UpLevel View

Amidst the innovation renaissance in Legal Operations, it's natural to feel overwhelmed. Luckily, the UpLevel View podcast has got you covered! Join UpLevel Ops experts each month for exclusive interviews and unique insights from those who have been there and done that in Legal Ops. We'll be sharing guidance on upping your game as an effective corporate legal leader, straight talk about legal technology, and actionable ways to break out of your comfort zone and take your career to the Next Level. Don't miss a thing - subscribe to the UpLevel View podcast and improve your legal leadership vision today!

Future-Proofing Legal – Aligning with Business Goals with April Miller Boise 06/16/2025

Future-Proofing Legal – Aligning with Business Goals with April Miller Boise What does it take to future-proof legal? Intel's CLO, April Miller Boise, joins host Stephanie Corey to unpack how legal teams can drive business value, embrace AI, and rethink spending with value-based pricing. From leadership insights to flexible staffing strategies, this episode is a blueprint for modern legal transformation. Guest Additional Info April Miller Boise is Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at Intel Corporation, where she leads the global legal, trade, and government affairs teams. Before joining Intel, she served as Chief Legal Officer (CLO) at Eaton Corporation and Meritor Inc. Earlier in her career, she practiced on Wall Street and later led the Cleveland office of Am Law 200 firm Thompson Hine, where she also sat on the executive committee. With a career spanning complex legal and business environments across various sectors, including semiconductors, automotive, and energy, April brings deep expertise in corporate governance, regulatory strategy, and global risk management. Highlights From legal expert to strategic business partner. Creating alignment with company strategy. Strategy on a Page (SOAP) method. Importance of prioritization in legal work. Introducing SWOT Analysis. Stop, Start, and Continue exercise for efficiency. Alternatives to traditional legal staffing. Leveraging flexible legal talent. Generative AI: A paradigm shift. AI’s potential in knowledge management. Training and mentoring in an AI-driven future. Expanding access to justice through AI. The evolving role of future CLOs. Episode Resources UpLevel Ops Master Chef GPT: UpLevel Ops Wanderlust GPT: Thought Leadership from UpLevel Ops: LINK (Legal Innovators Network): Connect with Stephanie Corey GAI Management Services from UpLevel Ops: GAI Management Solutions from UpLevel Ops: April Miller Boise on LinkedIn: Stephanie Corey on LinkedIn: /episode/index/show/83c33d84-1135-46e4-9546-42601da50715/id/36999640

Leadership, Culture, and Community in Legal Ops: A Greatest Hits Episode of UpLevel View with Heather Reid 05/14/2025

The Importance of GC/Legal Ops; What’s Next for the LINK Community x L Suite with Greg Raiten and Shaun Sethna 04/14/2025

The Importance of GC/Legal Ops; What’s Next for the LINK Community x L Suite with Greg Raiten and Shaun Sethna Legal Ops is evolving—are you ready? In the March episode of the UpLevel View Podcast, ULO CEO Stephanie Corey is joined by two standout leaders from The L Suite—Greg Raiten, Co-Founder, and Shaun Sethna, General Counsel—for an honest conversation about the evolving relationship between General Counsel and Legal Operations. Together, they explore why Legal Ops is no longer just a support function but a strategic partner in building agile, scalable legal teams. From navigating CLM implementations (spoiler: they’re never as easy as they look) to adopting AI and value-based pricing models, this discussion gets into the real-world challenges legal departments face—and the solutions that actually work. The trio also reflects on the recent LINK + L Suite events and the magic that happens when legal leaders and ops professionals share a room (and a few hard truths). Whether you’re a solo GC or leading a mature legal department, this episode is packed with insight, candor, and a healthy dose of humor. Don’t miss this inspiring conversation—subscribe now and take your legal leadership to the Next Level! Highlights Greg’s Insight: Hiring Legal Ops as a first hire. Sean’s View: Legal Ops importance across economic cycles. Greg’s Observation: Lawyers don’t learn operational efficiency. Steph on Legal Strategy: Aligning legal teams with business growth. Greg on Events: Successful merge of communities. Greg’s Approach: Legal ops communities and event strategy. Sean’s Insight: GC curiosity and legal ops evolution. Greg on Legal Tech: Importance of adapting to change. Episode Resources UpLevel Ops Master Chef GPT: UpLevel Ops Wanderlust GPT: Thought Leadership from UpLevel Ops: LINK (Legal Innovators Network): Connect with Stephanie Corey The L Suite: Shaun Sethna on LinkedIn: Greg Raiten on LinkedIn: /episode/index/show/83c33d84-1135-46e4-9546-42601da50715/id/36083840

