4 Entrepreneurs Trying to Bring Cloud Computing to Tech-Leery Law Firms Lawyers have been the most reluctant of professions to embrace the cloud but these innovators are changing minds.
By Peter Daisyme Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
While cloud computing has penetrated virtually every sector of today's economy, the legal world has remained a stubborn last bastion of old school, on-premise technology. Until now, few entrepreneurs have dared to attack this bulwark of backward, cloud-wary client-server thinking.
Fortunately for today's legal professionals, technology entrepreneurs are innovators, always looking for ways to make life easier for their customers. We've identified four entrepreneurs in the vanguard of this new legal cloud---bringing the promise and potential of the cloud to the world of law.
Jack Newton, CEO of Clio.
This cloud-based solution promises to help legal professionals handle all of their daily tasks, including managing cases and clients, paying bills, invoicing and accounting. CEO Jack Newton and his lifelong friend, Rian Gauvreau, launched Clio in 2008 with the vision of making law firms more productive.
Since its founding, Clio has grown to a global operation with 130 employees and offices around the world. Newton has become known as an innovator in cloud-based legal software, often writing and speaking on security and ethics. He serves on the board of the International Legal Technology Standards Organization and is co-founder and acting president of the Legal Cloud Computing Association.
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Andy Wilson, CEO of Logikcull
With Logikcull, CEO Andy Wilson and his co-founder, Sheng Yang, set out to revolutionize litigation by making the process of legal discovery much faster, more affordable and more secure using cloud technology. For law firms, corporations, and governments facing high volumes of litigation, the costs of discovery are massive.
Using cloud technology Logikcull fundamentally improves the speed and cost of litigation benefiting not only business, but society in general as the cost of justice becomes much more affordable. Now based in San Francisco, Logikcull has been recognized as an innovator in e-discovery technology, having recently been named as a vendor to watch in the 2015 Gartner Magic Quadrant.
Nathan Wenzel, CEO of SimpleLegal
Law firms are always budget minded, regardless of their size. SimpleLegal helps firms track expenses, send invoices and pay bills. Founder Nathan Wenzel has gained extensive experience in business intelligence and finance. Wenzel has grown SimpleLegal from a small startup to a popular tool used by more than 120 companies in a variety of industries.
Prior to founding SimpleLegal, Wenzel was a founding partner of Edge Solutions, a business intelligence and analytics consulting firm. During his time with SimpleLegal, Wenzel oversaw the development of an analytic application suite designed for litigation management. His extensive experience has made him a respected leader in business.
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Janine Sickmeyer, CEO of NextChapter
Filing for bankruptcy is never a pleasant experience. For bankruptcy attorneys, NextChapter makes the process of managing clients easier. CEO Janine Sickmeyer has an extensive background in bankruptcy as a virtual paralegal. After struggling for years to manage administrative tasks for her own clients, she conceived the idea of a web-based solution to handle all of it.
In addition to managing NextChapter's strategic vision and leading day-to-day operations, Sickmeyer is a member of the American Bar Association, American Bankruptcy Institute, and the Lean In Movement. She also serves as a volunteer for a variety of community organizations.
