Contract lifecycle management (CLM) software usage is growing among mergers and acquisitions attorneys. But unlike their corporate legal department counterparts, some law firms haven't communicated the availability of CLM tech or developed a business model to justify the usage of the software that cuts significantly at their billable hours.

"They are still in the educational phase," said Charles Post, executive vice president of e-discovery and managed review provider Compliance, of outside counsel. "They're exploring different tools and trying to put their business models around it."

He added, "I would say they're still [using CLM tech] at their own pace, and it's a contrast to legal departments, they are more focused. You have certain law firms that are really hitting it out the park with this stuff, but this is a positive disruption type of technology and there's always going to be a level of hesitancy when they can be the most impacted."