Knowledge Management in Law Firms

It book covers how to revisit your strategy in light of recent and future changes, the expansion of knowledge management to encompass legal tech and innovation, the rise of the importance of data, strategies for overcoming the challenges hybrid and virtual working pose to knowledge management, managing knowledge teams, and much more.

Strategies for gathering and harnessing knowledge have existed in law firms for decades. However, knowledge management suddenly found itself in the spotlight as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Enforced remote working reduced opportunities for knowledge sharing between colleagues and this gap was filled with knowledge databases and experienced knowledge lawyers. Now that hybrid and virtual workforces are here to stay, these new working practices have combined with technological developments, enhanced demand, and the transformation of how to access knowledge to drive the advancement of knowledge management into a new era.Knowledge Management in Law Firms: Challenges and Opportunities Post-Pandemic is the essential guide to the evolution of law firm knowledge management. It covers how to revisit your strategy in light of recent and future changes, the expansion of knowledge management to encompass legal tech and innovation, the rise of the importance of data, strategies for overcoming the challenges hybrid and virtual working pose to knowledge management, managing knowledge teams, and much more. Chapters are written by an international group of KM experts from a range of organisations and leading law firms, including DLA Piper, Linklaters, and Dentons. Pandemic experiences and lessons learnt are shared as well as ways to approach the future.Knowledge is at the heart of the legal profession, and this book provides guidance on how to prepare for and thrive in the knowledge management practices of the future, overcoming the obstacles and embracing the opportunities that have arisen from or been accelerated by the pandemic. Through demonstrating how effective knowledge management can help firms exceed client expectations, differentiate themselves in the competitive market, and, ultimately, improve their bottom line, this title will be of interest to knowledge management professionals including professional support lawyers, law firm leaders, partners and fee earners, and, outside of law firms, in-house lawyers and consultants.

Executive summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ixAbout the authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xviiChapter 1: Knowledge management strategies and frameworks for the post-COVID worldBy Nick Milton, director and co-founder, Knoco LtdIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1The four main scenarios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1KM strategies for a new world . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4How KM operated during lockdown and remote working . . . . . . . 5A KM framework for a hybrid organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Chapter 2: Adapting legal knowledge management to the hybrid workplaceBy Chris Boyd, chief operating officer, and Amy Halverson, director of knowledge management, research and information services, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & RosatiIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11The new legal workplace will be a hybrid one . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11KM resources and practices will be key to making the hybrid workplace succeed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Preparing KM for a hybrid future by cultivating connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Leveraging fully remote learnings to optimize KM for a hybrid world . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Chapter 3: Social KM in a time of COVID…and beyondBy Ian Rodwell, head of client knowledge and learning, Linklaters LLPThe role of social KM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19The impact of COVID-19 on social KM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21“Rewilding” social KM in a COVID-emergent world............... 23Concluding thoughts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Chapter 4: Knowledge management 2.0 – after the perfect storm, sailing with AI to new discoveriesBy Joe Cohen, UKIME head of innovation, and Andrea Miskolczi, Europe director of innovation, DentonsA perfect storm? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Keeping the good . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Embracing the new . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Beyond the old . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Chapter 5: Data-driven knowledge-based managementBy Jonna Vainikainen, business process manager, Castrén & Snellman Attorneys LtdThe evolving role of knowledge management.................... 33Data quality – good enough and fit for purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Ensuring good-quality data – metrics and evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . 36The rising era of data-driven technologies and automatization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37Legal industry trends call for good-quality data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42Chapter 6: Legal technology and knowledge managementBy Elisabeth Cappuyns, director of knowledge management, DLA Piper LLP (US)Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43Developing trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Overview of legal technology tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45Additional considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51Chapter 7: Artificial intelligence and automationBy James Loft, COO, Rainbird TechnologiesArtificial intelligence and automation in knowledge-driven industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53Unlocking automated decisioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54The combination of human potential and artificial intelligence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55Technology ecosystems that support business growth . . . . . . . . . . 57Chapter 8: SearchBy Jon Beaumont, senior manager of knowledge management, Shearman & Sterling LLPIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61Previously . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61Location and content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62Basic approaches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63Knowledge, data, and systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65Users and solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69The future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71Chapter 9: Digital transformation, knowledge management, and cybersecurity in the post-COVID eraBy Tiffany M. O’Neil, director of KM and technology innovation, and James G. Perkins, chief operating officer and chief compliance officer, Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLPIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73Digital mastery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74Knowledge management and technology innovation . . . . . . . . . . . 78Cybersecurity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79Protecting against attacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84Chapter 10: KM and innovation in law firms and legal departments: twins separated at birth?By Gordon Vala-Webb, thought leader, speaker/author, and innovation professionalWho is doing what? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87Long live KM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88Inter-connections between KM and innovation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88Similarities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89Gaps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91New order of things . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92Chapter 11: Hybrid competitive intelligence – gathering intel remotelyBy Mark Gediman, senior research analyst, Alston & Bird, LLP, and Kevin Miles, manager, research services, Norton Rose FulbrightTransitioning to a hybrid environment – cultural shifts . . . . . . . . . . 93Strengths and opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94Managing expectations in a hybrid environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95Use of virtual tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98Ethics and CI are not mutually exclusive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100Summing up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102Chapter 12: Retaining KM talentBy Tara Pichardo-Angadi, head of knowledge (EMEA), Norton Rose Fulbright LLPIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103Hiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103Developing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105Moving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110Chapter 13: Inclusion and diversity in knowledge: raising awareness and embedding best practice post-COVIDBy Orla Bingham, service owner, content development, and Katherine Lang, senior knowledge lawyer and London knowledge lead, Baker McKenzieInclusive training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113Inclusive language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115Inclusion of all colleagues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117Allyship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117Bringing your whole self to work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118Returning to the workplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119What next? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120Chapter 14: Building and managing a truly global research team post-COVIDBy Kathy Skinner, director of research, White & Case LLPChanges to research teams post-COVID and their impact on global team-building and alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123What are the biggest long-term challenges and what organizational support do you need to address them? . . . . . . . . . . 124What new opportunities can your team realize in this changed environment? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129Chapter 15: Law firm knowledge management and the metaverseBy Anthony J. Rhem, CEO and principal consultant, AJ Rhem & Associates Inc.Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131Metaverse drivers for law firm knowledge management . . . . . . . . 132Legal research in the metaverse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133Law firm collaboration in the metaverse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135Legal and ethical issues of law firm KM in the metaverse . . . . . . . 136The metaverse and knowledge continuity in law firms . . . . . . . . . . 136Conclusion and key points to consider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137About Globe Law and Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139