CANLIF 2021 Legal Department Innovation Report - Launch Webinar: July 13th, (12pm ET)

The Canadian Legal Innovation Forum is publishing its first annual report focused on measuring innovation in Canadian legal departments.

The report is underpinned by a survey of over 80 legal departments measuring the scope, structure and impact of innovation initiatives in legal departments. It focuses on their strategic priorities, how they are using technology to manage workflows and solve pain points and how they are collaborating with external legal service providers to deliver value.

To mark the official launch of the report, we are putting on a webinar which will cover the following:

• An overview of the key findings of the report
  

• A panel discussion amongst in-house leaders: How can legal departments accelerate innovation in a post-pandemic world?

  • What key problems are they trying to solve through innovation in their legal departments and why?

  • What is the role that technology is playing in supporting these approaches?

  • How are they collaborating with external providers to deliver change?

Speakers:

• Jon Domanko, Head of Legal, Restaurant Brands International (Canada)
  

• Elisabeth Demone, Vice President, Chief Legal Officer & Secretary, Symcor
  

• Mark Le Blanc, General Counsel, TVO
  

• Katie Skidmore, Knowledge Management, Teck Resources

Chair: Gillian Scott, Partner, Innovative Products, Osler

• Q&A with the audience on findings and the panel discussion
  
  

In association with:

CANLIF InFocus: Law Firm Innovation Summit (2 Hour Virtual Event)
June 22nd (11am - 1pm ET)

As the final session of CANLIF’s Spring 2021 webinar series, we are putting together a 2 hour webinar focused on the latest in law firm innovation. The sessions will be broken into two parts - one focused on law firm innovation strategy and the other on law firm service delivery - with leading innovators from Canadian and UK law firms participating as speakers.

Accreditation:

Law Society of Ontario: This program contains 2 hours of Professionalism Content.
Law Society of BC: This program is accredited for 2 hours of CPD.

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Law Firm Strategy: How can law firms deliver on innovation strategies in an increasingly complex legal market? (11-12pm ET)

Facing increased competition, client and employee expectations and a rapid shift to digital - law firms need robust innovation strategies in place. Yet - to succeed with these innovation strategies - law firms must contend with many unique variables in the sector that often run counter to innovation.

The legal sector is fragmented, adversarial and rules focused and one that is wary of rapid change. Most firms still have highly profitable business models centred around siloed, partner led practice areas and the billable hour. And implementing innovative solutions - underpinned by technology - requires a long term investment of resources, constant collaborative iteration and institutional political capital to succeed.   

On this 60 minute webinar, our speakers - innovation leaders from leading law firms in Canada and the UK and a legal technology company - will review how they are working to define, develop and deliver successful innovation strategies at their law firms and the ones they advise.

Speakers:

Lisa Chamandy, Chief Knowledge + Innovation Officer, Borden Ladner Gervais

Peter Stovall, Director - Innovation, Fasken

Shawn Curran, Head of Legal Technology, Travers Smith (UK)

James Quinn, Co-Founder + CEO, Clarilis

Chair: Floor Blindenbach-Driessen, CEO, Organizing4Innovation

Innovation in Legal Service Delivery: How are law firms delivering legal services in new ways to deliver results for their clients? (12-1pm)

Facing increasing pressure, many law firms have embraced the idea that to compete in today’s marketplace they must provide legal services in new and innovative ways to deliver value for their clients.

Innovation in legal service delivery is anchored in improved processes and project management, leveraging data and analytics and purpose built collaboration platforms. New products are resulting in tailored offerings from law firms focused on specific practice areas such as litigation, transactions and data governance. They are also bringing platforms to the market with industry specific focuses on areas such as leasing, franchises and real estate. And, they are launching consulting arms looking to leverage law firm practitioners’ unique industry expertise.

On this 60 minute webinar our speakers - leading innovators from law firms - will review the latest in the innovative product offerings they are bringing to market. Why they are embarking on their respective product strategies. And how they are collaborating with clients to address their pain points deliver results.

