Contractually Speaking

Ep. 14: Steph & Sumi - AI Governance, ROI, & Use Cases in Legal Operations

Watch on YouTube HERE [https://youtu.be/FtbzSwEAcRw]. In this episode of Contractually Speaking, Matt sits down with Steph Corey and Sumi Trombley from UpLevelOps [https://uplevelops.com/] to discuss how legal operations teams can navigate the fast-moving world of AI, point solutions and enterprise legal technology. With new AI tools emerging constantly, legal teams are under pressure to evaluate sandboxes, run pilots, compare vendors and determine what actually solves the business problem. Steph and Sumi explain why the best starting point is still the basics: understanding requirements, defining use cases and identifying the real pain points before chasing the newest AI tool. The conversation explores when a point solution may be enough, when a broader legal technology platform is needed and why AI adoption requires more than enthusiasm. From governance and ethical use to cross-functional ownership and ROI measurement, this episode highlights the growing role of legal ops as the function that brings structure, accountability and clarity to legal AI evaluation. Whether your team is testing multiple AI tools, debating Copilot versus other LLMs or trying to decide between a point solution and a full CLM platform, this episode offers practical guidance for making smarter, more sustainable legal tech decisions. 🔑 Key Topics Covered * AI point solutions versus enterprise legal tech platforms * Why legal teams need clear use cases before evaluating tools * The role of legal ops in AI governance and adoption * How to manage multiple AI pilots, sandboxes and POCs * Comparing vendors with scorecards, requirements and ROI * Why base LLMs and legal-specific tools serve different needs * Total cost of ownership, tuning and long-term maintenance * Cross-functional ownership of AI across legal, IT, sales and marketing 👉 Subscribe and listen to Contractually Speaking on the platform of your choice at podcast.malbek.io [https://podcast.malbek.io] 🎙️ Interested in being a guest or sponsoring the show? We’d love to hear from you—email us at podcast@malbek.io 💡 Learn more about Malbek [https://www.malbek.io]

Ep. 13: Matt Linder - The Anatomy of a Successful CLM Implementation

Watch on YouTube HERE [https://youtu.be/jPmx-uA5UF4]. It’s a Matt-fest on this episode of Contractually Speaking, as Matt Patel is joined by Matt Linder [https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-linder-1380596b] from Harbor [https://harborglobal.com/] to break down what a CLM deployment really means — and why it’s about far more than just implementing technology. Drawing from real-world experience implementing CLM for large global organizations, Matt Linder shares how successful deployments focus first on solving contract chaos — from slow cycle times and lack of visibility to inconsistent language and missed business value. The episode tackles one of the biggest topics in legal tech today: AI. From pre-signature contract review to post-signature intelligence across large contract repositories, the discussion outlines what it really takes to make AI effective — including structured data, strong templates, clear processes, and well-crafted prompts. Whether you’re implementing CLM for the first time or modernizing an existing system, this episode offers practical, experience-driven insights to help you build a scalable, high-impact contract management strategy. 🔑 Key Topics Covered: * Solving contract chaos: speed, visibility, and consistency * Why workflow design should come before repository and AI * Repository strategy: from storage to business intelligence * Integrating CLM with CRM, finance, and other business systems * AI across the lifecycle: pre-signature and post-signature use cases * The importance of structured data, templates, and clause libraries 👉 Subscribe and listen to Contractually Speaking on the platform of your choice at podcast.malbek.io [https://podcast.malbek.io] 🎙️ Interested in being a guest or sponsoring the show? We’d love to hear from you—email us at podcast@malbek.io 💡 Learn more about Malbek [https://www.malbek.io]

