from the Thomson Reuters 2019 Legal Tracker™ LDO Index and Acritas Sharplegal US, to identify main takeaways from the recently released 2020 State of the Legal Market in Canada report. Among these findings are how these and other strategic priorities have been identified and which are among them are the most important, according to the corporate law department officials surveyed. Maria Cooley, head of Canada for Thomson Reuters, discusses the picture that is coming into focus for Canadian corporate legal department moving forward. 

One of HighQ’s strengths is its versatility in solving a myriad of problems that law firms and legal departments deal with.  That has taken another leap forward with the introduction of HighQ 5.4.   Stuart Barr, Chief Product & Strategy Officer, discusses the innovations in version 5.4, including seamless integration with Contract Express, allowing more powerful document automation. 

Legal technology is advancing at lightning speed these days, and HighQ is no exception.  The innovative cloud-based platform is continually bringing new innovations to the legal industry. Stuart Barr, chief product and strategy officer, discusses the some of the advances HighQ has introduced recently. 

It was just over a year ago that Thomson Reuters brought HighQ into the fold.  Irish McIntyre, head of Legal Software & Workflow at Thomson Reuters discusses what the past year has been like planning and executing strategies to continue to grow and improve HighQ’s innovative workflow platform.

The legal industry faces an uncertain future in many respects, including efforts to advance gender equality.  Transforming Women’s Leadership in the Law is doing a series of webinars discussing the evolving circumstances due to COVID-19.  The discussions will include a renewed focus on the future of the legal industry along with practice methods to advance gender quality and support necessary cultural change.  Lucinda Case, head of Legal Professionals, Europe, Thomson Reuters, discusses how the current environment is changing the conversation on how organizations can promote gender equality, and how the COVID-19 crisis has helped reveal the benefits of more inclusive recruiting and hiring practices. Details on the webinar series can be found here: https://legalsolutions.thomsonreuters.co.uk/en/products-services/events/twll2020/webinar.html

Social media is skyrocketing, as people connect with friends and family as shelter-in-place and work-from-home continue.  But as we take advantage as these apps, it’s still important to be careful – others may be seeing the personal & professional information that you’re posting. Robert Braun - co-chair of the Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell Cybersecurity and Privacy Group  -- says it’s important to make “Social Media Hygiene” part of your routine, and to think before you post.

While women lawyers and lawyers of color have made many advances in the legal profession, there are still some areas that are particularly challenging.  Sports and sports law are among those. Sharon Sayles-Belton, vice president of partnerships and alliances for Thomson Reuters, talked recently with two attorneys who have made inroads to help increase diversity in those areas.  Demeka Fields is associate general counsel for the Minnesota Vikings. Traci Branford is a partner at Stinson LLP in Minneapolis. She is also an advisory board member for Next Gen Leadership: Advancing Lawyers of Color.

HighQ is considered one of the most advanced and versatile technology platforms.  Stuart Barr, Chief Product & Strategy Office for HighQ, discusses how HighQ improves efficiency for law firms and corporate legal departments, and how the recent version 5.3 release takes HighQ to a new level.

Episode 5 of our special podcast series marking the 50th anniversary of the first publication of Wright & Miller’s Federal Practice & Procedure continues the discussion between Prof. Arthur Miller, founding author of the treatise, and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, including her thoughts on what it’s like to argue a case before the High Court with her perspectives and experience on both sides of the bench. Professor Miller and Justice Ginsburg discuss the Justice’s views on what makes for an effective argument before the Court, how lawyers can write more effective briefs, and how Justice Ginsburg feels about the recent RBG documentary on her life. In the previous episode –the first of the two-part discussion -- Professor Miller and Justice Ginsburg discussed their overlapping journeys in the law, first as classmates at Harvard Law School, as attorneys arguing before the Supreme Court, and in their current roles, respectively, as law school professor and supreme court justice. Federal Practice & Procedure is one of the most respected and enduring legal treatises. The treatise has been cited by federal courts an astounding 90,000 times, according to Westlaw estimates, and has been cited by the U.S. Supreme Court every year since 1973. Thomson Reuters is presenting this special podcast series throughout 2019 featuring Professor Miller with leading legal scholars and thought leaders as they explore the issues and challenges facing attorneys practicing before the federal judiciary.

The law and the courts have undergone many changes over the years.  Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg discusses what she believes is “the most heartening change” in the legal profession. Episode 4 of our special podcast series marking the 50th anniversary of the first publication of Wright & Miller’s Federal Practice & Procedure is a discussion between Prof. Arthur Miller, founding author of the treatise, and Justice Ginsburg. In this first of a two-part discussion, Professor Miller and Justice Ginsburg discuss their overlapping journeys in the law, first as classmates at Harvard Law School, as attorneys arguing before the Supreme Court, and in their current roles, respectively, as law school professor and supreme court justice. Federal Practice & Procedure is one of the most respected and enduring legal treatises.  The treatise has been cited by federal courts an astounding 90,000 times, according to Westlaw estimates, and has been cited by the U.S. Supreme Court every year since 1973. Thomson Reuters is presenting this special podcast series throughout 2019 featuring Professor Miller with leading legal scholars and thought leaders as they explore the issues and challenges facing attorneys practicing before the federal judiciary. The upcoming final episode of the series will feature a continuation of the discussion between Professor Miller and Justice Ginsburg including the Justice’s views on what makes for an effective argument before the Court, and how she feels about the recent RBG documentary on her life.

