Aligning Legal Ops With Boardroom Priorities

The roundtable discussion “Becoming a Legal Force in the Boardroom” at the 2024 Women Influence & Power in Law event explored strategies for transforming legal departments into strategic business partners. Hosted by Liz Lugones and McAlister Southern of Mitratech, the session highlighted four key steps for aligning legal ops with boardroom priorities, as reported in a Mitratech blog post. 

Preparing for board meetings. Participants emphasized the importance of pre-planning for board meetings and ensuring alignment with other leaders to understand company goals. Identifying common themes across departments will position legal ops as a partner with the board, fostering innovation and securing buy-in. 

Demonstrating the value of technology investments. Legal teams should tell the board that investing in technology will drive efficiency and mitigate risks. Constructing a compelling business case is crucial for securing board approval. This includes:

• Demonstrating how tech investments streamline operations, mitigate risks, and add value.
• Using metrics to quantify benefits like reduced legal spend and faster approvals using metrics.
• Integrating tech solutions with reporting capabilities that denote value and optimize processes.
• Collaborating with teams such as IT to align proposals with the broader business strategy.

Aligning with boardroom priorities. Legal ops professionals must “think like a board member” and present initiatives addressing top concerns such as cost savings, risk management, and operational efficiency. Tailor-made messaging showing how legal efforts support overall business goals can transform boardroom support into a strategic advantage.

Using data analytics to demonstrate value. Data-driven insights help demonstrate the contributions of legal operations to the company’s bottom line. Presenting measurable outcomes such as reduced contract cycle times positions legal operations as a strategic partner committed to the company’s long-term success.

Approaching the board from their perspective and aligning legal ops with boardroom priorities ensures a trusted partner and changemaker role.