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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

BUYER (AND SELLER) BEWARE - There has never before been such a plethora of legal technology options on the market. Whether or not that's a good thing, however, depends on your perspective. The legal tech industry is exploding. But, as Law.com's Frank Ready has covered extensively over the past several weeks, the influx of new players and products to the market has made purchasing a complicated process rife with potential pitfalls. Meanwhile, legal tech vendors are fighting to stand out in a rapidly growing crowd of competitors, often employing aggressive marketing techniques that have proven effective in other industries but that tend to rankle legal industry buyers and leave salespeople frustrated. In this week's Law.com Trendspotter column, we'll look at the challenges both purchasers and vendors are facing in an incredibly cutthroat market, as well as some best practices for overcoming those obstacles. I'm interested to hear your thoughts: What are some of the biggest challenges to selling legal tech solutions in this ultracompetitive environment? What are some of the biggest hurdles for purchasers? How can buyers and vendors overcome these issues? Let me know at [email protected].

BENCH TEST - The upcoming SCOTUS term could prove to be the defining moment for a lineup of justices that has become—to put it mildly—really, really, really divisive, Law.com's Marcia Coyle reports. "Not since Bush v. Gore has the public perception of the court's legitimacy seemed so seriously threatened," Irv Gornstein, executive director of the Supreme Court Institute at Georgetown University Law Center, said during a panel discussion Tuesday, calling the upcoming term "a turning point." If within the span of two to three terms, there are "sweeping, one-sided" decisions in cases such as voting, abortion, guns, religion and affirmative action, he said, "The perception of the court may be permanently altered. If the justices think a few unanimous decisions and votes against type will counter that impression, I think they may be deluding themselves." But not everyone on the panel was as skeptical of the justices' ability to put politics aside. Latham & Watkins partner Roman Martinez, for example, said he believes "there's a sustained campaign to delegitimize the court, which has gotten some traction on the left," but that "the court, to its credit, is defending itself."

FLIGHT PATTERN - The federal government, the District of Colombia, the State of Arizona and five other states filed an antitrust lawsuit against American Airlines Group and JetBlue Airways Tuesday in Massachusetts District Court. The complaint accuses the airlines of conspiring to coordinate flights at four major airports in order to share revenues. Counsel have not yet appeared for the defendants. The case is 1:21-cv-11558, United States Of America et al v. American Airlines Group Inc. et al. Stay up on the latest deals and litigation with the new Law.com Radar.  

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EDITOR'S PICKS

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WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

GROWING PAINS - With global revenues hitting $2.39 billion, profits per equity partner surpassing $3 million and revenue per lawyer hitting $1 million, White & Case achieved its major internal strategic milestones in 2020. A cause for celebration, no? Well, yes and no. As Law.com International's Hannah Roberts reports, the process of getting to this point has been, according to many former and current White & Case partners, both a blessing and a curse. Reports of integration challenges, a siloed partnership full of sharp elbows and a raft of exits all point to significant issues within the firm that some believe may undercut any plans for further growth. As one White & Case partner put it: "How much further can we go as a firm before we stray into Icarus territory?"

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WHAT YOU SAID

"I'm not a traditional lawyer. I'm a high school dropout, beach bum of a kid who happened to later finish high school at a private military school and get a law degree. There's no one outside of the courtroom that has mistaken me for a lawyer."