The Antonio Brown saga continues to spawn new revelations.  On the heels of the NFL initiating an investigation into allegations of sexual assault stemming from a civil lawsuit filed by Brown's former personal trainer, an attorney representing a painter commissioned by Brown  has asked the NFL to investigate allegations of additional sexual misconduct as well as threats and initimidation.  The NFL and New England Patriots initially did not take any disciplinary action following these and other disclosures of allegations of personal misconduct and legal issues.   Sports attorney Glen Rothstein discusses the case against Brown and the workings of the NFL's disciplinary policy.  

The cases Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly and Ashcroft v. Iqbal still reverberate through the Federal court system for setting new standards for specificity and "plausibility" in pleadings. Similarly, cases such as World-Wide Volkswagen Corp. v. Woodson are still much discussed and debated for their impact on personal jurisdiction. Episode 3 of our special podcast series marking the 50th anniversary of the first publication of Wright & Miller’s Federal Practice & Procedure discusses the current state of pleadings and personal jurisdiction as they apply to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, as well as what potentially lies ahead. Federal Practice & Procedure is one of the most respected and enduring legal treatises. The treatise has been cited by federal courts an astounding 90,000 times, according to Westlaw estimates, and has been cited by the U.S. Supreme Court every year since 1973. In this third episode, Prof. Arthur Miller, founding author of the treatise, talks with Prof. Ben Spencer of the University of Virginia Law School and Prof. Adam Steinman of the University of Alabama Law School. They are co-authors of the volumes of Federal Practice & Procedure dealing with pleadings and personal jurisdiction, respectively, Thomson Reuters is presenting this special podcast series throughout 2019 featuring Professor Miller with leading legal scholars and thought leaders as they explore the issues and challenges facing attorneys practicing before the federal judiciary. Our upcoming episodes will feature a discussion between Prof. Arthur Miller and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, senior associate justice of the United States Supreme Court.

  The Next Gen Leadership: Advancing Lawyers of Color white paper provides insights from attorneys on how legal employers can help create opportunities for lawyers of color across the industry. The white paper involved interviews with 23 attorneys of color across generations, ethnicities, geographic locations, and segments of the industry. During these discussions, attorneys of color shared their insights and experiences. Gary Zhao is a partner in SmithAmundsen LLC’s commercial litigation group and was previously a co-chair of SmithAmundsen’s diversity committee. He serves as a member of the Executive Committee of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), is a past president of the Chinese American Bar Association and is the incoming President of the Asian American Bar Association of Greater Chicago. Gary talks about his experience as an attorney of color, and shares best practices for legal employers drawn from his experience.

Two legal software conferences were recently held on opposite coasts – in San Diego the 25th edition of the Elite VANTAGE Worldwide User Conference highlighted new software integrations, and in New York the Legal Geek conference showcased new applications of technology. At both conferences, Thomson Reuters shared their latest innovations and also enjoyed listening to customers describe what is needed from software in order to reach the next level of efficiency and productivity. Brian Peccarelli, Thomson Reuters COO of customer markets and head of its Legal Professionals segment, Elizabet Hardy, Elite vice president, product management, and Irish McIntyre, lead of legal technology innovation discuss what they’re working on and trends they’re seeing in the industry.

Class action lawsuits have undergone many changes in recent years as a result of U.S. Supreme Court decisions and changes to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Episode 2 of our special podcast series marking the 50th anniversary of the first publication of Wright & Miller’s Federal Practice & Procedure discusses those changes as well as the future of class action cases.  Federal Practice & Procedure is one of the most respected and enduring legal treatises.  The treatise has been cited in federal court an astounding 90,000 times, according to Westlaw estimates, and has been cited by the U.S. Supreme Court every year since 1973. In this second episode, Professor Arthur Miller, founding author of the treatise, talks with Professor Mary Kay Kane, Emerita Dean and Chancellor and Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of California-Hastings.  Prof. Kane is also co-author of fourteen volumes of Federal Practice & Procedure, including those that cover class actions. Professors Miller and Kane discuss the evolution of class action lawsuits and the challenges facing the class action system as it tries address new problems such as the opioid crisis.  Thomson Reuters is presenting this special podcast series throughout 2019 featuring Prof. Miller with leading legal scholars and thought leaders as they explore the issues and challenges facing attorneys practicing before the federal judiciary.

The Elite VANTAGE 2019 Worldwide User Conference is underway in San Diego.  Thousands of elite cusomters are there to network, share learnings and hear about the latest developments at Elite Eric Sugden, Elite chief technology officer, and Elizabet Hardy, Elite vice president, product management, talk about some of the exciting developments at Elite

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the first publication of Wright & Miller’s Federal Practice & Procedure, one of the most respected and enduring legal treatises. The treatise has been cited in federal court an astounding 90,000 times, according to Westlaw estimates, and has been cited by the U.S. Supreme Court every year since 1973. Thomson Reuters presents a special podcast series throughout 2019 to mark the occasion. Professor Arthur Miller, founding author of the treatise, will sit down with leading legal scholars and thought leaders to explore the issues and challenges facing attorneys practicing before the federal judiciary. In this first episode, we start off the series with a conversation between Prof. Miller and Jean Maess, vice president of editorial operations at Thomson Reuters, about how the duo of Professors Wright & Miller developed Federal Practice & Procedure.

