In this episode, we feature our keynote speaker from Envision 2022: Nada Alnajafi. Nada is an award-winning in-house attorney, blogger, and author. She currently serves as Corporate Council at Franklin Templeton and is the founder of Contract Nerds, a legal blog all about contracts for contract professionals around the world. The focus of this episode is on contract redlining etiquette, as she goes through her book and the top three tips for leveraging the power of red lines for faster and smarter contract negotiations. So, grab a glass of wine, and let's talk contracts!
Buckle up! We are taking a deep dive into community! For today's episode, Colin Levy- Director of Legal and Evangelist at Malbek- is joined by fellow LinkedIn influencer, lawyer, and entrepreneur Flo Nicolas. Flo begins by exploring what community really means and what you have to do to build an authentic and engaging brand. Focusing on how legal tech extends past just the "lawyers" and "contract managers", the conversation then covers Flo's path into legal tech and how she became interested in social media. They then cover the trials and tribulations of social media and share some tips on how to improve your presence and build a community of your own. So now it's time to relax, grab a glass of wine, and let's talk contracts.
Today's episode is all about growth. Specifically, how our customer Pantheon leveraged Malbek's robust analytics, seamless integrations, and self-configurable solution to achieve stunning results for Legal that helped to grow the business in a meaningful, measurable way. Today's guests are Ronak Ray, GC of Pantheon, and Taeler Gannuscia, Product Marketing Manager at Malbek. Beginning with the challenges Pantheon faced pre-Malbek, Ronak shares how a CLM solution that is ready to scale and grow from the get-go was a defining attribute they needed. The conversation then shifts to how to get buy-in from stakeholders across the business- not just from Legal. Touching on the results of implementing Malbek, Ronak shares how AI functionality, no-code integrations, and contract automation made it easy to scale with the hypergrowth Pantheon is (and continues to) experiencing to this day. So now it's time to relax, grab a glass of wine, and let's talk contracts.
We begin season three of the Contract Lens with Taeler Gannuscia, Product Marketing Manager at Malbek, and Omar Sweiss, Founder and CEO of JusticeBid, as they explore the state of DEI in the legal sphere, what JusticeBid does, and what it takes to build a strong DEI initiative. Omar begins the conversation with how JusticeBid is a little like the Justice League of Legal. Noting that it only takes a little courage to spur change, he dives into how and why he began JusticeBid. Omar then explains what intersectionality is and why JusticeBid has taken it into account to strengthen DEI. And since transparency builds trust, Omar wraps up with how to best build value through relationships when choosing who to work with. So grab a glass of wine, and let's talk contracts!
On today's episode of The Contract Lens Podcast Jaime Slocum, VP of Customer Success at Malbek, is joined by Stephanie Cox-Connolly, Malbek customer and Contracts Manager at Benchmark Education, to get to know the do's and don'ts of implementing a CLM. Beginning with the do's, Stephanie defines the three main pillars to pay attention to when implementing contracts: process, stakeholders, and buy-in. She explains the fine balance between stakeholder input and roll-out efficiency, and how to maintain that balance. Stephanie then shares best practices for before, during, and after implementing a CLM solution. It's all about communication, managing change, and prep! So, grab a glass of wine, and let's talk contracts!
On today's episode of The Contract Lens Podcast Hemanth Puttaswamy, CEO and Co-founder of Malbek, is joined by David (Ledge) Ledgerwood, Managing Partner at Add1Zero and podcast host, to explore how contracts can be used as a tool for revenue. To kick off the conversation, David explains why companies who don’t manage their contracts appropriately face a lot of friction (and risk) for their revenue ops team. Revenue drives everything, and so do contracts, so he dives deep into how you can speed your deal cycle with a little help from a contract management system. David then explores how AI can smooth your deal cycle and add value to the contract process in a way that benefits Sales, Legal, and Finance teams. Reflecting on his experiences, David shares his top four traits of a perfect CLM solution for revenue ops teams. Hint: collaboration, speed, and integrations all play a part! So, grab a glass of wine, and let's talk contracts!
