Aimee Forde, our Senior Recruitment Consultant and Legal Tech specialist here at Sonder, sits down with Dylan Matthews, a Consultant at FTI Consulting and a previous Paralegal at Mills Oakley, to discuss his journey into the ever-evolving world of eDiscovery.
Dylan works on various large disputes in his current role, assisting with the effective and efficient management of disclosure as a Consultant (eDiscovery) as part of the internationally recognised team at FTI Consulting.
In this interview, Dylan uncovers the opportunities, prospects and challenges in his role, where the industry is heading and top tips for young lawyers looking to embark on a career in this field.
‘’The legal industry is changing, and I believe that the industry itself is on the cusp of change and breaking away from the traditional model that is ‘Big Law’ and venturing out into a more technology-driven industry.’’ – Dylan Matthews
The expectation is that this role is technology dominant and that coming from a legal background, the knowledge and experience I had obtained regarding legal practices would no longer be used. This was not the case, and if anything, the ability to understand and apply legal knowledge to the growing legal technology segment has been of great benefit. The knowledge and skills themselves bridge the gap between what the legal team requires out of the technology and what the eDiscovery tools can provide.
The industry is constantly changing, so a new junior in the legal tech industry should focus on being proactive with new opportunities to better themselves whilst also setting time aside to master what has already been learnt.
Also, personally having come from a legal background and studying law throughout my time at university, it does come as a challenge that you aren’t following the traditional path established with the legal industry. But within the modern age of the legal industry, there are always ways in which lawyers (and other relevant bodies) are seeking to gain the upper hand in matters, and legal technology is largely driving this.
The legal industry is changing, and I believe that the industry itself is on the cusp of change and breaking away from the traditional model that is ‘Big Law’ and venturing out into a more technology-driven industry.
But on the other hand, like every job, there are instances where there is downtime, and this gives you time to ‘catch-up’ with other work and do further training on the relevant products and tools being utilised. The legal tech industry is constantly evolving, so keeping your finger on the pulse with the latest and greatest is always beneficial.
Top-performing organisations and law firms engage FTI Consulting for a broad range of e-discovery and managed review services for litigation, investigations and regulatory matters.
Interested in learning about career opportunities within legal technology at FTI Consulting? Get in touch with Aimee Forde on aimee.forde@sonderconsultants.com and keep up with the latest from Dylan by connecting on LinkedIn.
Dylan works on various large disputes in his current role, assisting with the effective and efficient management of disclosure as a Consultant (eDiscovery) as part of the internationally recognised team at FTI Consulting.
In this interview, Dylan uncovers the opportunities, prospects and challenges in his role, where the industry is heading and top tips for young lawyers looking to embark on a career in this field.
‘’The legal industry is changing, and I believe that the industry itself is on the cusp of change and breaking away from the traditional model that is ‘Big Law’ and venturing out into a more technology-driven industry.’’ – Dylan Matthews
How did you get into legal technology?
I began working with legal technology as a paralegal in a law firm that was using eDiscovery review platforms and utilising these tools as part of document reviews. This was my first interaction with eDiscovery technologies, and I was quick to adapt to the tools and really appreciated the benefits of these systems. I sought to further develop my skills in law and was approached to go down the avenue of legal technology. I took the opportunity and have been grateful ever since. I have found that even if someone seeks to go down the traditional path of law, gaining experience in the legal technology sector will benefit a junior legal professional long term and enlighten a young professional to the broad spectrum of opportunities within the industry.What did you think / what were your expectations going into a junior legal technology role?
Expectations going into the role were quite broad. However, the emergence of this field in today’s industry and the lack of knowledge provided in tertiary education make the industry a rather large unknown.The expectation is that this role is technology dominant and that coming from a legal background, the knowledge and experience I had obtained regarding legal practices would no longer be used. This was not the case, and if anything, the ability to understand and apply legal knowledge to the growing legal technology segment has been of great benefit. The knowledge and skills themselves bridge the gap between what the legal team requires out of the technology and what the eDiscovery tools can provide.
After one and a half years in the role, how were these expectations met / how does a consultant role differ to what you had imagined?
I didn’t think that the role would be as client-facing as it is. As a consultant, you spend a lot of time liaising with lawyers to assist them with their problems. Lawyers often have a goal that they need to get to with many conversations directed towards figuring out how to best achieve this.What are the key points juniors should consider when thinking of a role in legal tech?
Many of the key points that apply to any junior roles apply to a junior role in eDiscovery. There is always something new to learn, so show initiative and take opportunities to better yourself within the industry. This could be through getting industry certifications or attending courses/webinars regarding innovations that are coming through.The industry is constantly changing, so a new junior in the legal tech industry should focus on being proactive with new opportunities to better themselves whilst also setting time aside to master what has already been learnt.
What are the key challenges you face in your role?
Coming from a non-tech background, the initial confrontation of working in a tech role does come as a challenge. You are faced with situations where there are areas that may be difficult to understand without certain specialised tech knowledge. But even when faced with these challenges, I know I have personally been surrounded by team members who appreciate the diverse skillset required as part of this role, and have been more than happy to provide the necessary knowledge and/or training to overcome any challenge that may be faced.Also, personally having come from a legal background and studying law throughout my time at university, it does come as a challenge that you aren’t following the traditional path established with the legal industry. But within the modern age of the legal industry, there are always ways in which lawyers (and other relevant bodies) are seeking to gain the upper hand in matters, and legal technology is largely driving this.
The legal industry is changing, and I believe that the industry itself is on the cusp of change and breaking away from the traditional model that is ‘Big Law’ and venturing out into a more technology-driven industry.
What does an average day look like for you in terms of workload?
Workload, like any job, varies from day to day. There is a broad spectrum of clients within my current role ranging from law firms and corporates to regulatory bodies, each of which come with their own matters and relevant timelines. There are times where the workload is quite demanding, trying to juggle multiple urgent deadlines and production requirements simultaneously.But on the other hand, like every job, there are instances where there is downtime, and this gives you time to ‘catch-up’ with other work and do further training on the relevant products and tools being utilised. The legal tech industry is constantly evolving, so keeping your finger on the pulse with the latest and greatest is always beneficial.
What are the best parts/ most interesting parts of working in legal tech?
The fast-paced nature of the role always provides something new to get stuck into. The spectrum of work and the type of work that is undertaken, whether that be organising a review for a law firm to preparing required documents as part of a regulatory body investigation.Why did you choose FTI over the other consulting firms, bureaus or law firms?
I chose FTI Consulting mainly for two reasons. The first being reputation. Both nationally and internationally, particularly in the legal technology sector, FTI is renowned for its ability to provide accurate assistance across a spectrum of legal issues that may require assistance. Secondly, FTI as a firm itself. The culture and opportunity for development is excellent. Having come from a non-tech background, I have personally found that I prioritised skill development in my decision and FTI exceeds in that area.About FTI Consulting
FTI Consulting is an independent global business advisory firm dedicated to helping organizations manage change, mitigate risk and resolve disputes: financial, legal, operational, political & regulatory, reputational and transactional.Top-performing organisations and law firms engage FTI Consulting for a broad range of e-discovery and managed review services for litigation, investigations and regulatory matters.
Interested in learning about career opportunities within legal technology at FTI Consulting? Get in touch with Aimee Forde on aimee.forde@sonderconsultants.com and keep up with the latest from Dylan by connecting on LinkedIn.
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