Know how to bust some sweet dance moves?  You might want to find a good attorney. Epic Games, maker of Fortnite and NBA 2K has put the Carlton Dance into some of its video games, and the actor who portrayed Carlton on The Fresh Prince, Alfonso Ribeiro, is suing, saying Epic Games is unfairly profiting off of his signature move. Who’s going to win this dance off between Carlton and Epic Games?  Fabio Marino is vice chair of the IP department at Polsinelli and joins us today. 

It’s a story almost too incredible to believe.  Ron Stallworth was the first African-American detective in the Colorado Springs Police Department.  In 1978, he answered a classified ad and infiltrated the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan. His book, Black Klansman, race, hate and the undercover investigation of a lifetime is an incredible read, and was recently made into a movie directed by Spike Lee that recently won an Academy Award for Best Screenplay. Mr. Stallworth recently gave a Town Hall talk at Thomson Reuters and we were privileged to speak with Mr. Stallworth during his visit.

Law firms are under pressure from many quarters these days – from clients to demonstrate greater value and cost efficiency, from competitors such as legal process outsourcing, as well as from other law firms. Trevor Faure, head of Smarter Law Solutions and former head of global legal services at EY, says lawyers need to take into consideration everything from emotional intelligence to artificial intelligence as they transform their firms as both legal practices and business entities. Faure’s new book, Smarter Law: transforming busy lawyers into business leaders, can drive greater law firm performance. Faure will be speaking on a global Smarter Law tour of New York, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Minneapolis, London, Paris & Singapore during April-June 2019. Events include dedicated workshops and annual events of ACC and National Bar Association. Full details at smarterlawsolutions.com/news  

Technology is often touted as a game changer, a field-leveler, a way for firms to gain a competitive edge over other firms. Marketing hype aside, is that really the case?  The Legal Executive Institute’s Dynamic-Static Law Firm Report looked at Peer Monitor law firm data to see if use of technology helped firms perform better. Bill Josten, the author of the report, discusses the findings. 

Competition for legal services is increasing as law firms compete with legal process outsourcing (LPO), the Big Four, increased use of inside counsel, and others.  In response, some firms are developing new approaches to meet client needs.  A few years ago, Fenwick & West rolled out FLEX by Fenwick to provide flexible solutions for interim in-house legal needs.  Linda Netsch, general manager of FLEX, why the firm made the decision to start an “on-demand in-house legal counsel” offering, and how it has been working out for the firm and its clients.

Lawyers Without Borders is a not-for-profit whose mission is to promote rule of law around the world by leveraging and promoting pro bono service to meet the needs of the underserved, build capacity in justice sectors and support transitions and development aimed at protecting human rights, all with a neutral orientation.   Christina Storm, founder and executive director, spoke recently with Sharon Sayles-Belton, vice president of government affairs at Thomson Reuters.

Insights from the Edge This podcast series brings you the latest legal trends and topics as Insight Attorneys sit down with industry experts to discuss hot legal topics. Explore our latest topics to stay informed. Episode 6: 5 Ways to Identify the Best AI for Legal Research As we continue to hear about artificial intelligence in our daily lives and in legal technology, it’s important to understand and evaluate what makes good AI. As legal professionals evaluate AI solutions for legal research, there are five critical questions they should be asking.   In this episode, Amy Pearson, Insight Attorney and Erik Lindberg, Senior Director of Westlaw Product Management dive into these five questions and explain how understanding these factors will help you confidently evaluate AI solutions for your legal research.

  Autonomous ride hailing services are here – sort of.  Waymo this year launched a pilot ride hailing service using autonomous driving vehicles, and General Motors plans to test a similar service next year.  But with the launch of services has emerged a new set of legal issues, intensified by the death of a pedestrian in Arizona after being struck by an Uber test vehicle.   Is the law ready for autonomous ride hailing services?  Cynthia Cole and Travis Thomas of Baker Botts some of the gaps and unanswered questions in existing laws. 

Insights from the Edge This podcast series brings you the latest legal trends and topics as Insight Attorneys sit down with industry experts to discuss hot legal topics. Explore our latest topics to stay informed. Episode 5: Early Adoption It is easy to talk about adopting technology early, but it can be very difficult to take the steps that lead to it. For lawyers and legal teams, taking those steps are crucial and can lead to major competitive advantages.   In this episode, Adam Riley, Insight Attorney and David Curle, Director of Technology and Innovation Platform at the Thomson Reuters Legal Executive Institute discuss the importance of adopting technology early on. Hear about some of the biggest technology milestones that have changed the way legal researchers work. Plus, learn how adopting Westlaw Edge early on has helped firms gain a competitive advantage, grow their practice, save money, and manage clients. Insights Attorneys – a new era in legal research support Our tradition of excellence set by our Reference Attorneys has evolved to the next level of support. To ensure that Westlaw Edge customers get the most out of your subscription, we have a team of Insight Attorneys that are uniquely trained on analytics, artificial intelligence, and big data to assist you with your research needs. Learn more.

In an era of low growth, the law firm market is increasingly close to a zero-sum game where one firm’s gain is at the expense of the market share of another firm. The Legal Executive Institute’s Dynamic-Static Law Firm Report analyzes the difference between dynamic growing firms and firms that are more static and flat.  Bill Josten, the author of the report, discusses the findings. 