Redefining Value in Legal Operations for 2025 with Maureen Harms 02/26/2025

Flexible Solutions, Lasting Impact: ALSPs and the Future of Legal Operations with Monica Zent 01/16/2025

2024 in Legal Ops: What We’ve Learned, What’s Next – An UpLevel Ops Roundtable 12/12/2024

Creating a Resilient Legal Operations Framework for Uncertain Times with Alison English 11/12/2024

Secrets to Implementation Success with Evan Wong 10/24/2024

Reimagining Legal Services: Professor Andrew Perlman on ChatGPT and the Future of Law 09/16/2024

AI Evolution: One Year Later – Transforming Legal Ops and Embracing the Future with Christian Lang & Whitney Stefko 08/21/2024

AI Evolution: One Year Later – Transforming Legal Ops and Embracing the Future with Christian Lang & Whitney Stefko In the August episode of the UpLevel View podcast, we are honored to welcome back Whitney Stefko from Ford and Christian Lang of LEGA, who join hosts Brian Hupp and Brandi Pack to discuss advancements in AI capabilities and adoption. We'll explore strides in productivity and efficiency within legal operations, reflecting on past predictions and new developments. Tune in to discover AI's transformative potential and enhance your legal leadership vision today! Highlights Changes in client interactions regarding GAI over the past year. Whitney on industry’s poor change management and needing to focus on the human aspect. Importance of holistic training on technology usage, with anticipation for GPT-5’s release. Brandy’s perspective on organizational readiness and leadership modeling. The risk of employees smuggling unapproved GAI tools into the workplace. Need for companies to be proactive with AI adoption rather than having a “zero risk” mentality. Brian on the importance of creating safe spaces for AI experimentation. Whitney on the variance in organizations’ maturity regarding GAI adoption. Prediction: Increased focus on back-office use cases with clearer ROI in the next year. Christian’s prediction: More significant security incidents likely in the next 12 months. Whitney’s prediction: Impact of GPT-5 and the rise of hyper-personalized GAI. Discussion on community collaboration and sharing best practices through GAI networks. Episode Resources General Counsel Thought Leadership Hub at UpLevel Ops: Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, by Simon Sinek: Whitney & Christian's original UpLevel View Podcast appearance in October 2023: Brandi's article: The AI Advantage: Stay Ahead or Fall Behind: Join the LINK Community here: Connect with Stephanie Corey /episode/index/show/83c33d84-1135-46e4-9546-42601da50715/id/32687777

Legal Ops in 2024: The Power of Collaboration in Building an Industry with Jenn McCarron and Mike Haven 07/22/2024

