Stephanie Vaughan is joining iManage as global legal practice director for iManage RAVN, a role which iManage says will see her engage with customers to help them understand and adopt artificial intelligence technology, leveraging her hybrid background as lawyer in Allen & Overy’s market innovations group (MIG).
Vaughan started her career as a banking associate but ended up working in the MIG and the derivatives and structured finance group, delivering global technology-focused projects to clients. For these projects, she was involved in everything from design to delivery and ongoing running of the programs.
The MIG team is working with iManage RAVN on the use and assessment of automated data extraction tools. Vaughan was also involved in the launch of online derivatives tool MarginMatrix.
She told Legal IT Insider: “I’m a lawyer and have no formal technology training but while at Allen & Overy I worked closely with our developers to design and articulate what the clients needed in a real application of technology role.
“I have extensive experience of using AI machines and I understand what it is that lawyers want to get out of their AI tools.”
People with understanding of both law and technology are inevitably highly sought after by law firms and vendors alike, and iManage has hired a number of hybrids, including Ian Rodgers from A&O, and in the US Lucy Melendrez-Diaz from Relativity (she was formerly a lawyer.)
“Stephanie’s appointment is key for iManage and we are delighted that she has already hit the ground running,” said Nick Thomson, general manager, iManage RAVN. “Her intimate knowledge of law firm operation alongside their challenges, business drivers and approach to innovation is already proving valuable for us as we continuously evolve and hone our offering.”
“Law firms recognise that technology isn’t the only element that is needed to nurture a culture of innovation,” added Vaughan. “Firms are taking a holistic view of innovation so that they can run their business with efficiency and to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to dealing with evolving challenges, including competition, recruitment, talent retention and more. iManage has the technology and vision to support firms with all this and more – it’s an exciting time to join iManage as we continue to grow.”