SCG Legal August 2024 Newsletter

August 27, 2024
scglegal

We are three weeks away from our 2024 Annual Meeting in sunny Los Angeles, and the opportunities for intelligence gathering, practice building, and client collaboration at this event are shaping up to be – literally and figuratively – incredibly impactful. We are currently on track to host 180 participants from +85 member firms representing +50 countries and most U.S. states.

In addition to many of our members presenting on a wide range of panels, our keynote speakers for the meeting will include California State Senator Ben Allen, who represents California’s 24th Senate District in Los Angeles County, and State Attorney General Rob Bonta. 

In addition to the meeting panels, which will cover topics ranging from Cross-Border M&A Trends to the Intersection of Deep Fakes, Generative AI, Privacy, and Intellectual Property, we have also organized a Government Relations Practice Group meeting and a Data Protection, Privacy & Cybersecurity Practice Group lunch before the main event. We will also host a Collaborating & Cross-Selling for Success Women in Law Workshop. Click HERE for additional meeting information.

>> IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: IN-PERSON IMPACT 

SCG Midyear Meeting (May 2024). With 130 participants representing 54 law firms from 34 different countries…including a third of the U.S. state members…this year’s Midyear Meeting was the *largest* in SCG’s Midyear meeting history. Just as exciting is the fact that 30% of the attorneys attending were experiencing their very first in-person network meeting! SCG extends its heartfelt appreciation to local member/host firm Beauchamps for its generous support and hospitality. Please click HERE for the meeting agenda and HERE for all available presentations from the meeting.

  • The Midyear Meeting was sponsored in part by Thread Legal, the world’s only Legal Matter Management Software fully built on Microsoft 365. For more information or a demonstration, contact > Ireland & EU: +353 1 8704 949; UK & NI: +44 283 799 8620; Global: +1 656 207 5044 |  sales@threadsoftware.com.

Team Canada Regional Meeting (June 2024). Every SCG Canada member firm—with forty-five participants in total—convened in Montreal for our annual regional meeting. The agenda included business development activities, legal tech, and A/R discussions as well as ample time for networking. Special guests included The Honourable Irwin Cotler, P.C., O.C., O.Q., Ad. E., a remarkable human rights advocate, who shared his journey in the field of human rights, insights on current events, and thoughts about the future; Mario Lefebvre, a key figure in the music world in Quebec, who played a pivotal role in the success of renowned artists like Pink Floyd and Celine Dion; and Jo-Ann Lempert, a partner at professional service firm MNP, who discussed the importance and benefits of gender equality in the workplace. A special thank you to Dunton Rainville for hosting a fantastic meeting and to all who made time to travel and participate!

>> INDUSTRY EVENTS: MEET-AND-GREET 

ILTACON
A week ago, SCG’s Director of Business Development & Strategic Initiatives Michele Bisceglie and I were guests at the International Legal Technology Association’s (ILTA) annual ILTACON meeting. The event attracted +4,000 participants and featured 222 vendors, with nearly half focusing on AI-driven law-tech solutions. In addition to hosting a cocktail reception for technology professionals from our 18 member firms attending the meeting, here are my key takeaways: 

  • Generative AI: AI remains a hot topic, but there is a consensus that successful implementation requires a clear strategy and a thorough understanding of the specific problems it aims to address. Without alignment with a firm’s strategic goals and tech-use culture, AI initiatives are likely to falter. The importance of governance in AI use was also highlighted, particularly to ensure compliance and uphold ethical standards.
  • Data and Profitability: The effective use of data was another critical theme. The emphasis was on making data actionable; simply collecting data without strategically applying it is seen as a wasted effort. Law firms are encouraged to integrate data into broader business contexts to improve decision-making, manage costs, and enhance profitability. 
  • Client Trust and Personalized Service: For midsize firms, building and maintaining client trust is a strategic priority. This often involves technology investments that may not be immediately profitable but ultimately enhance client relationships, service quality, and long-term profitability. 

The bottom line? While technology offers significant opportunities for law firms, successful implementation requires careful planning, strategic alignment, and a focus on both cost management and client service. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or would like to learn more about our ILTACON experience.

FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES
SCG monitors member attendance at global industry events to help facilitate and/or potentially sponsor networking opportunities. Below are some of the events SCG is tracking for on-site member meetups and invitations (if/when appropriate) to additional networking opportunities with clients.  

If you would like to suggest other events be added to this list, please email Membership Coordinator Erin Kane (ekane@scglegal.com).

>> SCG GLOBAL SPIN PODCAST GOES VIRAL
At no extra cost and inclusive of full production support, SCG supports member firms with pod/webcast opportunities through its Global Spin platform. Please click HERE for previous episodes.

In Case You Missed It  

Mark Davison of member firm Mills & Reeve (UK) and Graydon Dowd of member firm Hall & Wilcox (Australia: Melbourne) offer an overview of how mediation works, trends in usage, and typical costs, and share insights on developments in specific jurisdictions as well as cross-border mediation resources. To view the webcast, click HERE. 

