Legal Ops Isn’t Just Firefighting — It’s Your Next Competitive Advantage

For years, legal operations has been misunderstood. Many general counsel and chief legal officers still see it as administrative support — a necessary function but one that’s more about tech admin than business impact.  

But let’s be blunt: In today’s corporate landscape, where legal departments are being asked to demonstrate their value, legal ops isn’t just a support function — it’s a competitive advantage.  

Forward-thinking legal teams are already leveraging legal ops to reduce friction, speed the delivery of legal services, increase efficiency, and drive business value — and they have the data to prove it.

This isn’t just about cutting costs; it’s about removing bottlenecks that slow down decision-making, creating seamless workflows that enable faster contract turnaround, and ensuring legal resources are deployed where they add the most value.

By optimizing how legal services are delivered, Legal Ops eliminates unnecessary roadblocks — whether through smarter use of technology, better alignment with business priorities, or strategic outside counsel management. 

From Tactical Firefighter to Business Driver  

Legal has long been seen as a necessary function but rarely as a business enabler. That perception is outdated — and costly.  

When legal ops is fully leveraged, legal teams go from being a bottleneck to a strategic partner. The difference is stark:  

• Firefighting Mode – Legal is reactive, overburdened, and constantly putting out fires.  
• Business Partner Mode – Legal is proactive, data-driven, and aligned with corporate goals.  

Case Study: How NetApp Cut Outside Counsel Spend by 30%  

According to a Corporate Legal Operations Consortium (CLOC) case study, NetApp’s legal department reduced external legal costs by 30% by implementing legal ops-driven strategies, including:  

• Vendor scorecards to track firm performance.  
• Alternative fee arrangements (AFAs) that tied costs to results, not billable hours.  
• Legal tech adoption to automate contract analysis and reduce inefficiencies.  

This isn’t just about cutting costs — it’s about ensuring every dollar spent on legal drives business value.  

Bridging the Gap Between Legal & the Business  

Too often, legal teams are out of sync with corporate priorities. The business focuses on growth, revenue, and innovation, while Legal focuses on risk mitigation and compliance. When these priorities don’t align, frustration builds—slow processes, budget conflicts, and a perception that legal is just a cost center.  

Legal ops fixes this disconnect by:  

• Aligning legal strategy with business goals – Structuring legal support around revenue generation.  
• Optimizing resource allocation – Deciding what work stays in-house, what goes to outside counsel, and where ALSPs fit in.  
• Enhancing communication with the C-suite – Using data-driven insights to show legal’s direct impact on corporate success.  

Case Study: Fortune 500 Tech Company Automates NDAs, Saves 5,000 Hours  

A 2023 report from the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) legal ops section highlights how a Fortune 500 tech company transformed its NDA process using automation:  

• Integrated approval workflows into Salesforce, eliminating manual back-and-forth.  
• Freed up 5,000+ hours of legal team time annually, enabling lawyers to focus on strategic work.  
• Accelerated deal cycles, improving speed-to-revenue.  

When legal ops is empowered to speak the language of the business, legal stops being a roadblock and starts being a strategic force.  

From Cost Center to Value Driver: Managing Legal Spend Like a CFO  

GCs don’t have a blank check anymore. Legal departments are now expected to demonstrate financial discipline just like any other business unit.  

This means:  

• Moving beyond hourly billing – Implementing value-based pricing (VBP) models that tie legal costs to business outcomes.  
• Leveraging spend analytics – Using outside counsel scorecards, predictive modeling, and financial dashboards to optimize vendor relationships.  
• Bringing work in-house where it makes sense – Shifting 40% of legal work internally rather than outsourcing.  

Case Study: How a Financial Services Giant Cut External Legal Spend by $20M 

According to a 2022 Gartner Legal Ops Benchmark Report, a major financial institution conducted a make-vs-buy analysis and found that:  

• 40% of work sent to outside counsel could be handled internally with better workflows.  
• By shifting work in-house and using ALSPs strategically, they cut external legal spend by $20M annually.  

This is what happens when legal ops manages legal spend like a CFO.  

AI & Legal Tech: Future-Proofing the Legal Department  

AI isn’t coming — it’s already here. Yet too many legal teams still treat it as a threat instead of an opportunity.  

Smart legal ops teams are leading the way by:  

• Automating low-value work – Freeing up lawyers for high-impact strategic work.  
• Using AI-driven analytics – Predicting risks, legal spend trends, and operational efficiencies.  
• Integrating legal tech with business processes – Ensuring tools like contract management and compliance automation support broader corporate goals.  

Why Legal Ops Must Lead AI Initiatives 

Legal ops is uniquely positioned to own and implement AI-based projects because it already manages legal technology, process optimization, and vendor relationships. AI adoption isn’t just about the tools — it’s about workflow integration, data governance, and ensuring adoption across the legal team.  

As Microsoft’s 2023 Legal Operations Transformation Report noted, legal teams that centralized AI strategy under legal ops saw faster adoption rates and stronger business alignment. Without legal ops leading the charge, AI risks becoming another fragmented tech investment rather than a transformative force for the legal function.  

Final Thought: The Legal Ops Imperative  

Legal operations isn’t just about cutting costs, improving processes, or implementing tech — it’s about positioning legal as a business driver.  

So ask yourself: Is your legal department operating like a cost center — or a strategic partner?  

The companies that empower legal ops to optimize spend, implement technology, and align legal with business strategy will thrive.  

If your legal team is still stuck in firefighting mode, it’s time to rethink your approach. Because the future of legal ops isn’t about keeping up — it’s about leading.  

Stephanie Corey is a co-founder and CEO of UpLevel Ops. Stephanie also co-founded LINK (Legal Innovators Network), a legal operations organization exclusively for experienced, in-house professionals. She previously founded the legal operations trade organization CLOC (Corporate Legal Operations Consortium) and is a former executive member. Please feel free to contact and connect with her on LinkedIn.

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