Inspired by his counseling work for client Tableau, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius partner Andrew Gray IV has harnessed self-service analytics at the firm with a particular focus on patent prosecution. By focusing on how the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has handled similar matters in the past—going so far as to drill down on individual patent examiner's idiosyncrasies—Gray and his team have obtained faster patent issuances at lower costs.

Gray is among the five finalists for The Recorder's Innovator of the Year Award. The winner will be announced Nov. 6 as part of the California Leaders in Tech Law and Innovation Awards. The Recorder recently asked Gray about what he and the firm have learned by representing Tableau and adopting the company's data visualization tools.

The Recorder: What does it mean to you to be called an innovator?

Gray: It is an honor to be called an innovator, particularly at a time when innovation is vital to advance and succeed no matter what field or industry you're in. Additionally, the people I most admire are innovators so it is doubly meaningful to be in their company. Working with technology clients, who are passionate about innovation and think innovatively to improve this world, it is important that I too have a reputation for innovation. I've found that clients seek out counsel who value thinking outside the box and appreciate new ideas and invention. To offer clients the best of both worlds—innovate thinking and legal advice—I credit my natural curiosity with a whole lot of persistence.

How has working for a client like Tableau changed the way you approach practicing the law?

The Tableau team brings so much passion to making the world a better place by helping people better understand and use data. I am constantly learning about new ways Tableau is having a  positive impact through its products, I was naturally curious about how Tableau's technology could improve my practice. It did not take long for Morgan Lewis to see the benefits of using Tableau's data visualization tools to provide analytics on practice areas, and I knew I could go even deeper by using Tableau in the data-heavy world of patent prosecution. Three years after I began using Tableau's analytical tools to learn how the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has historically handled similar matters has significantly enabled the firm to become more efficient in how we prepare and prosecute patent applications. The result? Our clients are getting faster patent issuances at lower costs.

How do you and your team measure success?

We measure our success by the success of our clients. When we help clients obtain intellectual property protection that is aligned with their business interests and allows them to continue to grow and to innovate, we know we have succeeded. This can, of course, take many forms, but having shepherded Tableau from its incorporation to its acquisition by Salesforce for more than $15 billion is one measure of success of which I am particularly proud.