Malbek

• Lead and manage the legal function.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to the CEO and COO with respect to all legal matters.
• Regularly contribute to Malbek’s product development efforts. 
• Provide structured and ad hoc legal support as needed across the enterprise.
• Recommend, design, and implement new processes and procedures to improve and better align  processes with strategic business and product development objectives.
• Regularly contribute to Malbek’s content marketing efforts by authoring long-form thought leadership pieces and participating in webinars and podcasts.
• Work cross-functionally with product marketing, content producers, designers, and sales leaders on lead demand generation strategy and marketing campaign development efforts.
• Lead and/or moderate webinars, podcast episodes, and in-person events with prospects, customers, partners, and other members of the legal and legal technology communities.

General Counsel

•	Lead the legal function with a focus on data privacy, contracting, and intellectual property. 
•	Serve as a strategic advisor to the CEO and COO with respect to all legal matters.
•	Provide ad hoc legal support as needed across the enterprise.
•	Recommend, design, and implement new processes and procedures to improve and better align contract templates and processes with strategic business and product development objectives.
•	Regularly contribute to Malbek’s content marketing efforts by authoring long-form thought leadership pieces and participating in webinars and podcasts.
•	Regularly contribute to and provide advice regarding ongoing product development initiatives.
•	Work cross-functionally with product marketing, content producers, designers, and sales leaders on lead demand generation strategy and marketing campaign development efforts.
•	Lead and/or moderate webinars, podcast episodes, and in-person events with prospects, customers, partners, and other members of the legal and technology communities.

Director of Legal and Evangelist

Albany Law School

I teach "Technology and Law Practice Management" - a course designed to be an introduction to the evolving world of legal technology and its transformative impact on modern legal practice. The course explores how technology is reshaping the legal profession. The course incorporates hands-on experience with tools alongside strategies for how to best use the tools that students in the class are asked to experiment with.

Adjunct Professor of Law

Proxy

Advisory Board Member

The Colleges of Law

I teach "Technology for Legal Professionals".  This course is a Masters-Level intensive course in legal technology. Students gain first-hand experience using a variety of technologies commonly used in the practice of law alongside learning best practices for using technology in an effective and productive way.

Adjunct Faculty

WordRake

-Key business leader and advocate for WordRake.
-Led market research efforts and engaged in discussions with legal leaders.  
-Responsible for leading various marketing, business development, and branding initiatives. 
-Designed and directed social media outreach and campaigns.
-Co-led competitive analysis and positioning efforts.
-Directly assisted in a number of product development efforts.

Director Of Marketing And Business Development

Lookout

Negotiated, drafted and closed a variety of agreements, including distributor agreements, reseller agreements, customer and sales agreements, technology licensing agreements, and services agreements.
Developed, improve and maintain policies and agreement templates.
Maintained contractual records and documentation.
Assisted with managing company's contract management system.
Facilitated the resolution of business / legal issues and formulating recommendations using analysis, creativity and the development of new approaches to enable contract execution while safeguarding the company and creating a positive customer experience.
Built and managed processes and workflows that can scale globally.
Kept abreast of U.S. and international law that may affect the business.
Advised on special projects as needed, including new product development and expansion into new international markets.
Contribute to cross-functional teams as a trusted advisor, creative problem-solver and strategic thinker.

Legal Counsel

Salary.com

Served as strategic advisor to the CFO and CEO with regards to data privacy, information security, strategic transactions, commercial transactions, employment law, and intellectual property matters.
Led and directed all legal operations, processes, and procedures for the company and provided general legal guidance and support to all departments across the company.
Closed deals worth $200K and more.
Supported sales teams and all other functions by managing, drafting, reviewing, redlining, and negotiating both standard and non-standard agreements including, but not limited to SaaS, data privacy, marketing, professional services, independent contractor, and distributor contracts.
Improved upon existing organizational contracting processes and templates to improve workflow.
Maintained contractual records and documentation, such as receipt and control of all contract correspondence, contractual changes, and other documents for all projects.
Worked with finance to ensure adherence to broader finance and risk requirements 
Reviewed and maintained the company’s internal policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the company’s legal obligations. 
Reviewed and developed as needed relevant processes, policies, and procedures relating to the company’s contracting and other internal practices.
Coordinated and managed outside counsel on an as-needed basis for various ad-hoc matters.
Facilitated the resolution of business / legal issues and formulating recommendations using analysis, creativity and the development of new approaches to enable contract execution while safeguarding the company and creating a positive customer experience all in accordance with company policies and procedures.
Provided the sales team (and any other teams as needed) with training, education, and documentation on any and all relevant legal matters.
Responded to ad hoc requests for legal assistance/legal research.