The ongoing commitment of Thomson Reuters to access to justice and the global rule of law manifests through its long-standing support of programs like Books for Africa – a non-profit organization that sends millions of books, computers, e-books and other educational materials to countries throughout Africa. But the work to strengthen and improve the legal mechanisms in nations like Kenya also comes from “boots on the ground” work led by people like Peter Vincent, general counsel for Thomson Reuters Special Services, who is one of many who have worked closely with lawyers and others throughout the region to support the rule of law as a means to confront violent extremism.   In this very special edition of For Public Consumption, Sharon Sayles-Belton, vice president of government affairs at Thomson Reuters, discusses with Peter how he became engaged in this effort, why this work is so vital to this region and what the future holds for programs like Books for Africa and Lawyers without Borders in Kenya and beyond.

Earlier this month marked the celebration of World Food Day, which recognizes the persistent issue of food security around the globe. As recent United Nations data suggests, hunger impacts 2 billion people worldwide, and of that, 240 million are women, children, and the elderly who live in Sub-Saharan Africa.   As a technology company, Thomson Reuters works to innovate and create technology to help people to find answers and solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems. But today we take a break from looking at how technology can serve professionals to learn how an organization in Minneapolis-St. Paul – Compatible Technology International (CTI) – has taken technology to solve hunger in a unique way.   Listen to a special Legal Current podcast as Sharon Sayles Belton, vice president of Government Affairs & Community Relations with Thomson Reuters, interviews Alexandra Spieldoch, executive director for CTI, about how the organization designs and develops tools for farmers in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa that help them produce food more efficiently.

The Legal Geek Conference in London gathered together legal technologists from around the world.  Carlos Gamez, senior director of innovation at Thomson Reuters, presented at the conference on how corporations like Thomson Reuters collaborate effectively with startups to create innovative solutions for the legal market. 

Law firm places tens of thousands of ads on Facebook every year. But following controversies such as the Cambridge Analytica, new Facebook rules designed to prevent election-meddling could, in some instances, hamper legitimate non-political ads from law firms.    A new FindLaw white paper explains what law firms need to know.  Sean Sands, a Facebook digital specialist, discusses the findings from analyzing thousands of Facebook ads. What triggers to avoid and how to succeed in the appeals process. This is not the end of Facebook advertising for law firms. It’s just the new reality. Is your firm ready?

INSIGHTS FROM THE EDGE EPISODE 4: What Makes Good AI   Insights from the Edge This podcast series brings you the latest legal trends and topics as Insight Attorneys sit down with industry experts to discuss hot legal topics. Explore our latest topics to stay informed. Episode 4: What Makes Good AI There's no question that artificial intelligence (AI) is making an impact in the legal industry. However, not all AI-enabled solutions are created equal. When you’re choosing what services to incorporate in your practice, you should be aware that there can be big differences in their effectiveness and efficiency. To understand what you should look for in legal AI solutions, it's important to know why artificial intelligence is necessary and what makes good legal AI. Hear from Tonya Custis, Research Director Center for AI and Cognitive Computing, and Adam Riley, Insight Attorney, from Thomson Reuters on what’s driving the use of AI for lawyers and the key components that are needed to deliver good legal AI. Insights Attorneys – a new era in legal research support Our tradition of excellence set by our Reference Attorneys has evolved to the next level of support. To ensure that Westlaw Edge customers get the most out of your subscription, we have a team of Insight Attorneys that are uniquely trained on analytics, artificial intelligence, and big data to assist you with your research needs. Learn more.

This week, ACAMS 17th Annual AML & Financial Crime Conference will be held at the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Among the 2,000 public and private sector professionals who will meet and share insights on anti-money laundering and financial crimes at the event is Peter Vincent, general counsel for Thomson Reuters Special Services, who will be among the panelists at a discussion titled, “Crafting Detection and Investigation Systems to Fight Human Trafficking.” We had a chance to catch-up with Peter to learn about the current state of human trafficking, how public-private partnerships are being deployed to confront the issue and what’s currently missing from discussions of labor and sexual exploitation.

Insights from the Edge This podcast series brings you the latest legal trends and topics as Insight Attorneys sit down with industry experts to discuss hot legal topics. Explore our latest topics to stay informed. Episode 3: Litigation Analytics & Big Data Litigators need strong insights into judges, courts, and opponents to be competitive. The job of a litigator is to win, but they don’t usually have the time to find, let alone fully digest and analyze, all the data that could provide advantages in court. This is why litigation analytics tools have become too important for attorneys to ignore. Hear form Jeff Arvidson, Director of Product Management and Eliot Wrenn, Reference Attorney Consultant from Thomson Reuters about some of the ways you can use litigation analytics to improve your practice. Plus, learn more about the features that are available with Litigation Analytics on Westlaw Edge. Insights Attorneys – a new era in legal research support Our tradition of excellence set by our Reference Attorneys has evolved to the next level of support. To ensure that Westlaw Edge customers get the most out of your subscription, we have a team of Insight Attorneys that are uniquely trained on analytics, artificial intelligence, and big data to assist you with your research needs. Learn more.

