US legal IT movers and shakers: Ron Friedmann joins LAC Group as chief knowledge and information officer
Industry consultant and well-known US commentator and blogger Ron Friedmann has joined LAC Group to fill the newly-created executive role of chief knowledge and information officer. Friedmann, who was previously a partner at legal management consulting firm Fireman & Company, will report to LAC's chief executive officer Rob Corrao and lead the firm's technology initiatives, specifically understanding clients' business and technology needs and developing strategic solutions for customers.
LAC Group started out life in the mid-80s with a focus on library outsourcing but over the years has expanded out its offering to provide broader information management services, with a focus on providing competitive intelligence and business research for clients that include law firms and corporations, to academic institutions and the US Government.
Friedmann's role will be both internal and client facing, and he tells us: "One of the important elements of my role will be to help further tech-enable LAC for internal use as well as being client facing, which can touch anything from intranets to mobile devices." He adds: "People in business are consuming information in many different contexts so a question I have is how and when do they want to consume information; where do they want to get it; and how can we make sure it's delivered cost effectively."
Friedmann, who will be will be working remotely from Arlington, Virginia, has over the past six years become the face of Fireman & Company alongside larger than life founder and president Josh Fireman. However, Friedmann, who expects to travel a lot less in this current role, tells us: "Six and a half years in a role is a long time for me. A lot of people my age have been in the same job for decades but I was an early adopter of moving roles after a few years and I was ready for a change of pace."
His appointment at LAC is timely, as law firms begin to realise the real potential of business or competitive intelligence but in most cases lack a systematic approach.
Before Fireman & Co, Friedmann was a senior vice president at Integreon helping clients develop strategies to improve operating efficiency and reduce cost by outsourcing and improving processes, including e-discovery and competitive and business intelligence. He also served as: CIO for Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky & Popeo PC; a vice president for corporate and strategic development at software maker iLumin Corporation; and at several consulting firms including Bain & Company.
Friedmann authors the "Strategic Legal Technology" blog, an ABA Journal Hall of Fame blog.