Corporate Counsel

Pearson

Supported global sales teams by reviewing, negotiating, redlining, drafting, and overseeing a variety of agreement and contracts with both domestic and global partners and customers and coordinating with  other legal and business functions as needed.
Frequently closed deals worth over $200K.
Provided Intellectual Property support and advice on a wide range of matters.
Recommended and implemented changes regarding improving deal processes and procedures and better alignment of deal terms and alignment with business strategic objectives.
Implemented, oversaw, and managed key contract policies, procedures, and processes.
Assisted with ad hoc Intellectual Property queries.
Managed content partner relationships on behalf of Rights & Permissions and Pearson with content suppliers.
Reviewed Intellectual Property and related inquiries and provided related counseling and support pertaining to countless contract matters including but not limited to licensing, partnership, consulting, non-disclosure, and  termination.
Assisted Rights & Permissions teams and business units in the execution and implementation of agreements from planning through approval to post-execution matters.
Coordinated and collaborated with Rights & Permissions Rights Management teams and Royalty Accounting Department to ensure accuracy in payment.
Assisted Rights & Permissions teams and business units in the execution of agreements from planning through approval to post-execution matters.
Maintained contractual records and documentation.
Assisted in maintaining contract database and maintaining key information on all contracts.
Improved upon existing organizational contracting processes to improve workflow efficiency.
Served as Pearson's Boston-area Global Diversity and Inclusion Advocate where I led development of an online student-focused tool focused on combating cyber-bullying.

Manager, Contract Negotiations

C&W Services

Provided direct support and counseling to sales teams by managing, drafting, reviewing, redlining, and negotiating both standard and non-standard agreements including, but not limited to, non-disclosure, master service, master license, independent contractor, consulting, professional service, supplier, and vendor contracts.
Maintained contractual records and documentation, such as receipt and control of all contract correspondence, customer contact information sheets, contractual changes, and other documents for all projects.
Assisted in maintaining contract database and maintaining key information on all contracts.
Worked with risk management department to coordinate contractual insurance requirements.
Worked with finance department to insure adherence to broader finance and risk requirements such as pricing and discounting policies, and other relevant requirements.
Communicated signed contracts to all relevant parties to provide contract visibility and awareness.
Responded to ad hoc requests for legal assistance/legal research.

Temporary Contracts Counsel

Velcro Group Corporation

Provided support to global sales offices by managing, drafting, reviewing, redlining, and negotiating both standard and non-standard agreements including, but not limited to non-disclosure, marketing, marketing affiliate, sweepstakes, professional services, independent contractor, manufacturing, software licensing (both on-premise and SaaS), customer/sales, supplier, joint development, and distributor contracts.
Closed deals worth $300K and more.
Improved upon existing organizational contracting processes to improve workflow efficiency.
Developed/revised contractual templates.
Maintained contractual records and documentation, such as receipt and control of all contract correspondence, customer contact information sheets, contractual changes, and other documents for all projects.
Worked with risk management department to coordinate contractual insurance requirements.
Worked with finance department to ensure adherence to broader finance and risk requirements such as revenue recognition, pricing and discounting policies, and other relevant requirements.
Worked with relevant sales and business team and advised regarding legal issues and risks related to various business transactions.
Served as the point of contact on contract database matters on behalf of the Legal Department.
Assisted with managing, developing, and implementing contract management system.
Maintained contractual records, documentation, and corporate governance materials.
Advised regarding company’s corporate structure.
Drafted and analyzed corporate bylaws, board of directors, and shareholder resolutions. 
Assisted with corporate re-structuring matters arising from mergers and acquisitions and other related transactions.
Provided training to employees.
Communicated signed contracts to all relevant parties to provide contract visibility and awareness.
Responded to ad hoc requests for legal assistance/legal research.

Contracts Counsel

Provided support to global sales offices by managing, drafting, reviewing, redlining, and negotiating both standard and non-standard agreements including nondisclosure, marketing, marketing affiliate, professional services, independent contractor, manufacturing, software licensing (both on premise and SaaS), customer/sales, supplier, joint development, and distributor contracts.
Maintained contractual records and documentation, such as receipt and control of all contract correspondence, customer contact information sheets, contractual changes, and other documents for all projects.
Developed/revised contractual templates.
Worked with risk management department to coordinate contractual insurance requirements.
Worked with finance department to insure adherence to broader finance and risk requirements such as revenue recognition, pricing and discounting policies and other relevant requirements.
Worked with relevant sales and business team and advise regarding legal issues and risks related to various business transactions.
Ensured proper completion of a wide variety of agreements.
Monitored compliance by company employees with established procedures.
Ensured that signed contracts are communicated to all relevant parties to provide contract visibility and awareness.

