There'll be a full report on this week's LegalTech show in next week's edition of the American Legal Technology Insider newsletter however in the meantime here is a rundown on the social side of the event, which for Insider editor Charles Christian including missing not one but two Tikit drinks receptions and encountering Jan Durant of Lewis Silkin at three separate social events. (Microsoft love Jan's work by the way.)

There was a lot of snow in New York…

However by far the most frightening site we encountered was this – no, we also don't know why he has been cut in half.



So the week got off to a good start with a visit to the Russian Tea Room (well we are English) only to discover that instead of tea, they serve 57 varieties of vodka. The next day (Monday) it was off to the 11 Madison Avenue cocktail bar for, er, cocktails before heading (in an SUV the size of a tank) to the River Cafe, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Brooklyn (just by Brooklyn Bridge) which has spectacular views of Manhattan Island. The dinner – hosted by uber-consultant Neil Cameron – had a guest list that included vendor CEOs and the IT heads of some of the largest law firms on the planet. The picture (which was taken on a crappy camera phone) shows Neil Cameron, Jan Durant and Paul Hoffbrand of Litera discussing Microsoft's imminent takeover of the legal IT world (probably).

Tuesday saw Recommind host a party at the Top of The Rock venue at the Rockefeller Center in midtown Manhattan. Here's the building from the outside.

This is an iconic New York destination venue and Recommind held what was probably the best vendor party we have attended. The setting, the way the room had been dressed, the music, the cocktails, the food, the wine (OK, scrub the wine as a certain IT director emptied a glass of red over me) and the general ambiance – like being in a 1960s French arthouse movie – were all excellent. Full marks to Ashley Peck of Recommind who planned and organised the event. Other vendors – the line has been drawn in the sand, can you surpass it?