Transformation (Big T and Little t) with Christine Ho 06/12/2024

Leadership in the Age of AI with Gabriel Buigas 05/29/2024

Leadership in the Age of AI with Gabriel Buigas Join Gabriel Buigas, EVP of Contracts, Compliance & Commercial Services at Integreon, and UpLevel Ops CEO and Founder Steph Corey in an engaging podcast on "Leadership in the Age of AI." These seasoned leaders share their unique insights from their time at HP and their current roles, discussing the transformative power of AI in legal operations. Tune in for a dynamic conversation full of practical advice on leveraging AI for leadership and innovation in the legal sector. You won’t want to miss this Next Level episode of the UpLevel View podcast! Guest’s Bio Gabriel Buigas joined Integreon in 2021 and leads the Legal and Compliance Solutions business unit. In this role, Gabriel is responsible for driving the business unit’s global strategy including delivery, product development, and go-to-market. Gabriel brings more than 25 years’ experience in the legal industry holding both executive in-house legal roles and executive roles at a leading alternative legal services provider (ALSP). His depth of experience as both a consumer and a provider of legal services offers clients invaluable real-world insights and best practices. Highlights Empowering teams with strategy and context. Essential communication for team buy-in. Integrating technology into legal service delivery. The challenge of adapting to new technology. The role of change management in legal services. The inevitability of AI-driven disruption in legal fields. The potential of Gen AI to reduce traditional workload. Strategic importance of proactive engagement with Gen AI. Corporate pressure to explore Gen AI applications. Embracing tech-enabled service models for experimentation. Practical Gen AI applications in legal operations. Creating capacity for overworked legal teams using Gen AI. Encouraging legal ops professionals to join AI-focused committees. Episode Resources General Counsel Thought Leadership Hub at UpLevel Ops: Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, by Simon Sinek: Connect with Stephanie Corey Thought Leadership Resources from UpLevel Ops: Connect with Gabriel Buigas Streamlining NDA Negotiations for Middle Market Investment Banks: The Case for a Transformative, Tech-Enabled Solution, by Gabriel Buigas How On-Demand GPT Assistants Are Shaping The Future Of Law, by Brandi Pack: Landmark Case Study on M&A Finds More Than 80% of NDA Negotiations are Wasted Effort - from Integreon and The Contract Network: Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World by General Stanley McChrystal: Who Moved My Cheese, by Spencer Johnson, MD: McKinsey Study: The economic potential of generative AI: The next productivity frontier: /episode/index/show/83c33d84-1135-46e4-9546-42601da50715/id/31523742

Navigating the Waves of Change: Leveraging GAI in Legal Operations with Jim Wagner 04/22/2024

Navigating the Waves of Change: Leveraging GAI in Legal Operations with Jim Wagner Tune into our latest UpLevel View podcast episode, "Navigating the Waves of Change: Leveraging GAI in Legal Operations," where The Contract Network CEO and co-Founder Jim Wagner dives deep into the revolutionary impact of Generative AI on legal contract negotiations and operational efficiency. In this discussion with Steph Corey and Brandi Pack of UpLevel Ops, you’ll discover how GAI is reshaping the landscape of legal operations, facilitating quicker resolutions, and transforming strategic decision-making across legal departments. Join us as we explore the potential of AI to streamline processes and foster a more dynamic legal operational framework, making it a must-listen for legal professionals eager to stay at the forefront of innovation. Guest’s Bio Jim is a serial entrepreneur in the legal technology community, most recently serving as VP of Agreement Cloud Strategy for DocuSign, which he joined when DocuSign acquired AI leader Seal Software (where Jim served as President) in 2020. Jim has authored multiple patents and is a recognized leader in the fields of artificial intelligence and analytics for contracting. Jim graduated from Duke University Law School, where he is a frequent guest lecturer and serves on the Duke Law Tech Lab advisory board. Highlights The revolutionary impact of GAI. GAI is transforming legal contract negotiations and operational efficiency. How GAI is reshaping the legal operations landscape. Quicker resolutions and improved strategic decision-making. The potential of AI to streamline legal processes. Fostering a more dynamic legal operational framework. Episode Resources General Counsel Thought Leadership Hub at UpLevel Ops: Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, by Simon Sinek: Connect with Stephanie Corey Thought Leadership Resources from UpLevel Ops: Connect with Jim Wagner The Contract Network: Case Study: Landmark Case Study on M&A Finds More Than 80% of NDA Negotiations are Wasted Effort with Integreon and Eversheds Sutherland MasterChef GPT: /episode/index/show/83c33d84-1135-46e4-9546-42601da50715/id/30889588

Unlocking Value: The Power of Value-Based Pricing in Legal with Ken Callander 03/22/2024