Contracts Administrator

Director of Legal @ Malbek | Legal Tech Author and Commentator | Fastcase 50 2022 Honoree | Legal Tech Startup Advisor and Investor

Hey. I’m Colin. I am the General Counsel of Malbek, CLM for the Enterprise. I am a man on a mission. 

My mission is helping people make sense of legal tech—where technology and the law intersect to drive real change. 

As an educator, writer, and advocate, I explore how innovation is reshaping the legal landscape and share insights to help you navigate this dynamic space.

I actively work to grow and support the legal tech community. 

I authored The Legal Tech Ecosystem, a foundational guide to understanding the industry, co-wrote CLM for Dummies to make Contract Lifecycle Management accessible, and edited the comprehensive Handbook of Legal Tech. 

Additionally, I’ve contributed articles, spoken on podcasts, and hosted webinars to unpack the role of technology in law.

I aim to empower legal professionals to embrace technology and realize its potential to improve the legal industry. 

Change and innovation are not just buzzwords to me—they’re the driving forces behind my work.

As Director of Legal and Evangelist for Malbek, a leading Contract Lifecycle Management platform, I stay on the frontlines of legal tech innovation. I also advise startups, invest in emerging technology, and look for ways to propel the industry forward.

Here are a few specific highlights of my work:

1) Author of The Legal Tech Ecosystem – An essential guide for understanding the foundations of legal tech and its key players.

2) Editor of the Handbook of Legal Tech – A comprehensive exploration of the distinct sectors shaping the legal tech landscape.

3) Co-author of CLM for Dummies – Breaking down Contract Lifecycle Management into practical, approachable concepts for legal professionals at every stage.

4) Judge for the American Legal Technology Awards – Highlighting and celebrating groundbreaking advancements in legal innovation.

5)  Columnist for Today’s General Counsel – Delivering in-depth analysis and actionable strategies on the intersection of technology and legal operations.

Every role I take on reflects my dedication to advancing the legal tech community and showing what’s possible when technology and the law work together.

My journey started with candid conversations with pioneers in legal tech. I continue to share those experiences and what I’ve learned on my website, colinslevy.com.

For updates, follow me here, on my website, or on platforms like Threads, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter).

Whether you’re curious about legal tech, just starting out, or building something new, I’d love to connect. 

Please reach out!

Paralegals.

Often the smartest and most engaging people I've met in my life have been paralegals. 

They tend to be the most tech-savvy, the most innovative, and the most collaborative individuals within a legal organization.

They are at the forefront of innovation and process improvement in many cases.

They also often go on to become legal operations managers and directors.

Listen to them. Treat them well. Learn from them.

#legaltech #innovation #law #business #learning

Colin S. Levy

General Counsel @ Malbek - CLM for Enterprise | Adjunct Professor and Author of The Legal Tech Ecosystem | Legal Tech Speaker, Advisor, and Investor | Named to the Fastcase 50 (2022)

Don't be an asshole.

There, I said it. 

Look, I get it. The world is not always a nice place. You're not going to like everyone you meet. People will do things that frustrate or annoy you.

Especially during hectic times, like now, as another year wraps up.

But, by being a jerk you are only contributing to the problem.

This doesn't mean you need to be sweet as sugar to everyone, but it does mean to keep your feelings in check and to be respectful whenever possible.

So, let me repeat.

Don't be an asshole. 

Happy Halloween. 

#legaltech #innovation #law #business #learning

Too much legal tech content is performance, not analysis.

It circulates because it requires no sustained thought: a tool announcement, a vague efficiency claim, a prediction divorced from mechanism. This serves the person posting. It does not serve the profession.

Legal professionals considering technology adoption face concrete structural questions that popular commentary systematically avoids.

When you implement document automation, you are making explicit decisions about knowledge transfer. Which analytical patterns will your newer lawyers never learn through repetition? How does competency develop when the formative tasks disappear?

For legal professionals sharing knowledge about technology: your obligation is to examine mechanisms and tradeoffs, not to amplify adoption narratives.

The profession needs people who can think clearly about these tools, not people who just promote them. 

#legaltech #innovation #law #business #learning

Hey there.

I'm Colin.

I'm the General Counsel of Malbek and my mission is helping people understand the world of legal tech.

I actively work to grow and support the legal tech community. 