Speakers:

Rob Morris, Chief Operating + Information Officer, Borden Ladner Gervais

Gillian Scott, Partner, Innovative Products, Osler

Darlene Tonelli, Founder, Inter Alia Law

Paul-Erik Veel, Partner, Lenczner Slaght

Chair: Aaron Wenner, CEO, CiteRight

The evolving role of alternative legal service providers in the Canadian legal sector: March 9th (12pm ET)

The role of alternative legal service providers (ALSPs) in the Canadian legal sector is growing in importance. For legal departments, expectations around cost, efficiency and flexibility from service providers are paramount considerations. In response, ALSPs are stepping up to meet these challenges via enhanced process, talent and technology enabled legal service delivery models.

Historically, ALSPs have focused on performing routinized legal tasks (e.g. contract lifecycle management, document review and compliance) as well as providing short term staffing. Increasingly, they are leveraging technology to deliver higher value legal work. And, they are partnering with legal departments, law firms and other related parties with a focus on optimization of their operating structures, processes and innovation strategies.

This 60 minute webinar will focus on the impact of ALSPs in a shifting legal landscape. Our presenters will focus on the types of ALSPs emerging in the Canadian legal market. The kind of services they provide and are planning to. And, the opportunities and impact stemming from their growing importance.

Speakers:

• Rob Morris, Chief Operating Officer, Borden Ladner Gervais
  

• Paula Pepin, Founder/CEO, LexGO
  

• Jason van Dijk, Global Director Legal Services & Technology, Exigent Group
  

• Lisa Chamandy, Chief Knowledge + Innovation Officer, Borden Ladner Gervais

Chair: Zena Applebaum, National Director, Market Insights & Engagement, Thomson Reuters

Accreditation:

Law Society of Ontario: This program contains 1 hour of Professionalism Content.
Law Society of BC: This program is accredited for 1 hour of CPD

The business impact of changes to privacy laws: March 18th (12pm ET)

Evolving changes to privacy laws are having a significant impact on operating models for organizations across all sectors. To date, Canadian organizations have had to adjust to the EU’s GDPR rules and emerging privacy laws in US states such as California. Domestically, the introduction of Bill C-11, the Digital Charter Implementation Act, will have a far reaching impact for organizations with what are expected to be some of the most stringent rules in the G-7.  

Organizations are leaning on lawyers to help them navigate these shifts. On this 60 minute webinar, our speakers will focus on identifying what evolving privacy rules matter for Canadian organizations and why. The expected impact of new privacy rules on sectoral basis. And review how lawyers are developing innovative, technology driven processes and solutions to help manage a rapidly changing privacy landscape in collaboration with their clients.

Speakers:

• Dina Maxwell, Senior Legal Counsel + Privacy Lead, PwC Canada 

• Dyann Heward-Mills, Founder + CEO, HewardMills (Data Protection Consultancy) & Ethics Expert, Research and Innovation, European Commission

• Aaron Baer, Partner, Aird + Berlis

• Lydia De Guzman, Senior Counsel, Manulife

Chair: Andrew Bowyer, Founder + CEO, ADB Insights

Accreditation:

Law Society of Ontario: This program contains 1 hour of Professionalism Content.
Law Society of BC: This program is accredited for 1 hour of CPD.

The Canadian transactions landscape and the role of advanced processes and technology to deliver results. March 30th (12pm ET)

After witnessing significant turbulence throughout 2020, Canadian M&A is on track for a record year in 2021. Although the economy faces ongoing headwinds related to the Covid-19 pandemic, many drivers are contributing to increased transactions volume and deal size. These include strong equity and credit markets, low interest rates and buyers (companies and private equity firms) looking for strategic acquisitions.

On the process and technology side, deal lawyers are looking to leverage advancements in both areas to gain an edge. Legal project management is becoming more sophisticated at law firms: adding significant value, efficiencies and transparency to the deal process. In tandem, technology is also playing a key role. Cloud based tools enabling enhanced project and document management, secure collaboration between parties and faster closings are all supporting better managed and more efficient transactions. 

On this 60 minute webinar, our speakers will review the current drivers and trends for the Canadian M&A and transactions landscape in 2021. And, they’ll look at ways that sophisticated approaches to process management and technology are helping lawyers gain competitive advantage, improve efficiency and deliver value for their clients.