Humanizing Tech in Legal with Christy Freer 02/20/2024

Humanizing Tech in Legal with Christy Freer In this engaging conversation, GC of Inspiration Mobility Christy Freer and UpLevel Ops COO/Senior Advisor Elizabeth Lugones delve into crucial aspects of the legal field's transformation, emphasizing legal operations, strategic partnerships, and the essential role of soft skills amidst technological advancements and artificial intelligence. They underscore the challenges and opportunities presented by the evolving legal landscape, particularly in startup environments. Join us for this insightful discussion about the humanization of technologies and the intersection of leadership and technology on the UpLevel View podcast. Highlights How Inspiration Mobility’s unique mechanism of collecting EV telematics makes their business data-driven The importance of understanding the value of technology, tracking it, and communicating the same to their clients in a simplified manner How clear communication, understanding financial jargon, and knowing how a project fits into the financial bottom line is essential for successful tech implementation How the adoption of technology allows Christy to focus elsewhere as it creates a safenet of procedures to avoid incomplete contracts or contracts that lack correct information Knowing one's limitations and being ready to make decisions and delegate roles effectively The common perception of the legal department as 'non-revenue generating' How data-driven legal department aids in the revenue generation process Ways to improve the efficiency in legal intake requests, contributing to an overall faster turnaround time Episode Resources General Counsel Thought Leadership Hub at UpLevel Ops: Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, by Simon Sinek: Connect with Stephanie Corey Thought Leadership Resources from UpLevel Ops: Connect with Christy Freer GC of Inspiration Mobility: /episode/index/show/83c33d84-1135-46e4-9546-42601da50715/id/30023543

Innovative Excellence: A Guide to Visionary Leadership with Audrey Taranto 01/15/2024

Innovative Excellence: A Guide to Visionary Leadership with Audrey Taranto Join the first UpLevel View podcast of 2024, where UpLevel Ops CEO Stephanie Corey engages Audrey Taranto, the innovative General Counsel of Enstar Group. Audrey details Enstar's journey since 2019, showcasing the fusion of legal expertise and operational innovation that earned them ACC Value Champions accolades. The conversation explores groundbreaking initiatives, such as AI-powered contract review and a user-centric chatbot, highlighting strategic alignment and enterprise-wide collaboration. Audrey emphasizes the cross-functional impact and courage to pilot new technologies, making this episode a treasure trove of insights for legal executives and corporate leaders aspiring to transform their legal operations for enhanced value and efficiency. A must-listen for those seeking operational excellence in the legal landscape. Listen to the UpLevel View and improve your legal leadership vision today! Who’s The Guest? Audrey Taranto is General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Enstar. Her career is marked by transformative contributions, and she has played a pivotal role in the consistent growth of businesses through her skills in team building, legal acumen, and strategic leadership. Audrey is also known for her adeptness in navigating complexity, earning her the reputation of a pragmatic and trusted executive leader. The Enstar legal team was named a Value Champion by the Association of Corporate Counsel in 2023. She holds a JD from Temple University. Highlights The importance of having a long-term vision for a sustainable, value-driving legal department How to prioritize initiatives that will have substantial impact and be resource-realistic Importance of cross-functional collaboration within organizations The challenges in implementing document management Exploring the potential of using generative AI to save lawyer time and enhance legal processes Alignment of generative AI with a strong legal ops strategy and its potential in improving the speed and efficiency of legal departments Upcoming projects, which include exploring generative AI, and addressing the rising cost of outside counsel Episode Resources General Counsel Thought Leadership Hub at UpLevel Ops: Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, by Simon Sinek: Connect with Stephanie Corey Thought Leadership Resources from UpLevel Ops: Connect with Audrey Taranto /episode/index/show/83c33d84-1135-46e4-9546-42601da50715/id/29436413