On today's episode of The Contract Lens Podcast we have an excerpt from our Legalweek 2022 discussion with Ronak Ray, General Council at Pantheon, and Malbek Customer, as he explores how to use metrics in an actionable and impactful way. Ronak begins by sharing how his organization uses a CLM to align contract management practices to business targets, and what Legal does to support this role. Then, he discusses how to conduct a holistic needs assessment to identify CLM goals. Ronak dives deeper with metrics and KPIs by sharing which ones to track to help define your success. Finally, Ronak shares his experience as a Malbek customer and how having the right CLM solution in place can unite the enterprise and improve business outcomes. So, grab a glass of wine, and let's talk contracts!
On today's episode of The Contract Lens Podcast Lucy Bassli, Founder and Principal at InnoLaw Group, is joined by Becky Holloway, VP of Marketing at Malbek, to explore the core points from Lucy’s newest book CLM Simplified: Efficient Contracting for Law Departments. Lucy dives into her newest book by explaining a key theme: what it means to have an over-functional Legal team. Citing reasons for mistrust between business and Legal teams, she then goes over ways to better align Legal with business teams and organizational goals. Lucy goes a step further and explains why it’s best to keep Legal out of the contract lifecycle as much as you can except for the negotiation phase. To wrap up, Lucy shares where CLM technologies can have the greatest impact. So, grab a glass of wine, and let's talk contracts!
On today’s episode we are joined by Arjen Van Berkum, Chief strategy Wizard at CATS CM, a Dutch contract management methodology company, to discuss how contract management is key to being part of a business ecosystem. The conversation kicks off with Arjen describing how a contract can be a business asset not a risk if managed properly. He then points out how no company works in a void, and how contract management is a key way to assess and build your business ecosystem. Arjen touches on how a solid methodology can serve as a common language for all stakeholders and can help you navigate people, process, and regulation. So, grab a glass of wine, and let's talk contracts!
For Envision 2021, we brought together five contract experts, Steph Corey - Co-founder of UpLevels Ops, Lucy Bassli - Founder and Principal at InnoLaw Group, Colin McCarthy - CEO and Founder of Legal Operators, Jason Smith - Chair, Corporate Counsel Section of the State Bar of Texas, and Teju Deshpande - Principal of Deloitte’s Legal Business Services practice, to tackle the biggest questions in contract management. The debate was intense, flags were thrown, and words did fly! The debate begins with "process": what it is and why its so important for your success. Then, the game gets heated with a "discussion" of the term non-lawyer and the impacts the lawyer vs. non-lawyer debate has. The conversation then shifts to how to continually improve your process with technology and innovation. Finally, the panel discuss the need for community in the contract management space and why change is needed to help include others and expand viewpoints. So, grab a glass of wine, and let's talk contracts!
In today’s episode, James Meads, Managing Partner at James Meads Consulting and podcast host, shares the gaps in contract management that procurement faces and how to bridge them. James introduces the unique challenges that procurement encounters when it comes to contracts. From third-party paper to the lack of Procurement involvement in Procurement activities, James describes the four major challenges that Procurement teams face when managing contracts. Focusing on the issue of third-party paper, he explains how procurement is at a loss without a way to confidently review a contract. James then shares how things like a strong CLM solution and AI functionality can help solve these challenges. Wrapping up with his take on the future, he describes how Procurement is evolving (and why companies need to pay more attention to their Procurement teams!). So, grab a glass of wine, and let's talk contracts!
On today’s episode we discuss how to use technology and data to better achieve organizational goals. The conversation is led by Colin Levy, legal tech influencer and Director of Legal and Evangelist at Malbek, and Taeler Gannuscia, Product Marketing Manager at Malbek. Beginning with one of his LinkedIn posts, Colin explains that technology is a tool for professionals to reach their goals. Tech can unlock data and offer valuable insights, but it all comes down to how people use it within their processes. Colin then explains how legal technology a tool for building collaborative relationships with other business functions and spearheading digital transformation across the organization. Colin finishes up by offering advice on how to be a data-driven technology advocate. So, grab a glass of wine, and let's talk contracts!
On today’s episode, Mark Ross, Principal in Deloitte Tax LLP’s Legal Business Services practice, is joined by Taeler Gannuscia, Product Marketing Manager at Malbek, to explore the role of a CLM in an organization and how it helps business users manage the entire lifespan of a contract to create the most value. Mark begins by discussing why a CLM is necessary in today’s world. He explores how, since contracts go beyond legal and are the lifeblood of a business, technology is an enabler for all stakeholders. He shares how an organization can work to crumble the walls between stakeholders and his top three ingredients for a successful CLM implementation. Then, Mark shifts the conversation to how applying CLM technologies in the right way can help you to manage your contracts post-signature. He ties it all together by looking into his metaphorical crystal ball and sharing where he thinks the CLM industry is headed next. So, grab a glass of wine, and let's talk contracts!
