I trained and qualified as a Corporate lawyer at one Magic Circle firm, before moving across to another, where as a transactional lawyer I had exposure to a broad range of Corporate and Finance transactions, both in London and while on secondment to a “Best Friend” law firm in Madrid.  

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In 2007, I made the transition to Knowledge Management, in large part motivated to fulfil a role which offered me greater work-life balance at a time when I had young children. I engaged in an array of KM projects in my various KM-related roles, including an extensive taxonomy rationalisation project, the selection and deployment of a new KM system and enterprise search solution, and creation of a suite of related firm policies and procedures. I led a Standard Document review project, which resulted in a substantial reduction in the overall number of templates and practice notes required to be maintained. I was responsible for the knowledge and practice-related areas of the firm’s intranet and worked closely with BD to build consistency in the firm’s client facing knowledge offering. I worked extensively with clients and “Best Friend” firms on a host of KM-related initiatives. 

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My final role as Director of Knowledge and Innovation saw the development of my remit to cover KM, Information Services, the PSL/Knowledge Lawyer function, Innovation and Legal Tech and Legal Project Management.   

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In that role, I oversaw the migration of the firm’s Library Management System, the digitisation of over 95% of key legal and regulatory texts and the introduction of strict budget control and approval procedures at the acquisition and renewal stages of all titles and services. I led the IS team’s proactive profile-raising engagement with the legal groups, clarified its offering, and evolved its role in response to technological change and shifting working practices. Accurate service-level data collection became routine. 

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With dotted line responsibility for the firm’s mature PSL/Knowledge Lawyer team, I conducted an extensive role review, and created a career path and related competency framework for the firm’s Knowledge Lawyers. In restating the KL role, it was fascinating to see just how much it has developed over the years, and the variety of demands on the role posed by the increasingly rapid development of technology. It also informed a parallel review of the shifting roles and responsibilities of all members of the KM and Information Services communities, as well as insight into the changing practices of their internal and external clients. 

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I viewed my role as encompassing the “what” (knowledge) and the “how” (process, resourcing and tech) of legal service delivery. I drove forward all aspects of legal service innovation internally and with clients, including process improvement, automation, collaboration and resourcing. I reviewed, tested, selected and rolled out a host of legal tech tools (including AI tools), reviewing efficiency gains and the commercial impact of their deployment. I oversaw the Innovation team’s development and launch of the firm’s first legal tech incubator programme. I grew the firm’s LPM function to support complex and large matters. This wide-ranging experience led me to reconfigure existing skillsets, develop new ones and establish a new Legal Operations team to ensure the efficient and cost-effective delivery of legal services. To bolster this, I launched a Legal Ops Graduate scheme with the aim of ensuring a sustainable pipeline of talent. This team became a revenue-generating Business Services team for the firm, working with clients on a range of projects.  

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My career to date has equipped me with practical, first-hand understanding of the pressures on law firms and their clients’ inhouse teams. I have had extensive client contact throughout my career, as well as with suppliers, law firms and internal stakeholders across the business at all levels. I know just how hard effecting change can be, but also how rewarding it can be when it’s done well. I’ve learned a lot along the way.