Fostering Positive OC Relationships with Yusuf Mohamed 12/20/2023

Fostering Positive OC Relationships with Yusuf Mohamed Join the UpLevel View podcast as we discuss the transformative shift in outside counsel management. In this inspiring episode, UpLevel Ops COO/Senior Advisor Elizabeth Lugones speaks with Yusuf Mohamed, Partner and member of the General Counsel practice at Taylor English Duma LLP, and strategies beyond traditional cost analysis and performance monitoring, emphasizing the importance of viewing outside counsel as strategic partners rather than service providers. Listen to the UpLevel View and improve your legal leadership vision today! Who’s The Guest? Yusuf Mohamed is a Partner at Taylor English Duma LLP and a member of the General Counsel practice, specializing in corporate and business matters. Before joining the firm, he was at Tesla and played a pivotal role in shaping the company's employment practices, leading the team's growth from one person to a global force of twenty-nine. He began his legal career as a U.S. Department of Labor trial attorney, working on diverse matters, including employment discrimination, investigative cases, and workers’ compensation claims. Yusuf has a JD from the University of Georgia’s School of Law. Highlights The challenges of managing legal practices as the organization size grows, especially in implementing consistent engagement with outside counsel The importance of in-house teams being proactive and setting clear expectations for law firms Contrasting the communication methodologies between law firms and in-house departments, noting the differences in audiences and workflow The future potential of more sophisticated AI tools to analyze legal data and envision possible legal risk scenarios Why clients should be hesitant about trying different pricing models, with the understanding that they can revert to old methods if unsatisfied Transparency, conversation, and alignment of interests for achieving mutual benefits Episode Resources General Counsel Thought Leadership Hub at UpLevel Ops: Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, by Simon Sinek: Connect with Stephanie Corey Connect with Yusuf Mohamed /episode/index/show/83c33d84-1135-46e4-9546-42601da50715/id/29165008

Visionary Leadership: A Journey Across Borders with Curt McDaniel 11/17/2023

Visionary Leadership: A Journey Across Borders with Curt McDaniel Dive into visionary leadership with Curt McDaniel, Chief Legal Officer at Ferring Pharmaceuticals, on the UpLevel View podcast. Discover how embracing innovation and a forward-thinking mindset propels an international legal team to new heights. In this conversation with UpLevel Ops’ CEO Steph Corey, McDaniel shares his approach to nurturing a vision that transcends borders and how it's infused into Ferring’s culture, driving extraordinary achievements. Listen to the UpLevel View and improve your legal leadership vision today! Who’s The Guest? Curt McDaniel is the Chief Legal Officer at Ferring Pharmaceuticals. He joined Ferring in 2006 and oversees Legal, Intellectual Property, Compliance, and Privacy activities worldwide. He has more than 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, spanning various aspects of the business and many different countries and cultures. Before joining Ferring, Curt worked at Eli Lilly for more than 16 years. He holds a Juris Doctor degree and an M.B.A. from Indiana University, and a B.A. from Purdue University. Highlights His experience and the challenges of leading a mid-size, family-owned company, and how he has driven legal innovation. The concept of "legal design" which focuses on understanding the needs and challenges of the business partner. Building the legal operations department and its role in optimizing legal services. The starting principles for assessing legal services needed and the best ways to provide the services. The changing role of delivering legal services due to technology advancements and the impact on law firms. Using data for improvement and measuring progress was discussed. Importance of assessing the effectiveness of processes through gathered data was highlighted. The importance of celebrating success and recognizing continuous progress was stressed. The idea of a “legal data scientist” having recognized the need for data-based decision-making in the company. The experience of working on large legal contracts and questioned their necessity. Mentioned the importance of focusing on a business partner’s perspective. The importance of using data to guide decision-making in the legal department. Episode Resources General Counsel Thought Leadership Hub at UpLevel Ops: Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, by Simon Sinek: Connect with Stephanie Corey Connect with Curt McDaniel /episode/index/show/83c33d84-1135-46e4-9546-42601da50715/id/28678158

