The Virtual Lunch
Innovation and Insights from the SurePoint Community
Every weekday, legal industry analyst and attorney Ari Kaplan brings professionals from the legal community together to discuss current industry trends and topics on the Virtual Lunch.
SurePoint Supports Ari Kaplan Advisors’ Virtual Lunch
SurePoint Technologies sponsored the Virtual Lunch in March 2021 and again in June 2022. During this time, members of the SurePoint community talked with Kaplan to share their experiences and expertise. We’ve compiled some of our favorite conversations here.
Meet the SurePoint Community on the Virtual Lunch
Michelle Friends, Executive Director at Fairfield and Woods
Michelle Friends, Executive Director at the Denver-based law firm Fairfield and Woods, joined the Virtual Lunch to discuss her transition from Marketing Director to Executive Director and leveraging technology to increase efficiencies and improve client service. When adopting new technology, Friends shared “It is important to have lawyer and staff involvement.” Read more about Friends’ appearance on the SurePoint blog.
Joseph Anderson, Director of Information Technology at Miller Johnson
Joseph Anderson, Director of Information Technology at Miller Johnson, a Michigan-based law firm with over 100 lawyers, is responsible for leading the strategy, planning, and execution of the firm’s information management and infrastructure projects, He discussed the changing digital landscape and how innovating and pivoting is critical for a law firm. Anderson also serves as president of the West Michigan Association of Legal Administrators. Read more on the SurePoint blog.
Jaclyn Braga, Director of Marketing & Business Development at Morse
Jaclyn Braga is the Director of Marketing and Business Development at Morse, a 40-attorney firm in Waltham, Massachusetts. Braga joined Ari Kaplan on the Virtual Lunch to share her observations on the evolution of legal marketing, the importance of embracing technology, and using data as a not-so-secret weapon for ROI in marketing. Read more about Braga’s appearance on the SurePoint blog.
Michelle Cohen, President, Foundation of the Association of Legal Administrators
Michelle Cohen is the Human Resources Director at Schneck Law Group in Florham Park, New Jersey. She also serves as president of the Foundation of the Association of Legal Administrators, the charitable arm of ALA. Cohen joined the Virtual Lunch to share how she applies her background in social work to her daily life and the role of ALA in her professional development. Read more about Cohen’s appearance on the SurePoint blog.
Stephanie Henshaw, Manager, Accounting Services at Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice
Stephanie Henshaw is Manager, Accounting Services at Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice. The firm has over 80 lawyers across four offices in Missouri and Illinois. Henshaw joined the Virtual Lunch to talk about working remotely, considerations for growth-focused firms, and the trend toward alternative fee arrangements (AFAs).
Ken Koehn, Chief Operating Officer at Gould + Ratner
Ken Koehn is Chief Operating Officer at Gould + Ratner, a Chicago-based law firm with 50 lawyers. He joined the Virtual Lunch to discuss becoming a paperless firm, building a more profitable law firm, developing solid relationships, and the power of pizza. During the pandemic, Koehn served as president of ALA Chicago, which hosted a 200-person virtual pizza party. Read more on the SurePoint blog.
Alex Su, Head of Community Development at Ironclad
Alex Su is a former lawyer and current Head of Community Development at Ironclad. Su joined the Virtual Lunch to discuss his path from practicing lawyer at Sullivan & Cromwell to legal tech. He is also known for his active social media presence, with over 250,000 total followers across LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
Mike Suchsland, Venture Partner, Bridge Investments and The LegalTech Fund
Mike Suchsland works with venture capital and private equity funds to identify, evaluate and grow companies in the legal tech space. He is the former interim CEO of SurePoint Technologies and chair of the company’s board of directors. He joined the Virtual Lunch to discuss the importance of embracing change, being a good listener, and surrounding yourself with the right people to achieve your business goals.
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Go to ToolkitIt’s Time to Make the Change.
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