Speakers:

• Cherrine Chow, Associate General Counsel & Assistant Corporate Secretary, KIK Custom Products

• Natalie Munroe, Head of Osler Works (Transactional), Osler

• Amir Reshef, Co-founder and CEO, dealcloser

Chair: Marcus Hinkley, Associate, Gowling WLG

Accreditation:

Law Society of Ontario: This program contains 1 hour of Professionalism Content.
Law Society of BC: This program is accredited for 1 hour of CPD

How is the role of the paraprofessional evolving in law firms? April 13th (12pm ET)

Paraprofessionals play key roles in delivering value for law firms and their clients. They sit on the front line of engagement with clients of multiple files. They provide substantive work at a lower cost. They increase productivity and deliver high value work for their firms. And they are the core users of the technology increasingly being employed by firms to enhance legal service delivery.

On this 60 minute webinar, our speakers will look at how the role of the paraprofessional is evolving and how innovative law firms are supporting this evolution.

Specifically, our speakers will consider:

• What kinds of structures are law firms putting in place to help the paraprofessional function thrive and deliver results?

• How are law firms scaling the scope of work done by paraprofessionals up the value chain?

• And, how is the paraprofessional function evolving as a key driver of innovation for law firms?

Speakers:

Mary Munro, National Director of Paraprofessional Services, Borden Ladner Gervais

Michele Ross, Designated Paralegal at Virgin Hickman + President of the BC Paralegal Association

Adrian Camara, CEO, Athennian

Megan Braun, Director of Paralegals and Law Clerks, Cassels

Chair: Tiana Van Dyk, Senior Director, Client Services, Epiq

Accreditation:

Law Society of Ontario: This program contains 1 hour of Professionalism Content.
Law Society of BC: This program is accredited for 1 hour of CPD

Collaboration is the new innovation: the evolving role of knowledge management in law firms and legal departments. April 27th (12pm ET)

For law firms and legal departments, having an effective knowledge management strategy and function in place to support it is key. At its core the legal sector is a content industry, underpinned by legal expertise. Successful operators within it must be able to organize, analyze and distribute the right information, at the right time, to the right place. With in person collaboration on hold for the foreseeable future, having a well defined knowledge management strategy in place, the right processes to deliver it and technology that enables both is critical. 

This 60 minute webinar - with knowledge management experts from both law firms and legal departments - will focus on how practitioners can design impactful knowledge management strategies, implement the right processes and choose the right technology to support them. 

On the webinar, our speakers will consider:

• How can law firms and legal departments design a knowledge management strategy that meets their organization’s requirements?

• What are the current challenges faced by KM practitioners and what are the solutions they’re implementing to solve for them?

• What is the latest technology available to support the KM function and how is it helping law firms and legal departments gain an edge?

Speakers:

Kristin Hodgins, Director of Legal Operations, Government of British Columbia

Kate Simpson, National Director of Knowledge Management & Practice Innovation, Bennett Jones

Simon Wormwell, Chief Knowledge & Innovation Officer, Osler

Alex G Smith, Global Legal Product Lead (RAVN), iManage

Chair: Jason Moyse, Director, Autologyx

Accreditation:

Law Society of Ontario: This program contains 1 hour of Professionalism Content.
Law Society of BC: This program is accredited for 1 hour of CPD

CANLIF InFocus: How to build a more inclusive culture and strengthen diversity initiatives across the legal profession. April 8th (12pm ET) + April 29th (12pm ET)

Series overview:

For years, law firms across Canada have committed to diversity and inclusion initiatives. Yet, the face of big law remains mostly white, especially at the senior partner and management level. While there has been progress, women, people of colour and those who are differently abled are still underrepresented at all levels in Canada’s largest law firms. In this series, panelists will discuss what firms are doing to recruit and retain Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC), examine the underlying systemic problems preventing real change and seek frameworks for solutions to address them. 

Format:

• Two 90-minute sessions in spring 2021: April 8th (12pm ET) + April 29th (12pm ET)

• Webinars will include a group discussion amongst participants and panelists.

Webinar 1: April 8th (12pm ET)

Panel Discussion. From law school to the corner office: fostering a diverse and inclusive legal profession from day one.
(60 minutes + 30 minute post-discussion)

Increasing the number of racially diverse lawyers in Canadian law firms requires a careful look at where people are falling through the cracks. What needs to happen to foster a culture in which a more diverse group of law students make it into the legal profession and progress to partnership and other senior positions in law firms? In this 60-minute discussion, our speakers will look at what are top firms doing to address issues of bias and create inclusive cultures. And, how they are partnering with law schools and other organizations in order to deliver real and sustainable change. 