The Fusion of Tradition & Technology with Janene Asgeirsson 10/23/2023

The Fusion of Tradition & Technology with Janene Asgeirsson Join us on the UpLevel View podcast to explore the fusion of tradition and innovation within the legal field. In this captivating episode, UpLevel Ops COO/Senior Advisor Elizabeth Lugones guides a discussion with Janene Asgeirsson, Senior VP, Chief Legal Officer, and Corporate Secretary at Analog Devices, on the intricate dance of tradition and technology. Discover how legal professionals are revolutionizing their practice by seamlessly blending time-honored values with the power of AI, automation, and digital collaboration. Tune in to the UpLevel View and improve your legal leadership vision today! Who’s The Guest? Janene Asgeirsson is the Chief Legal Officer, Chief Risk Officer, and Corporate Secretary at Analog Devices (ADI). She has more than two decades of law firm experience and senior roles in technology companies and leads ADI’s global legal, governance, trade, and compliance functions. Janene’s expertise encompasses mergers, acquisitions, litigation, and intellectual property, making her a key advisor to ADI’s leadership team and board. Beyond her professional life, Janene is Secretary of ADI’s Board of Directors and holds director roles in ADI subsidiaries. She is an avid reader, a performing arts enthusiast, and a certified yoga instructor. Highlights Janene’s journey to becoming a lawyer and how her career kicked off at in-house law firms How technology began to influence the practice of law with regards to legal research How technology aids in speeding up legal processes by organizing and interpreting data How adopting technology can increase efficiency and bring more joy to the work An ideal business partnership, emphasizing trust and openness Balancing the human element with business decisions Bricklaying to illustrate the importance of understanding one's role in the broader vision of an organization Episode Resources Connect with Stephanie Corey Connect with Janene Asgeirsson /episode/index/show/83c33d84-1135-46e4-9546-42601da50715/id/28396370

Managing GAI Risk with Whitney Stefko and Christian Lang 10/05/2023

Managing GAI Risk with Whitney Stefko and Christian Lang The second episode of the UpLevel View podcast is a must-listen for those interested in generative artificial intelligence. GAI early adopters Whitney Stefko from Ford and Christian Lang of LEGA cover everything from the origin of their interest in the field to ways the technology can be used to save time and energy. They emphasize the transformative potential of generative AI and urge listeners to embrace it as a crucial piece of the future of the legal profession. UpLevel View hosts Brian Hupp and Brandi Pack lead the discussion about tools that they utilize to allow managed use of GAI, the importance of being proactive in balancing risks and rewards, and thought-provoking predictions about when generative AI will become more widely adopted in the Legal Operations industry and beyond. Who’re The Guests? Whitney Stefko is a former Litigator turned Data-driven strategist and Associate Director and Senior Counsel at the Ford Motor Company. Whitney is an Adjunct Professor at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University and the Founder and CEO of the consulting firm Pollinate Legal. Christian Lang describes himself as a Recovering Corporate Lawyer, Legal Innovator, Writer, Podcaster, and Consultant. When he’s not doing all that, he’s the CEO and Founder of LEGA, a platform designed to provide law firms with a chance to explore and implement AI technologies at their own pace. Christian is also the founder of the NY Legal Tech Meetup and serves on the AI Accelerator Institute Council (AIAI). Highlights A response to skeptics of generative AI, speaking to its value as a time-saving technology and transformative user interface. The security risks of GAIs to current data practices in law firms, viewing the challenge as more of a familiar territory rather than a new threat. The importance of making sure professionals in an organization understand the rules of using generative AI, not just through lengthy policies but through operationalized, actionable information. The importance of adopting AI technology at the pace of its evolution and the need for innovative and invested teams within the organization. The importance of collaboration in the legal operations community, encouraging members to share information about their use cases, best practices, and project plans as everyone begins to explore the potential of generative AI. Episode Resources Connect with Stephanie Corey /episode/index/show/83c33d84-1135-46e4-9546-42601da50715/id/28228535

How GAI Transforms Legal Workflow Automation with Sam Flynn 09/21/2023

Welcome to UpLevel View! 09/07/2023

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