Building an Award-Winning Legal Ops Function From the Ground Up

A Brightflag article states that establishing a legal ops function requires strategic vision, collaboration, and a focus on impact. Letitia Haynes-Frasier, an award-winning legal ops professional at Cox Media Group, shared her insights on building a legal ops function from the ground up. 

Haynes-Frasier successfully implemented a transformative contract management process and earned her legal team a prestigious 2024 American Lawyer Industry Award. The initiative began last year when the business requested improvements in storing contracts. Recognizing an opportunity to implement a more comprehensive transformation, Haynes-Frasier proposed a broader approach and presented her case to the company’s leadership. 

The result: She designed and implemented a new contract review and storage process that streamlined workflows, increased transparency, and saved the company over $400,000. 

She reflected on attending a CLOC session that highlighted the concept of tackling “low-hanging fruit” or simple, quick fixes alongside longer-term projects. As a one-person legal ops team, however, she acknowledged that larger, high-impact projects can be demanding, requiring her to juggle the roles of project manager, solution designer, IT manager, and change manager. To manage multiple projects, she emphasized the importance of setting operational deadlines and communicating priorities to leadership. 

Haynes-Frasier said she employs practical strategies, such as leveraging legal tech vendors and setting clear milestones, to maintain focus and efficiency. Proactive communication with vendors ensures that she maximizes the value of legal technology. 

She also credits communication and trust as the foundation of her strong partnership with her general counsel. Aligning their expectations has elevated the legal ops function from a support role to a leadership position within the company. Regular communication and collaboration have enabled them to deliver impactful projects.

Her success stems from an ability to communicate effectively and take a proactive, solutions-oriented approach — key ingredients for any award-winning legal ops function.