I authored The Legal Tech Ecosystem, a foundational guide to understanding the industry, co-wrote CLM for Dummies, am the editor of the Handbook of Legal Tech.

I'm working on a new book project that continues to make progress. 

The journey continues to be a challenging but informative one. 

Stay tuned.

#legaltech #innovation #law #business #learning

Colin Levy

Talks about #legaltech, #technology, #legalinnovation, and #legaltechnology

I often feel like I’m not doing enough or accomplishing enough.

It’s something I’ve long struggled with. 

I have this incessant drive to keep on working, keep on improving, keep on doing more.

I get inspired by those who continue to drive the legal space forward. 

By those who aren’t satisfied with the status quo or by the noise and drivel that too often permeates the legal and legal tech spaces.

I’m feel like I am only just getting started. 

Let’s see where this journey goes.

#legaltech #innovation #law #business #learning

Lawyers and law students, here is some advice.

Don’t compromise your ethics, your values, those things that make you, you. 

Find work at places aligned to to you.

Ask questions during the interview process to ensure this is the case. 

Interviewing is a two-way street.

No job is worth giving up who you are and how you want to be seen by others.

There is only one you.

I’m Colin, General Counsel of Malbek - CLM for the Enterprise and author of The Legal Tech Ecosystem.

#legaltech #innovation #law #business #learning

Law schools need to teach technology skills. It's not optional anymore.

I see new lawyers struggling with basic legal tech that firms use every day. Document review platforms, contract analysis software, AI research tools. 

These aren't coming someday. They're here now.

What should law students actually learn?

Some essential tech topics for law students and new lawyers:

-IP questions when AI creates content
-How and when to use AI for legal work and examples of tools that can help
-Liability issues with automated systems
-Using tech to help clients including underserved clients access legal services
-Ethics rules around AI in legal practice

The reality: Clients expect those they hire to know how to use and when to use the tools of their trade. 

Lawyers who combine legal knowledge with tech skills are winning cases and building practices. Those who don't are falling behind.

Law schools that skip this preparation are failing their students. The market has already decided that tech literacy matters.

I’m Colin, General Counsel of Malbek - CLM for the Enterprise and author of The Legal Tech Ecosystem.

#legaltech #innovation #law #business #learning

I've been reading through the newly released AI Policy guide and template from the Australian Government.

I have questions to ponder:

-Where does AI governance begin and IT governance end? And how does this all fit into your broader organizational governance structure? 

This isn't just about drawing boxes on an org chart. It's about understanding where accountability lives.

-Who actually owns AI in your organization? More importantly, who's accountable when things go wrong? Because they will go wrong at some point.

-What counts as AI anyway? Are you treating generative AI differently from other AI systems? 

-How are you classifying risks? Who has the authority to approve that classification system?

-How do you make your ethics principles and values actually mean something? 

It's easy to put values on a website. It's much harder to operationalize them in your AI governance framework.

What do you think?

I'm Colin, General Counsel of Malbek - CLM for Enterprise, and author of The Legal Tech Ecosystem.

#legaltech #innovation #law #business #learning

Australian Government AI Policy Guide

Working as a lawyer in-house:

1) Skip the legal history lesson. Start with "We can do this by..." not "We can't because..." 

Show you understand risk in context. 

2) Never say "that's not legal's problem." 

Own problems together with your business partners.

3) Relationships matter more than you think. 

Build your network before you need it.

4) Not every question needs the same response. 

Learn when to give what type of response. 

#legaltech #innovation #law #business #learning

Why do legal teams keep buying tools and then keep being let down?

In "The Legal Tech Ecosystem," I dig into why this keeps happening.
Teams get dazzled by flashy demos and end up with tools that make work harder, not easier. 

Here's some tips on what to do and not do:

1) Spend a week watching how work really gets done. 

Talk to the paralegals drowning in repetitive tasks and the senior associates wasting hours on administrative work they should not be doing. 

Pick three things that eat up everyone's time: maybe it is tracking down contract approvals, or the endless email chains about who has the latest version of that NDA.

2) Ban yourself from vendor calls until you can clearly explain your three biggest headaches. 

Then take two weeks to fix what you can without buying anything. 

Create that contract approval checklist everyone has been asking for. Finally document who needs to sign off on what. You know, the basic stuff that somehow never gets done. 

Test these fixes with the people who will actually use them, not just the partners who think they know how work flows.

3) When you do need technology, keep the desired outcome in mind. 

Start with one process everyone touches, like how new matters get opened or how documents get reviewed.

I have seen too many legal leaders get seduced by "AI powered this" and "machine learning that." 