Employee Performance Reviews run the gamut from helpful to the subject of Dilbert-esque scron and ridicule.  Leigh Goodard, co-chair of the employment law practice at McDonald Carano, warns that fail to make sure their performance reviews are conducted properly, employers may be exposed to potential legal problems. 

Too many organizations are stuck in the status quo and fail to think differently or solve problems creatively.  The very structures that are put in place to help organizations grow are now holding them back from innovating.  This was the topic for the keynote address at ILTACON 2018. Lisa Bodell, CEO of futurethink is also the author of the best-selling book Kill the Company: End the Status Quo, Start an Innovation Revolution, which won the 2014 Axiom Best Business Book Award.  In this interview, she discusses how people and organizations can innovate better every day. 

  Insights from the Edge This podcast series brings you the latest legal trends and topics as Insight Attorneys sit down with industry experts to discuss hot legal topics. Explore our latest topics to stay informed. Episode 2: The Meaning of AI for Legal Research Many legal professionals currently use artificial intelligence (AI) in their work, although they may not even realize it. To begin our discussion on what AI means for legal researchers, it’s important to have a common definition of artificial intelligence and understand how it differs from other types of technology. In this podcast, we will also tackle the pressing questions that most legal professions want to know – how will AI change the work of attorneys and what are the benefits of using AI tools? Get the inside scoop on the meaning of AI for legal researchers from Rachel Beithon, Insight Attorney and David Curle, Director of Technology and Innovation Platform at the Thomson Reuters Legal Executive Institute. Insights Attorneys – a new era in legal research support Our tradition of excellence set by our Reference Attorneys has evolved to the next level of support. To ensure that Westlaw Edge customers get the most out of your subscription, we have a team of Insight Attorneys that are uniquely trained on analytics, artificial intelligence, and big data to assist you with your research needs. Learn more.

Just as businesses around the world are still trying to come to grips with complying with GDPR or General Data Protection Regulation – the sweeping new data privacy regulations that recently took effect in the European Union, California has passed legislation that will lead to similar regulations taking effect in 2020 that will impact any company conducting business with customers in California. Tyler Newby of Fenwick and West discusses what the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 means for California residents – and the companies that do business with them.

Insights from the Edge This podcast series brings you the latest legal trends and topics as Insight Attorneys sit down with industry experts to discuss hot legal topics. Explore our latest topics to stay well-informed and well-prepared to meet your most pressing legal research challenges. Episode 1: Introducing Westlaw Edge Thomson Reuters Westlaw™ is the legal research platform that generations of lawyers and legal teams have depended on to get work done quickly, efficiently, and with confidence. Now, we are excited to introduce Westlaw Edge, the most intelligent legal research platform ever. Powered by state-of-the-art artificial intelligence that’s built upon more than 100 years of attorney-edited annotations, only Westlaw Edge brings together a full suite of AI-powered legal research tools - including the next generation of legal search, integrated litigation analytics, a more powerful citator, and more.      

Firms that have figured out how to retain, champion, develop and advance women partners are solving three significant problems – they are closing the gender gap in law firm partner compensation, they are winning top talent and they are meeting their clients’ demands for diversity. Baker Botts LLP is an excellent example of a firm that has taken a focused approach to solving these problems.          Christa Brown-Sanford, Deputy Department Chair - Intellectual Property and Bridget Moore, Deputy Department Chair – Litigation discuss how the firm is striving to create, and preserve an organization committed to diversity while also generating more business, hiring the best talent and institutionalizing equity in pay,

Elite 2018 VANTAGE Worldwide User Conference - Day One

Welcome to another edition of KM With Kim, with Kim Stein, knowledge management manager at Thomson Reuters, Kim talks with Scott Bailey, Global Director of Research Services at Squire Patton Boggs about his firm’s use of km technologies and the importance to his firm of thought leadership in knowledge management.

Developments this week in two mega-mergers are raising questions about what the Trump administration’s approach to corporate mergers.  T-Mobile and Sprint announced plans to merge after similar plans were benched in 2014 over concerns the Obama administration would oppose the merger.  And closing arguments were held in the Justice Department’s antitrust trial seeking to block the proposed AT&T-Time Warner merger.   Mark Ostrau, head of the antitrust group with Fenwick & West discusses what may lie ahead for anti-trust in the Trump administration.

Marijuana use is now legal in dozens of states.  But laws vary considerably.  Is it medicinal use?  Recreational?  Do federal laws still take precedence?  What are employers’ rights to screen to marijuana use?  What are employees’ rights in jurisdictions where marijuana use is legal?   Elizabeth Levine with Ghoulston & Storrs’ labor & employment practice provides some guidance through the hazy legal landscape for employers.         

Geoff Goldberg, Manager of Contract Express Service and Support for Thomson Reuters, recently moderated a panel about document automation hosted by the Thomson Reuters Legal Executive Institute at Legalweek 2018 in New York. Titled “Document Automation – Workflow Strategies for Competitive firms”, Goldberg and panelists discussed how firms can use document automation to meet client expectations for more innovative practices and greater efficiency; all with the end goals to provide higher-quality service at a lower cost and in less time. In this podcast conversation with Legal Current, Goldberg provides a big-picture overview of why document drafting is so critical to the value proposition of all law firms and how the automation of that process is becoming a bigger competitive advantage in the changing legal landscape

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case that could have far-reaching implications on law enforcement’s ability to access digital records. In US v.  Microsoft, the tech giant is challenging a US search warrant involving data stored in servers located in Ireland.  The case poses major questions over data access in the Internet age.  The case hinges on the Stored Communications Act, which was passed in 1986, long before the explosion  of emails and the Internet.  The government argues that access to records stored by US companies overseas is vital as evidence for criminal cases such as terrorism, child pornography and fraud.   Michael Whitener of VLP Law Group discusses the implications of the case. 

