Or Bakai
head of legal-tech department
The yearly Legal Revolution Conference took place this year in December 2018 in Darmstadt, Germany. The conference is known for hosting the most LegalTech exhibitors in Europe. With over 2,000 participants from all over the world, 88 LegalTech exhibitors, 72 workshops and over 40 panels, this event is considered leading and central in the LegalTech arena.
Participants often describe the conference as a ‘glittery premier’, boasting the leading exhibitors and speakers in the field, who hail from Spain, the UK, the US and even Israel, of which the manager of the LegalTech department of the firm Robus Ltd. was invited to participate and speak.
The location this year was stellar: the peaceful town of Darmstadt, located 90 minutes from Frankfurt, in a beautiful and spacious conference hall. Clearly the conference was expertly and minutely planned, dedicating areas for both the leading global technology companies that exhibited, and for the international legal firms that attended.
One of the noteworthy exhibitors was Clifford Chance, one of the largest law firms in the world, who booked an entire section which was decorated per their brand, as fitting a firm of their caliber.
The speeches given were excellent and provided a gamut of international speakers, including Mr. Or Bakay, the representative of Tech&Law, the head of the LegalTech department at Robus Ltd. Mr. Bakay presented the unique characteristics of the LegalTech market in Israel, and the way the Israeli ecosystem has contributed to the world of technological innovation in the legal field.
The conference was impressive and included a range of lectures about technology and innovation, including practical advice on the intelligent and correct implementation of LegalTech products, side-by-side with hands-on workshops that presented various LegalTech products.
Although the lectures were unique and offered a wide range of speakers and subjects, no doubt that accolades are due to the sheer quantity of exhibitor booths and representatives, who tirelessly presented demonstrations of their solutions.
In short, the conference was an extraordinary opportunity for technophile attorneys to receive an in-depth look at the most cutting-edge solutions in the LegalTech field today. The products presented offered solutions for a range of challenges, ranging from drawing of contracts and systems for the management of contracts, to complex and creative solutions that involve Artificial Intelligence for the electronic document disclosure.
We found it noteworthy that just as attorneys from legal firms and legal departments enjoyed the presence of a large number of LegalTech companies; the participating LegalTech companies themselves enjoyed significant exposure, leading to qualified leads among legal firms seeking LegalTech solutions. In addition, a large number of LegalTech companies were offered 30-minute speaking slots to further present their products.
The importance of networking in professional gatherings cannot be overstated, even more so in a small community as the LegalTech ‘tribe’. We find that the organizers of the conference placed special emphasis on networking: from the numbers of seats, to the seating arrangements and to the networking dinner and dance at the evening of the first day. We were even awarded access to a specially-tailored mobile app, dedicated to the conference participants and which linked them to the exhibitors they wished to meet.
In conclusion, 2018 Legal Revolution was an extraordinary learning experience. We have no doubt that the fledgling Israeli LegalTech community has much to learn in terms of content, networking and especially the sheer size of the international LegalTech field.
International LegalTech conferences enable attorneys to swiftly and easily encounter a very large number of solutions while wandering among the booths. Undoubtedly, these types of events enable attorney the opportunity to receive general impressions from various technological tools prior to their implementation. And this in no less an opportunity for start-up companies seeking exposure to a wide range of international clients actively seeking LegalTech solutions.
See you at the next conference!
