Tech Circuit: E-Discovery Summit Edition

Greetings from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and the second annual Electronic Discovery Institute’s Leadership Summit. The two-day conference has been terrific, bringing 218 attendees to the elegant Ritz Carlton hotel, including more than 50 who work in corporate counsel environments, as well as law firm and government lawyers and professionals, several consultants, at least a half-dozen jurists, and about 14 vendors.

There’s no question that the power dynamic between Big Law and corporate law departments has shifted over the last few years, and the increasing integration of technology into the legal profession has caused friction. Thursday’s session about Kia Motors is a great example. The company, when choosing outside counsel, now tests associates from candidate firms to see how proficient they are at using Microsoft Office and other technologies when drafting motions, etc. Of the eight firms that have taken the audit so far, none have passed. That no doubt sends Big Law rainmakers to Costco for massive amounts of Maalox. Check out the story here.