SCG Legal’s *NEW* Women in Law and Leadership Series: Journey to Success has recorded its second episode…this time featuring Shivpriya ‘Shippi’ Nanda of member firm JSA (India) and Vinita Mehra of member firm Kegler Brown Hill + Ritter (US: Ohio) sharing the opportunities and challenges that shaped their career journey between the decision to become a lawyer and today’s well-earned success. Click HERE for the first episode of the series featuring Lisa Borsook of member firm WeirFoulds (Canada: Ontario) and Susan Wissink of member firm Fennemore (US; Arizona).

Have an idea for a topic? Want to partner with another member on a Global Spin episode? Please contact Membership Coordinator Erin Kane (ekane@scglegal.com) to coordinate details.

>> WEBINAR RECORDINGS AVAILABLE: WATCH & LEARN 

  • What Does a Highly Collaborative Law Firm Look Like? Many studies show businesses with collaborative cultures enjoy a higher level of profitability, have better talent retention, and deliver superior service to their clients. This webinar focused on building a collaborative culture within your teams and across your firm to accelerate client value. Click HERE for the webinar recording and presentation materials. 
  • Building Your Personal Brand. Attendees learned how to define, refine, and re-invent their personal brand; communicate their personal brand; explore strategies for aligning existing network with their personal brand; and keep their personal brand at the forefront of a career management strategy. Click HERE for the webinar recording and presentation materials. Feel free to share these resources + the Cultivating Your Zone of Genius worksheet with your firm colleagues. 

For more previous webinars, be sure to read SCG’s ‘The Weekly Roundup,’ which should land in your inbox the first of each week, and bookmark the Webinars page on our website. Have an idea for a future professional development webinar topic or speaker? Please contact Membership Coordinator Erin Kane (ekane@scglegal.com).

>> PRACTICE GROUP MEETINGS: CONNECT & COLLABORATE
The purpose of these affinity initiatives is to connect lawyers across the globe so you can share information related to your practices and to discuss potential collaborations on client, business development, and thought leadership opportunities (e.g., joint podcast, panel participation, article co-authorship, etc.). 

  • Established: International Arbitration, Bankruptcy & Insolvency, Cannabis, Cyber/GDPR – Technology & Digital Economy, Employment, Government Procurement, and Government Relations  
  • Launched/ing in 2024: Environment/Energy (Europe); Life Sciences; Immigration; Infrastructure; Intellectual Property (Patent Prosecution/Litigation); Mergers & Acquisitions (Europe & Asia); Solar Energy, Tax (Asia); Technology & Digital Economy; Trusts and Estates; and White Collar  

Participation is coordinated through your firm’s Voting Representative (VR). Please reach out to your VR if you are interested in any of the groups mentioned above or to me (agorokhovsky@scglegal.com) if you have an idea for a new one.

>> DOING BUSINESS IN…GUIDES
To support a greater understanding of business and legal considerations in jurisdictions around the world, SCG produces regional guides as well as offering the opportunity for individual firms to promote their expertise. 

Interested in creating a guide/report for your location? Please contact Director, Business Development and Strategic Initiatives Michele Bisceglie (mbisceglie@scglegal.com).  

>> NEW PARTNER INSTITUTE (NPI): NEW CLASSES FORMING
To date, 148 attorneys from 85 member firms have graduated from this proprietary network initiative, which springboards the careers of newly promoted partners—those elevated within the last two years—who want to establish a competitive advantage through the right resources, tools, and insights to help them become more proactive, productive, and profitable. Participation is coordinated through your firm’s VR. Please reach out to your VR if you are interested in participating.

>> DEI ADVOCATETM CERTIFICATION: CONGRATUALTIONS
SCG extends its congratulations to the member firms – Boutin Jones (US: California, Sacramento), Field Law (Alberta), Mills & Reeve (UK), Philippi Prietocarrizosa Ferrero DU & Uría (Colombia), Rifkin Weiner Livingston (US: Maryland), and WeirFoulds (Canada: Ontario) – that participated in our network’s inaugural, proprietary Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) Advocate™ Certification Program. This recognition underscores the dedication of these law firms to fostering and/or enhancing their diversity and inclusion efforts through a comprehensive, year-long certification process. Click HERE for the full press release. If your firm is interested in participating in the next program, please contact me (agorokhovsky@scglegal.com) directly. 

>> REMINDER: TRACKING REFERRALS FOR IMPACT
As you know, it can take numerous interactions to build the rapport and establish the trust that enables client referrals. Once that foundation is laid, referrals become nearly seamless, and members invest in each other’s success naturally.

As member-to-member client referrals occur, please help SCG track them. Doing so is critical to:

  • Offer a clear picture of membership value, especially for annual member firm renewals and prospect member firm invitations;
  • Ensure acknowledgement of/credit to the referring firm; and
  • Ensure the firm receiving a referral has an opportunity to profile their practice/s.   

To ensure accurate tracking, please copy me (agorokhovsky@scglegal.com) on any referral emails. If that’s not possible because of client confidentiality, please send me a separate email sharing details (i.e., the firm you referred the client/matter to and, as able, the related practice or industry). If you have any questions/ suggestions about this request, please contact me directly.  

Best,
Alina Gorokhovsky, CEO
agorokhovsky@scglegal.com
202.580.6527

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