This Impact Podcast features Mike Russell, the Head of Global Legal Operations for Expedia Group, and Steve Harmon, Elevate’s COO and General Counsel. Mike and Steve discuss two change initiatives and the impacts of those changes. The first outlines the deconstruction and rebuilding of litigation processes for a large manufacturing organisation. The second involves the process review and automation of buy-side contracts at Expedia.

• [01:01] – Listen in as Mike Russell outlines his professional journey into Legal Operations and his role at Expedia.
• [01:40] – Now, Steve Harmon elaborates on his background and path to Legal Operations.
• [03:28] – We jump into one of our Impact experiences – reviewing, deconstructing, and rebuilding litigation processes, which resulted in measurable savings.
• [06:00] – We connected dedicated national trial counsel, and discovery counsel, within a legal ops-driven process to keep track of all the different moving parts.
• [07:40] – There was a shift in work from the law firm side to the law company.
• [08:01] – While implementing tech is often the first step; our focus from the beginning was adoption and tracking.
• [10:43] – There were measurable savings, and the project provided a study on how an alternate service provider can add value and be an extension of the team.
• [12:22] – Our second impact experience was buy-side contracting at Expedia.
• [13:29] – Over nine months, we unwound our templates, contracts, playbooks, attorney knowledge, and contract manager procurement knowledge and developed workflows with the platform vendor and our implementation partner, which was Elevate.
• [15:21] – Realizing outsourcing makes sense.
• [17:05] – Routinising and documenting a process can substitute for a SOX control.
• [18:14] – People have enjoyed adopting the platform; they like interfacing with it.
• [19:12] – A reduction in cycle time, resonates strongly with the business.
• [20:01] – We are surprised by the benefits of having a strong contracting policy that dictates the minimum contracting standard, and minimum acceptable terms.
• [21:38] – Take advantage of the knowledge your partners bring, allow time for education to happen.
• [23:01] – Get involved in peer networking, CLOC, and ILTA, the ACC link, legal operators; there’s an opportunity to learn from your peers.

Enjoy!

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