The Supreme Court, in deciding Christie v. NCAA, could open the door for legalized sports gambling across the U.S.  What are the odds?  What would be the impact on professional sports? Glen Rothstein of Rothstein Law tackles the issue

As Congress continues its budget negotiations, concerns are rising about the potential  on federal support of legal aid for people with low incomes, seniors, people with disabilities, and others who lack ready access to legal services.  In this episode of For Public Consumption, Sharon Sayles-Belton, vice president of Government Affairs for Thomson Reuters, talks with Drew Schaffer, executive director of Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid.

Frederic Block is a Senior United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, a musician, and a noted author. His first book, Disrobed: An Inside Look at the Life and Work of a Federal Trial Judge, provides aunique  behind the bench look at some of the controversial cases Judge Block handled over his 23 years on the federal bench in Brooklyn. includiing the Crown Heights riots and the trial of Peter Gotti of the Gambino crime family. His new book, Race to Judgment is a "reality-fiction" debut novel loosely based on a number of high-profile cases handled by Judge Block

President Trump signed more executive orders in his first 100 days in office than any US President since World War II.   Ronald D. Rotunda, a U.S. legal scholar and professor of law at Chapman University School of Law, discusses the history of Presidential executive orders.

Aging corporate boards are getting lessons on how to foster the next generation of directors. Younger directors remain rare but they’re increasingly in demand for their skills and perspectives on topics such as cybersecurity, e-commerce and marketing to millennials. They can also bring diversity to otherwise “pale, male and stale” boardrooms. The next generation of board leaders say too many boards lack effective on-boarding practices for new members.  What are best practices for bridging the gap between aging boards and the younger generation that brings new, fresh ideas?   Dave Lynn -- Co-Chair of Jenner & Block¹s Securities Practice – dicsusses.

Free wi-fi is widely available and tempting to use, especially when traveling.  Hotels, airports, coffee shops, even NYC subway stations provide it.  But the dangers of public wi-fi are many-fold.  Not only are they hunting grounds for hackers, but a new report from security firm FireEye claims a Russian hacker group known as APT28, or Fancy Bear, used hotel Wi-Fi networks to spy on high-value guests. While use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) can safeguard against unsafe wi-fi networks, recent bans of VPNs by Russia and China further complicate matters.  Bob Braun with Jeffer Mangels, Butler & Mitchell, says when using any public wi-fi, you are inherently at risk.  

Emojis are cute, fun...and can get you in a whole lot of legal trouble.  “Emoji law” is increasingly a factor in e-discovery, particularly in labor and employment cases such as sexual harassment and discrimination. Jay Holand, chair of labor and employment at Joseph Greenwald, says it has gotten to the point where e mployment attorneys should start thinking about setting up emoji-awareness seminars for companies on how emoji and applications like Slack are creating new questions, and perhaps conflicts, in workplaces like, “Is that winky-face emoji friendly, flirtatious or sexual harassment?”

As the Supreme Court prepares to open its 2017-2018 term, all eyes will on the docket to see which cases the high court decides to take up.  In recent years, the Court has been taking an increased focus on IP cases.  Wayne Stacy of Baker Botts says his analysis reveals that this is part of the Court’s growing scrutiny of the Federal Circuit Courts. 

NAMWOLF CEO Joel Stern discussed how NAMWOLF works with large law firms to boost diversity and inclusion in the legal profession

NAMWOLF CEO Joel Stern discusses how unconscious bias impacts diversity and inclusion in the legal profession

NAMWOLF CEO Joel Stern discusses innovative partnerships NAMWOLF forms with Corporate America to boost diversity and inclusion in the legal profession

The National Association of Minority & Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF) seeks to increase diversity in the legal profession through greater corporate retention of minority- and women-owned law firms.   CEO Joel Stern recently discussed NAMWOLF’s work with Sharon Sayles Belton, vice president, Government Affairs and Community Relations for Thomson Reuters.

Hurricanes Harvey and Irma have produced numerous fatalities and billions of dollars in property damage. As devastated areas move into recovery mode, numerous legal issues will arise for impacted businesses. Rachel Steely of Gardere Wynne Sewell in Houston discusses what businesses need to keep in mind as they recover from the aftermath of storms and other natural disasters.

Silvia A. LeBlanc of Morgan Lewis in Philadelphia discusses how the firm uses knowledge management and practice innovation, to collaborate with team members across Morgan Lewis’s global network and ensure they take full advantage of resources. She maps legal processes, creates productivity tools, and conducts training sessions that promote a culture of quality and consistency across matters.

Balancing employee rights with employer's data security needs and data privacy requirements can be tricky.  Anna Suh with Fenwick & West discusses how employers can manage this balance.