Speakers:

• Laleh Moshiri, National Director, Diversity and Inclusion, Borden Ladner Gervais

• Kyle Elliott, Manager, Diversity, Inclusion & Outreach Initiatives, Blakes

• Carol Liao, Associate Professor + Director, Centre for Business Law, Peter A. Allard School of Law

• Bernadette Beekman, Legal Innovators

Chair: Jolie Lin, CEO, Linnovation Works

Accreditation:

Law Society of Ontario: This program contains 1.5 hours of EDI Professionalism Content.
Law Society of BC: This program is accredited for 1.5 hours of CPD.

Webinar 2: April 29th (12pm ET)

Empowering the legal marketplace to enable a more diverse and inclusive legal profession (60 minutes + 30 minute post-discussion)

Many large corporate clients have been asking law firms to show their diversity numbers. In requests for proposals, law firms talk about diversity programs, but often clients fail to see a diverse roster of lawyers working on their files. In-house lawyers play a pivotal role in championing diversity. From candid discussions with external legal providers to encouraging peers in other organizations to do the same, the client plays a significant role. In this 60-minute discussion, the panel will look at the role of the consumer of legal services in driving sustained diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.

Speakers:

Sajida Mahdi Ali, Associate General Counsel & Vice President, BMO Financial Group

Bindu Cudjoe, Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, Canadian Western Bank

Terrie-Lynne Devonish, Chief Legal Officer, Altus Group

Chair: Christine Holmes, Founder + CEO, LawyersInHouse.com

Accreditation:

Law Society of Ontario: This program contains 1.5 hours of EDI Professionalism Content.
Law Society of BC: This program is accredited for 1.5 hours of CPD.

* The Canadian Legal Innovation Forum will be making a significant contribution to a nonprofit organization focused on improving diversity and inclusion in the Canadian legal sector.

Reimagining the shape, scope and trajectory of the new legal career: May 4th (12pm ET)

The shape, scope and the trajectory of the legal career is shifting. The impact on the nature of work due to the ongoing pandemic, a legal sector reckoning with structural pressures and a generational transfer of power underway all number as key drivers.

For many lawyers, no longer is making partner or the corporate board the primary yardstick of success. Other considerations such as embarking on alternative career paths, expanding a skillset beyond traditional lawyering and finding purpose in their work are equally as important. Lawyers are looking to their traditional employers - law firms and legal departments - to support and sustain these new career paths. And, they are looking beyond these same traditional employers to alternative legal sector service providers and other organizations to help them meet these aspirations.

On this 60 minute webinar, our speakers will discuss their own experiences on their own career paths. And, they will consider how to reimagine the legal career of the future.

Specifically, they will review: 

• What does the scope of the new legal career and skill set required of the new lawyer look like?

• How are law firms and legal departments are supporting non-traditional legal career paths in their firms, companies and outside of them? And what opportunities exist for lawyers seeking portfolio career paths beyond traditional lawyering? 

• What role does purpose play in how are lawyers viewing the potential trajectory of their careers?

• The role of diversity and inclusion initiatives and their impact new legal career paths

Speakers:

Shannon O’Hearn, Vice-President & Chief Operating Officer, Legal & Regulatory Compliance, BMO Financial Group

Nickolas Tzoulas, Associate Investment Manager, Legal Counsel, Omni Bridgeway

Aaron Baer, Partner, Aird + Berlis

Sindy Peixoto, National Director, Talent Development, Borden Ladner Gervais

Chair: Monica Goyal, Director of Legal Innovation and Lawyer, Caravel Law

Accreditation:

Law Society of Ontario:

This program contains 30 minutes of EDI Professionalism Content.
This program contains 1 hour of Professionalism Content.

Law Society of BC: This program is accredited for 1 hour of CPD.

Optimizing paraprofessional workflows to help law firms gain competitive advantage: May 11th (12pm ET)

Paraprofessionals play central roles in helping their law firms deliver value. And having the right people, processes and technology in place is a key pillar of them contributing to law firms’ success.

Paraprofessionals are central in client communication and facilitating relationships on multiple files; some of which can span over many months and even years. They manage complex discovery and legal research tasks. And, they are super users of the technology spurring innovation and competitive advantage for their firms. Stemming from this central role, many paraprofessionals have taken on the responsibility of being the core advocates of the use and adoption of multiple technology solutions across law firms.

