The general reaction to ALM’s Virtual LegalTech by its participants and delegates seems generally to be positive. If, as Charles Christian said on Twitter afterwards, it had a 1990s feel to it, well, that can doubtless be improved upon in future years. Christian is right also to say that opportunities were missed to make use of multimedia in the presentations, particularly as to the technology itself. Some of the ideas which I have scouted on this site for video presentations of technology solutions might easily have been slotted into the framework. This is all capable of remedy in future presentations.  ALM bit off quite enough for a first go at this.

Speaking for myself, I was pleased that the webinar on international discovery, data protection and data privacy in which I took part had around 180 listeners right to the end. If there were few questions, that was not for want of opportunity via chat in the “lounge”. An earlier presentation on cloud computing featuring, among others, Craig Ball, generated a lively and interesting read which I hope has been retained.

It was interesting to follow the Twitter discussions in parallel with the presentation. One Tweet, for example, picked up a point I made about the scope of a typical US request: the comment “An American wide discovery request won’t fly in Europe – requests must be narrowed” illustrates, if nothing else, that the restriction to 140 characters breeds succinct summaries. Another one read “UK and AUS have no legal hold legislation; AUS noting media and reputation pressure to change”.

The gold star for conscientious attendance goes to Michelle Mahoney of Mallesons in Australia (who, as a participant, had little option perhaps) and to Scott Gillard of e.law Workflow Solutions, also in Australia. I am not sure that I would have been that lively at five o’clock in the morning.

The wildcard delegate was Bessie the Cow, whom I have not seen at real LegalTech or any other physical events. Someone said “There is a virtual cow running amok in Virtual LegalTech, eating all the virtual plants in the virtual booths”, followed by a later report that “anti-Bovites” had asked her to leave. I have to say that, in a long career in eDiscovery, I have heard less sensible comments than “Mooooooving on”. I asked eventually if anyone knew a good butcher, which seemed to shut her up. Will Bessie’s corporeal presence turn up at LegalTech on 6th Avenue in February?

I would happily do it again, if asked. I am always on the look-out for new ways of getting e-Discovery / e-Disclosure messages across, and anything which gets 180 listeners into one “room” without expense or travelling time on their part is good news.

My thanks to ALM for organising it and to Wave Software for inviting me to take part in a panel which they sponsored. I will do panels with George Rudoy and Michelle Mahoney any time, anywhere.

The Virtual LegalTech sessions were recorded and can be accessed for, I think, a year. I obviously hope you will listen to our international session, and I commend the cloud computing session as well.

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