Morgan Lewis' knowledge management unit and investment management practice didn't set out to build a new tech product when they started working together. But an automated client-facing tool emerged from a process aimed first at eliminating friction. Have an opinion? Email me here. Want this dispatch in your inbox every Thursday? Sign up here.

'The Aha Moment': Building Tech Solutions (That Actually Get Used)

It's nice for a law firm to trot out a new branded piece of technology that purports to solve a client need. The firm's innovation unit can tout a success. The marketing department has something new to marshal its energy around. And maybe some clients will actually find it beneficial, recognizing savings in either costs or time that bolster the esteem of the firm in their minds. Better relationships, more work and higher revenues will follow. That's the story.

The missing piece of the plot here, however, is partner buy-in. The practicing lawyers who lead these client relationships have to be convinced of the value of the solution. Otherwise it's bound to wither on the vine.