Legal departments are increasingly turning to alternative legal service providers to handle certain legal tasks and matters on a more cost-effective basis.  But now, some law firms are also engaging alternative legal service providers to help their client reduce costs and strengthen the firm’s client relationships Jeffrey Sharer co-chair of Akerman's Data Law Practice talked at ILTACON 2017 with Ed Sohn, Thomson reuters vice president of product management and partner management about his firm's use of Collaborative Disaggregation.

Brian Kuhn, founder of IBM Watson Legal, addressed key misconceptions around artificial intelligence and cognitive computing in Tuesday’s keynote at ITLACON 2017.  Kuhn talked with David Curle, Thomson Reuters director of market intelligence,  and shared insights from business-of-law use case workshops IBM conducted with corporate legal departments and law firms over the last two years. He discussed patterns of customer interest and success related to the application of artificial intelligence and cognitive computing to the legal domain, and what everyone needs to know about what AI can — and can’t — do.

Earlier this spring, the Trump Administration released its full 2018 budget proposal, which outlined deep cuts, and even outright eliminations, of some agencies. Among the 19 agencies on the chopping block is the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), an independent nonprofit established by Congress to support low-income Americans with civil legal aid. While the budget for 2017 kept funding in place for LSC to the tune of $385 million, the expected budget showdown for 2018 has many legal aid organizations concerned for the future, including Legal Assistance Foundation (LAF) in Chicago. In the latest installment of our podcast series, For Public Consumption, host Sharon Sayles Belton, vice president, Government Affairs and Community Relations at Thomson Reuters, speaks with Diana White, former executive director of LAF, about the organization’s mission, funding challenges and what’s next should federal funds disappear.

Brexit and Cuba may be oceans apart, but they share one common issue: a potential disruption of trademarks in both markets. Jeffrey Greene, a trademark partner with Fenwick & West discusses what issues need to be aware of if they are doing business or plan on doing business there.

Karl Florida, managing director of the small law firm business of Thomson Reuters, talks with David Lat, founder of the Above the Law blog about his experience as a pre-eminent blogger on the legal industry

“Fake news” is nothing new, especially to corporations dealing with short sellers – investors who bet on falling stock prices, who have long been accused of deliberately spreading false information in order to drive bigger gains. But the Securities & Exchange Commission has been surprisingly powerless in dealing with short sellers. Mike Dicke of Fenwick & West, who formerly worked for the SEC, discusses what companies can – and can’t do – to combat fake news being spread by short sellers

Soaring athlete contracts, growing TV revenues and cheating and doping scandals. Nope. Not the NFL or World Cup Soccer. It’s the burgeoning world of e-Sports or spectator video games.  Video game live televised tournaments and leagues are fast becoming big business.  And with it comes legal issues that are all too familiar for those who follow more established, traditional “ball-and-stick” sports leagues. Aaron Swerdlow of Gerard Fox Law explores the new legal frontier of e-Sports. Coming soon to an Xbox near you.

A dicussion of the keynote at the 2017 VANTAGE Elite User Conference in Orlando.

Elite's Client Advisory Board is an important source of communications for Elite and its clients to develop innovative ways to improve law firm efficiency. Stuart Robinson, Financial Controller for Irwin Mitchell, the 11th largest law firm in the UK, discusses his role on the Elite Client Advisory Board with Patrick Hurly, VP of Customer Advocacy at Elite.

Millennials are now the largest demographic group in the U.S.  Much has been written and discussed about how millennials often have unique preferences for how they prefer to shop for and purchases goods and services.  How does this apply to law firms?  Christi Krautbauer of FindLaw discusses the findings of a white new paper, Reaching a New Generation: Tailoring Your Marketing Your Legal Marketing to Millennial Consumers, which break downs what makes millennial consumers unique, and how law firms can market more effectively to them. This is just one of many white papers and other helpful resources for firms on how to improve all aspects of their marketing.

New Podcast Series on Government: For Public Consumption   Legal Current is proud to present a new podcast series: For Public Consumption.   Hosted by Sharon Sayles Belton, vice president, Government Affairs and Community Relations at Thomson Reuters, this podcast series examines issues that impact government, its services and the people it serves.   In this first installment, Sharon interviews Sally Heyman, Miami-Dade County Commissioner for the 4th District, on the mental health crisis, its impact on our judicial and correctional systems, and an innovative new approach in Miami-Dade County that may reduce costs to taxpayers while improving care for the mentally ill who enter the judicial and correctional systems.   To listen, click on the built-in audio player below, or download and listen later by right click here. Or you can subscribe to Legal Current podcasts on iTunes.   And check back for future episodes of For Public Consumption on Legal Current.

The Ark Group recently held its conference on Best Practices & Management Strategies for Law Firm Library, Research & Information Services. In this episode of KM with Kim, we discuss a recap of the conference with Kim Stein, national KM manager for Thomson Reuters

With the passage of the America Invents Act in 2011 and a string of Supreme Court decisions in recent years, the landscape for intellectual property filings and dispute resolution was supposed to become clearer.  But they have also brought new issues and uncertainty. Jeremy Taylor with Baker Botts discusses some of the most important IP considerations that are commonly overlooked, or that companies fail to take into consideration and land them in hot water.