Your contract process is not broken because you lack technology. 

It is broken because nobody knows who is supposed to review what and how your stakeholders work best when reviewing a document.

Fix the human problems first.

#legaltech #innovation #law #business #learning

Negotiating with cats is much harder than negotiating with humans…especially the one pictured below.

What are your best tips and strategies when negotiating with unreasonable counterparts?

#legaltech #innovation #law #business #learning

Ever left a conference with plenty of new numbers or names but zero real connections?

The most valuable professional moments don't happen during scheduled networking hours in crowded exhibition halls. 

They happen when we slow down and genuinely connect.

Here's what I've learned about building meaningful professional relationships:

🤝 Choose depth over width: Three genuine conversations beat 30 elevator pitches

💬 Listen first, pitch never: Ask about their challenges before sharing your solutions

☕ Create intimate moments: Suggest coffee meetings or small group dinners at large events

📱 Follow through meaningfully: Send that article they mentioned, not just a LinkedIn request.

🎯 Be selective: Attend fewer events but engage more deeply when you do
At the heart of everything I do is helping people. 

Technology should enhance our ability to connect, not replace it.

#legaltech #innovation #law #business #learning

We're no longer just using AI to summarize or automate. 

We're giving it permission to act, decide, and interact on our behalf. And almost anyone can now build these agents with a few clicks and some prompts.

Here's the problem: Without clear governance, these helpful agents become accidental liabilities.

It's not hard to envision scenarios where agents exposed confidential data to the wrong people, emailed datasets outside firewalls, and created cascading financial errors before anyone noticed. 

Agentic AI is more like giving someone decision-making authority. It figures out the path, adapts when things change, and coordinates across multiple systems. That's powerful. It's also why the old playbook doesn't work.

The governance gap is closing fast.

Organizations need to answer basic questions now:

-Who's allowed to build agents, and what approval process exists?
-What systems and data can agents access or modify?
-Who's accountable when an agent makes a consequential decision?
-How do you prevent different teams from deploying agents that conflict with each other?
-What does ongoing monitoring actually look like?

Agentic AI presents a clear governance challenge. 

#legaltech #innovation #law #business #learning

Too often it seems that salespeople view lawyers as roadblocks and lawyers view salespeople as careless. 

The way forward?

Recognizing that this relationship works best when both sides understand what the other is actually trying to accomplish. 

When sales takes responsibility for learning the basics instead of treating legal like a helpdesk. When legal approaches questions as a coach instead of a gatekeeper.

And when executives actually prioritize this relationship instead of assuming it will fix itself.

The question worth asking isn't "how do we eliminate tension between sales and legal?" It's "how do we channel that tension in ways that serve our customers better?"

Because at the end of the day, that's the only metric that matters.

Check out the latest guest-authored blog post by Alex Boyd on this topic on my blog. The link is in the comments.

#legaltech #innovation #law #business #learning

Lessons from lawyer navigating the current AI era:

-Missteps are inevitable. Trial and error are an inherent part of technological adoption.

-If you're adopting AI for competitive optics or fear of missing out, you're missing what should drive you. Focus on client outcomes and genuine value creation.

-Being AI-savvy means leveraging tools that serve your goals and knowing how and when to use them. Not every problem needs an AI solution.

-Acknowledge what you don't understand. Seeking guidance and help isn't weakness; it's a strength.

-Your human judgment matters. AI augments but doesn't replace the critical thinking, ethics, and contextual understanding you bring.

#legaltech #innovation #law #business #learning

Let's talk about conferences... 

I've made my feelings clear about conferences, but tell me...what do YOU want the most when you travel to a conference?

Please share WHY you voted the way you did in the comments!

I'm Colin and I am the General Counsel of Malbek - CLM for Enterprise, Author of The Legal Tech Ecosystem and Co-Author of CLM for Dummies.

#legaltech #innovation #law #business #learning

I recently sat down with Dan Hauck from NetDocuments to explore how AI is reshaping legal tech. 

Three insights stood out:

1) Security comes first.

2) Context matters more than power. 

3) Metadata is  valuable.

The lawyers Dan works with are more engaged than ever. 

His team recently spent six hours in intensive sessions with customers in DC, with similar engagements planned for New York. 

They're not just collecting feedback, they're co-building with the people who will use these tools daily.

Those seeing the most success aren't chasing the newest models. They're the ones grounding AI within their own documents, workflows, and expertise.

I'm Colin, General Counsel of Malbek - CLM for Enterprise, and author of The Legal Tech Ecosystem.

#legaltech #innovation #law #business #learning

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