Toward a New Paradigm: Strategic Outside Counsel Management in 2025 and Beyond

"Toward a New Paradigm: Strategic Outside Counsel Management in 2025 and Beyond" is a panel discussion organized by UnitedLex, a technology-enabled legal services company. The event took place on March 6, 2025, in Zurich, focusing on redefining corporate legal departments' approaches to managing outside counsel relationships.

The discussion covered key topics such as building an optimal legal service model by evaluating strategic initiatives versus routine tasks, balancing flexibility and specialization in service delivery, and identifying opportunities to segment and outsource legal work efficiently. It also addressed utilizing alternative legal service providers and technology for repeatable tasks, enhancing agility by engaging the right legal providers for specific workstreams, and optimizing functions within legal operations, including efficient panel management, managing internal stakeholder expectations, and implementing AI tools. Additionally, the event explored legal and IP spend management, technology implementation, and measuring success to quantify savings.

The agenda included welcome drinks from 5:30 pm to 6:00 pm, the roundtable discussion from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm, and drinks and canapés from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Notable speakers were Christian Haitz, Head of Legal & Compliance at Gryphon Invest AG; Suha Gehrer, Group Head Legal Operations at Zurich Insurance; Surya Kottakota, Legal Operations at Syngenta; and Nick Robinson from UnitedLex, who served as the moderator.

This event was particularly beneficial for corporate legal professionals seeking to enhance their strategies in managing outside counsel, offering insights into modernizing operating models, leveraging technology, and achieving significant cost savings.