In November, Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in State Farm Fire & Casualty Co., United States ex rel. Rigsby, a case involving the False Claims Act and misclassified claims after Hurricane Katrina.  This case is important as litigation under the False Claims Act has grown remarkably in recent years. It also is relevant that the False Claims Act, which dates back to the Civil War, and provides for treble damages, mandatory minimum penalties, and recovery of costs, including attorney¹s fees, making successful litigation quite lucrative. Government Contractors have complained bitterly about what they regard as unduly lax applications of the statute by the lower courts. Brian Markovitz of Joseph Greenwald & Laake discusses the intersection of Hurricane Katrina, Abraham Lincoln and the so-called “Lincoln Law”.

ABA TECHSHOW 2017 is this week in Chicago.  ABA President Linda Klein discusses some of the initiatives and priorities for the ABA.

There’s no such thing as a typical day for someone who runs knowledge management for a law firm, in the same way that there’s no such thing as a typical KM setup, or even a typical person who manages KM for a firm. The person in charge of KM can be anyone from a law librarian to a chief knowledge officer to a practice group leader, a IT manager, or even someone who does a little bit of all those things. Welcome to KM with Kim, where we share best practices and the latest in getting the most from your knowledge management systems with Kim Stein, national manager for knowledge management for Thomson Reuters. In this episode, Kim takes a look at “A Day in the Life of KM,” through the eyes of  David Hobbie, Litigation Knowledge Management Attorney at Goodwin Procter, LLP in Boston. at Goodwin Proctor. David talk about how his firm uses KM, and he manages his role to make the firm more efficient and productive through its use of KM. You can also visit David’s blog: http://caselines.blogspot.com/

On Jan. 26, 1997, many homes across America were tuned-in to Super Bowl XXXI. While much of the game itself may be a blur, most people who watched that night likely remember one image from that night: Hollywood legend Fred Astaire, who had died nearly a decade before, dancing with an electric broom in a vacuum commercial. While many people were fixated on how the ad was created, some – including members of Astaire’s family – took issue with bringing the legendary performer “back from the dead.” Now 20 years later, a new film, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, puts a new spin on the debate in part because, unlike the brief appearance of Astaire in the vacuum ad, the new Star Wars film demonstrates that actors, can quite literally, return to the screen forever. But what are legal ramifications to these posthumous performances, and how are today’s actors prepping for this future? Join us for the latest Legal Current podcast, where we are joined by Brad Cohen, partner with Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell in Los Angeles, where we break this down. And be warned… there will be spoilers.  

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a case this term that could have provided some clarity to the bewildering array on jurisdictions and taxes involved with online sales. Will the move lead to action by the states or Congress, or the potential for even greater confusion? Matthew Hunsaker of Baker Botts discusses.

Managing a successful solo or small law practice means overcoming many challenges. These days, running a small practice requires many skills in addition to being a good lawyer: one often also needs to be a project manager, technologist, marketer and small business expert. The State of the US Small Law Firms Study surveyed more than 300 solo and small law firm leaders to find out how they define success, their challenges and what the most successful firms are doing to develop and execute winning strategies. In this podcast, we discuss the survey findings and what it reveals about the world of today’s solo and small law firm with Karl Florida, managing director, small law firms, Thomson Reuters; and Bob Ambrogi, practicing solo attorney, ABA Journal columnist and creator of the LawSites blog. Here are some of Bob’s previous discussions of the Small Law Firms study http://abovethelaw.com/2016/07/this-week-in-legal-tech-exclusive-results-of-a-new-small-firm-survey/ http://www.lawsitesblog.com/2016/07/exclusive-survey-results-small-firms-greatest-challenges-theyre-address.html http://www.lawsitesblog.com/2016/08/exclusive-survey-results-small-firms-measure-success.html http://www.lawsitesblog.com/2016/08/exclusive-survey-results-small-firms-implementing-new-technology.html http://abovethelaw.com/2016/09/this-week-in-legal-tech-survey-sheds-light-on-how-solos-differ/    

Our nation’s roads are getting safer. Traffic fatalities and injuries have generally been declining for more than two decades. But law firms that have staked their futures on motor vehicle accident (MVA) injuries or fatalities may face significant business challenges on the horizon unless they prepare now. FindLaw has published a new white paper that analyzes traffic safety data and its implications for personal injury practices. Traffic Signals – What Safer Roads Could Mean for Your Personal Injury Practice

Companies in the U.S own an estimated $5 trillion in trade secerts  and about $3 billion is lost due to theft every year    The federal Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 went into effect in May While it’s still early to interpret how it will affect trade  secret litigation, some things are clear, especially that federal court  dockets will see an increase in more private trade secrets cases. Chris Ryan, a partner in Baker Botts’ Intellectual Property Group, discusses.

Ark Group recently held its 12th Annual Knowledge Management in the Legal Profession.  The law firm KM toolkit has expanded to include enterprise search, experience location, expert systems, and other collaborative tools — while the remit for some KM practitioners today also includes support for  alternative fee arrangements, process improvement initiatives, and legal project  management. At the same time, automation, machine-learning and advanced analytics are coming of age. How can these forces be coordinated to mutually reinforce as opposed to combat or overcome one another?   In this edition of KM with Kim, Kim Stein discusses her takeaways from the conference. 

The Aspire to Lead Conference was recently held in Minneapolis.  Hundreds of omen and men from around the region met for a day full of speakers and networking that seeks to empower women to take more active leadership roles in their careers, communities and day-to-day lives. Matt Wallaert is a behavioral scientist working at the intersection of technology and human behavior.  He spoke about where the diversity and the role of gender in the workplace.