On today’s episode, Linda Tonkes, Author and Managing Director at CM Partners, is joined by Gary Zuder, VP of Sales at Malbek, to discuss the impact of pre- and post-award contract management on organizational agility. Linda shares how contracts are nothing without context before signing and the actions you take after signing. She describes the steps you should take in the pre-award phase to ensure success and then explains why you need to expect change and who to involve so you can adapt quickly. Knowing contracting is a cycle, not a linear process, Linda then wraps up the discussion by sharing how renovating a kitchen is like getting started with contracts. Hint: it’s all about who you are building for! So, grab a glass of wine, and let's talk contracts!
On today’s episode of the Contract Lens, Anne Moore, Senior Solution Consultant at Malbek, discusses how to transform the way you do contracts for Procurement with Karthik Rama, a contract management expert and transformation leader in the procurement space. Karthik is known as the Procurement Doctor for a reason, as he begins by explaining how contract management is like the nervous system of procurement. He continues the conversation by using his experiences to denote the common problems Procurement faces with contracts, and how technology can work to solve them. Since Procurement is so different from other teams, Karthik describes ways to align Legal and Procurement for success. Finishing the discussion on a strong note, he shares how people, process, data, and technology can be combined to ensure continued success and efficiency.
In this episode of The Contract Lens Podcast, Lee Hoang, Account Executive at Malbek, chats with Basha Rubin, co-founder and CEO of Priori Legal, about leveraging contract overflow support to effectively scale to your legal needs. The conversation kicks off with Basha explaining what contract overflow support is and how it can be a much more cost-effective way to scale. Flexibility is key, so Basha also touches on how legal support can create efficiency for your legal department. She then describes the signs that you may need to consider legal support services and higher a general council. So grab a glass of wine, and let's talk contracts!
Kicking off season two, Matt Patel, COO and Co-founder of Malbek, chats with Ed Klaris and Alex Akers of KlarisIP on how important it is to have a CLM that integrates with other business applications. When it comes to how contracts are handled, it can seem like Legal is at odds with other business teams. Alex and Ed discuss how using the right CLM and integrations smooths out friction and can bridge the gap between different parts of the business. The conversation shifts to specific departments and the pain points they face without the right integrations. Rounding out the episode, Alex and Ed discuss how having visibility into obligations and data is critical for business function and why integrating properly can be a game changer for your organization. Teamwork makes the dream work and that is no exception for CLM solutions! So, grab a glass of wine, and let's talk contracts!
On today’s episode Brad Wires from the Malbek Sales team chats with Pepe Toriello, Founder and CEO of Red de Firmas, about how to make the contract management process more efficient. Beginning with the most common problems, Pepe breaks down the contracting cycle and explains what pitfalls can occur at each step. Using examples from his experience as a legal consultant, he then explains how knowing your process and what you want from it is the important first step in creating efficiency. He highlights CLM features, like strong search functionality and AI as a springboard, as among the best ways to streamline the approval process. There are more than just approvals to make more efficient though, so he also shares which KPIs are important to pay attention to for monitoring efficiency and what insights they can bring about your contract process as a whole. So grab a glass of wine, and let's talk contracts!
Today's episode of The Contract Lens Podcast features an insightful conversation between Malbek Director of Sales, Kevin Brening, and Managing Director at Valenta BPO, Richard Nohe, as they discuss how digital transformation is impacting in-house legal departments today. Having recently published a paper called "Digital Contracting in the Context of Digital Transformation", Richard brings a deep understanding of the issues facing legal departments in the age of digital transformation. He acknowledges the tension that inevitably exists since technology is inherently forward focused and legal is backward focused on historical precedent. But despite those tensions, legal no longer has a choice to delay from analog and manual methods, and there is great benefit to be gained in efficiencies and off-loading tedious tasks that pull away from more strategic work. Richard makes the case for why legal should align with the broader goals of the business and why AI should really be called "augmented intelligence", and he concludes with his advice for those organizations embarking on a digital transformation journey. So grab a glass of wine, and let's talk contracts!