On this 60 minute webinar, we’ll look at best in class examples of how paraprofessionals are aligning people, process and technology in law firms to help them gain an edge.

Speakers:    

Alexis Fitzjohn, Senior Manager, Corporate Services, Fasken

Monique Sever, Paralegal/Litigation Support & E-Discovery Supervisor, Harper Grey

Mary Munro, National Director of Paraprofessional Services, Borden Ladner Gervais

Chair: Jaimie Cook-Dallin, Founder, Legal Xpertise

Accreditation:

Law Society of Ontario: This program contains 1 hour of Professionalism Content.
Law Society of BC: This program is accredited for 1 hour of CPD.

Mastering regulation and compliance: designing, implementing and delivering an effective strategy: May,26th (12pm ET)

Managing regulatory compliance requirements is a key pain point for many legal departments. Regulatory requirements can often be opaque, complex and changeable. To address these challenges, many legal departments are designing and implementing innovative solutions to help better manage the regulatory compliance process (and the inherent risks within them). 

They are designing efficient and flexible internal processes. Putting in place policies and programs manage diverse stakeholders within organizations. And using technology to automate these processes and people’s interaction with them to help reduce risk and deliver better outcomes.

On this 60 minute webinar - our expert speakers from legal departments from organizations across Canada - will review best practices when it comes to designing, implementing and delivering an effective regulatory compliance strategy. 

Speakers:    

Scott Kerr, Director, Legal & Regulatory Compliance, BMO Financial Group

Jacqueline Sanz, Chief Compliance Officer

Paula Amy Hewitt, General Counsel, Field Trip Health

Robert Merrick, Principal, GRC Management Advisory Services

Chair: Gary Kalaci, CEO, Alexa Translations

Accreditation:

Law Society of Ontario: This program contains 1 hour of Professionalism Content.
Law Society of BC: This program is accredited for 1 hour of CPD.

How to deliver change in your legal department and add value to your organization: June 3rd (12pm ET)

Much has been said about the need for legal departments to deliver value to their businesses through driving innovation and change within them. Common pain points include contract management, collaboration and managing external spend. But where and how to start?

Effective change management relies on determining what challenges need to be addressed in the first place and then delivering results through harnessing people, process and technology. It also requires careful navigation to build internal consensus and buy-in, engagement with the right external providers and having a flexible roadmap as a guiding principle.

On this 60 minute webinar, our speakers - leaders from legal departments from across Canada - will explore specific examples of how they’ve delivered change in their legal departments and for their organizations as a whole. They will review real life examples of how they identified pain points facing their legal departments. Built consensus and the business case for change within their organizations. And how they harnessed people, process and technology to make it happen.

Maryann Besharat, Vice President, Legal & Compliance, Intact Financial Corporation

Alison Harnick​, Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, First Capital

Peter Kalins, General Counsel, LawyersInHouse.com

Chair: Christine Holmes, Founder + CEO, LawyersInHouse.com

Accreditation:

Law Society of Ontario: This program contains 1 hour of Professionalism Content.
Law Society of BC: This program is accredited for 1 hour of CPD.

Getting more value from your contracts: understanding contract lifecycle management - June 15th (12pm ET)

Contracts underpin all aspects of the legal ecosystem. And, in the wake of accelerated digital transformation, contract lifecycle management (CLM) has become a top priority for law firms and legal departments. CLM is a process that enables lawyers to create, review, store and analyze contracts efficiently. Robust CLM systems enable more value to be extracted from agreements; improve collaboration with other groups in organizations and allow for lawyers to better respond to an evolving market landscape.

On this 60 minute webinar, our speakers will survey the contract management landscape. They look at the types of CLM tools available to lawyers, their impact and value and review specific use cases where law firms, law departments and third party partners are implementing CLM strategies to help them deliver value to their clients and businesses.

Speakers:

Andrea Alliston, Partner, Knowledge Management, Stikeman Elliott

Joshua Kane, Vice President, Legal and General Counsel, STEP Energy Services

Scott Pickup, Corporate Counsel and Legal Operations Lead, Irving Shipbuilding

Steve Fullerton, Product Manager, Thomson Reuters

Chair: Zena Applebaum, National Director, Market Insights & Engagement, Thomson Reuters

Accreditation:

Law Society of Ontario: This program contains 1 hour of Professionalism Content.
Law Society of BC: This program is accredited for 1 hour of CPD.