The International Legal Technology Association's yearly ILTACON conference is always one of the largest legal technology shows on the schedule. But at this year's conference, beginning in just 10 days outside Washington, D.C., there will be one notable absence: CEO Dan Liutikas.

On Aug. 8, Angela Dowd, ILTA board president, sent an email to the organization's partners stating that Liutikas will be stepping down from his position to pursue what she called “another professional opportunity.” She added that Liutikas will not be at this year's ILTACON. The resignation was first reported by the U.K.'s Legal IT Insider.

Dan Liutikas, outgoing CEO, ILTA. (Photo via Twitter.)

ILTA confirmed the resignation with Legaltech News, and an official announcement from the organization will be coming today. Liutikas will be staying in the position through the end of August to facilitate the leadership transfer.

The board of directors will now be tasked with beginning a new CEO search just as ILTACON kicks off on Aug. 19 in National Harbor, Maryland. But Kate Cain, an ILTA board member and director of market intelligence at Sidley Austin, told Legaltech News that conference goers shouldn't expect any changes.

“The entire ILTA staff is what it takes to pull off ILTACON; it's not just one person. They've already put in all the hard work, planning and preparation. … Dan is working very closely with the board and the staff to make sure that everything that was on his to-do list, both for ILTACON and all of the other initiatives that are in the works, are transitioned smoothly,” she said.

Cain also noted that although there's “never a perfect time” for this type of change, the board will take the opportunity at the conference to focus on what's next for the organization. She added, “This is our new reality, so we're going to make it work and showcase the best that ILTA has to offer.”

During ILTACON, Cain said that Liutikas will continue to work on ILTA-related activities out of the organization's Chicago office, finishing up existing projects and pulling together documentation and other resources to hand off to various members of the team.

“August 31 will be here before we know it, and we are all committed to making sure day-to-day operations don't miss a beat and to ensuring the success of our volunteer leaders and professional staff,” Cain explained.

The move marks the second straight year for a C-suite change right before ILTACON. Last year, it was Liutikas orchestrating the moves following his April 2017 appointment to CEO. On Aug. 11, 2017, Liutikas appointed four new executive officers for the organization: Jason Stookey as vice president of partner development; T.J. Johnson as vice president of events and conferences; Susan McClellan as director of membership; and Corey Simpson as chief technology officer.

Those appointments brought confusion, both because of the timing as well as who they were replacing. ILTA at the time let go Clay Gibney, Deb Himsel and Peggy Wechsler, each of whom had been with the organization for more than eight years. Wechsler, in particular, had been program director of ILTA conferences since 1998.

When looking for Liutikas' replacement, Cain said that ILTA will likely begin by looking for an interim CEO with a tenure of around a year, starting with a posting on ILTA's Career Site, with an eye toward also looking for a permanent replacement. The goal, she joked, is to find “Mr. or Mrs. Right, not Mr. or Mrs. Right Now.”

“We'll be moving quickly to fill that leadership position, but we want to make sure we're filling it with the right person,” she added.

 

Editor's Note: Updated at 3 pm ET with more information about the transition.