Ep. 12: Devon Misterman - Data Migration Done Right

Watch on YouTube: HERE [https://youtu.be/5gwecNjaOME]. In this episode of Contractually Speaking, Matt Patel sits down again with Devon Misterman from Epiq to tackle one of the most challenging — and often underestimated — parts of any CLM implementation: data migration. Whether transitioning from a legacy CLM or starting fresh with thousands of contracts stored across systems and PDFs, migration is more than just moving files. It’s about structuring, extracting, and validating critical contract data so it becomes searchable, reportable, and actionable. Matt and Devon break down why organizations should avoid trying to “boil the ocean” and instead take a phased approach — focusing first on high-value contract types and active agreements. The conversation also highlights the reality that, despite advances in AI, human oversight remains essential for ensuring accuracy, handling edge cases, and properly mapping contract relationships like amendments, SOWs, and master agreements. From understanding your current data landscape to setting realistic expectations around time, cost, and effort, this episode offers a practical guide to getting migration right — and setting your CLM implementation up for long-term success. 🔑 Key Topics Covered * Why data migration is the hardest part of CLM implementation * The role of human validation alongside AI extraction * Challenges with contract structure, hierarchy, and relationships * Extracting key metadata (renewals, terms, clauses) for reporting * Setting realistic expectations for cost, effort, and timelines * Using migration as a way to understand past contracting practices 👉 Subscribe and listen to Contractually Speaking on the platform of your choice at podcast.malbek.io 🎙️ Interested in being a guest or sponsoring the show? We’d love to hear from you—email us at podcast@malbek.io 💡 Learn more about Malbek

Ep. 11: Colin Levy - Designing Smarter Playbooks for CLM and AI

Watch on YouTube HERE [https://youtu.be/V4w2fiJQw4s]. In this episode of Contractually Speaking, Matt sits down with Malbek’s General Counsel, Colin Levy, to break down a foundational — yet rapidly evolving — concept in legal operations: the contract playbook. While playbooks have existed for decades, the rise of AI is fundamentally changing how they are designed, structured, and used. Colin shares how legal teams must rethink traditional playbooks — moving away from long, narrative documents and toward structured, clause-based systems that AI can interpret and apply at scale. The conversation explores what it takes to build an AI-ready playbook, including consistent terminology, clause libraries, agreement-specific variations, and simplified, accessible language. Matt and Colin also discuss why teams should start small — focusing on a handful of high-risk clauses — before expanding into more complex playbook strategies. From embedding negotiation rationale into redlines to introducing risk scoring for faster contract triage, this episode provides a practical framework for legal teams looking to modernize their contract review process in the age of AI. 🔑 Key Topics Covered: * What makes a playbook “AI-ready” * Moving from documents to structured clause libraries * The importance of consistent terminology and categorization * Why playbooks should vary by agreement type and context * Starting small: focusing on high-risk, high-value clauses * Embedding negotiation rationale into playbook-driven redlines * Designing AI-friendly templates and formatting * Using risk scoring to prioritize contract review 👉 Subscribe and listen to Contractually Speaking on the platform of your choice at podcast.malbek.io [https://podcast.malbek.io] 🎙️ Interested in being a guest or sponsoring the show? We’d love to hear from you—email us at podcast@malbek.io 💡 Learn more about Malbek [https://www.malbek.io/]

Ep. 10: Ellen Kranz - Here Nor There: Unlocking the Secret Menu Inside Your Contracts

Watch on YouTube HERE [https://youtu.be/PbSJJfFj_II]. In this episode of Contractually Speaking, Matt sits down with Ellen Kranz [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellenkranz] from Lighthouse [https://www.lighthouseglobal.com/] for a candid conversation recorded live at the true Austin speakeasy Here Nor There [https://hntaustin.com/]. The setting may be hidden — but the topic is all about uncovering what’s hidden inside your contracts. Ellen shares how Lighthouse has matured its vendor-side CLM program by integrating legal, procurement, compliance, and accounting into unified workflows. Instead of siloed contract reviews and reactive payments, the team is now taking a strategic approach to renewals, budgeting, and vendor oversight. The discussion dives into one of the biggest shifts happening in 2026: AI at scale. It’s no longer about reviewing a single contract — it’s about analyzing thousands at once to surface renewal terms, price caps, discounts, termination clauses, and cost-saving opportunities. From budget forecasting to identifying overlapping vendors and missed discounts, this episode explores how organizations can move beyond storing contracts and start unlocking real business intelligence from them. 🔑 Key Topics Covered * Integrating procurement, legal, compliance, and accounting * Moving from siloed contract reviews to strategic oversight * Tracking renewal terms and budgeting proactively * Identifying hidden discounts and pricing caps * AI at scale: analyzing thousands of contracts at once * Using contract data to inform 2026 planning and beyond 👉 Subscribe and listen to Contractually Speaking on the platform of your choice at podcast.malbek.io [https://podcast.malbek.io] 🎙️ Interested in being a guest or sponsoring the show? We’d love to hear from you—email us at podcast@malbek.io 💡 Learn more about Malbek [https://www.malbek.io/]