Episode 10

Every Lawyer Needs To Do THIS. We Cut Contract Cycle Time By 40%! with Sarah Derbyshire

Legal departments need to evolve fast, and it’s not just AI that’s applying the pressure.

In this episode, we’re joined by Sarah Derbyshire, General Counsel at Baringa. Sarah is a calm and collected, yet fiercely driven legal leader who’s built legal functions from scratch, helped pilot AI effectively, and co-founded a career-shaping network for in-house lawyers.

Sarah’s career looks more squiggly than a game of snakes and ladders, and that’s part of what makes her so effective.

We dig deep into how Sarah was able to cut contract cycle time by 40% in her first year at Baringa, the approach she uses to turn resistance into applause, and the key to implementing change without causing chaos.

This is for anyone working within a legal department who wants to have more of an impact and keep up, without burning out.

Covered in this episode:

  • How Sarah reduced contract cycle time at Baringa by 40%.
  • How to implement change in a way that creates minimum chaos.
  • The one thing every lawyer needs to do with regards to AI.
  • Understanding needs vs wants with AI.
  • The benefits of a squiggly career.
  • How Sarah went from hating networking to co-founding a thriving network.
  • What makes a leader in modern legal teams?
  • Why compliance isn’t only legal’s responsibility.
  • And more…

If you got value from this episode of Beyond The Fine Print, subscribe on your favourite podcast platform so you don’t miss the next one.

LEARN MORE

RMOK Legal- https://www.rmoklegal.com/ 

CONNECT

Sarah Derbyshire on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-derbyshire-aa4a5684/ 

Rory O’Keeffe on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/roryokeeffe/ 

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1gIj9v3yCsj5XNBbrS0byC?si=90ced509f70b4a35 

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-fine-print/id1826498926 

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BeyondTheFinePrint/

About the Podcast

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Beyond The Fine Print: The Tech Law Podcast
The tech law podcast for in-house counsel helping simplify digital laws and answer the major questions facing lawyers today.

About your host

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Rory O'Keeffe

Commercial & AI-Tech Lawyer | EU & UK | Founder - RMOK Legal | Host of Beyond The Fine Print