University of Illinois Chicago

Client Solutions Officer at Baker Donelson

Paul Hastings

Manager, Client and Practice Solution Development 

Oversaw the firm’s industry-leading Client Solutions Group (CSG), a cross-functional team that leveraged the disciplines of legal project management & process improvement, knowledge management, pricing, data analytics, integrated technologies and research to help the firm attract, win and retain clients as well as improve the attorney/client experience. The CSG included the following teams: Legal Process Engineering; Legal Data, Costing & Reporting; Consulting, Alternative Legal Services and Staff Augmentation; Legal Technology and Product Support; and BakerResearch (Library). These teams supported the firm's Innovation initiative by adding value through creative and imaginative problem solving and the design of new approaches to the practice and business of law.   

Contributed to the team's strategic direction, mentoring team leads & members and providing oversight to the group's operations. Managed the firm’s knowledge management and legal project management venture fund, facilitating high-quality contributions to maximize the value of the firm’s many expert contributors. 

He is a well-regarded authority in the legal technology area and regularly presents on enhancing client service, knowledge management, and enterprise search as well as other related topics.

Baker Donelson

Client Solutions Officer

Led the Firm’s industry-leading Knowledge Management team, including the design and management of BakerNet, the intranet’s fully-personalized portal. Coordinated the Firm’s strategic knowledge management initiatives and associated emerging technologies. Oversaw many of the initiatives that fostered firm's ability to partner with clients and deliver cutting-edge legal solutions. Directed the firm's data analytics and collaborative, web-based suite of online client services. Managed the firm’s knowledge management venture fund, facilitating high-quality contributions to maximize the value of the firm’s many expert contributors.

Chief Knowledge Management Officer

•	Led 10-person KM Team 
•	Established and maintained effective and consistent dialogues with attorneys, clients and leaders through regular interaction to gain a full understanding of the knowledge management and technology needs of the firm's practice and admin groups, industry groups and client teams.  
•	Helped lawyers deconstruct their workflow and then leveraged various methods of automation to provide efficiencies within the context of the practice of law.  Formulated recommendations for how processes and technologies could best meet the needs of the practice.  
•	Ensured attorneys are aware of the technologies available to them, based on their practice group/type of work. Provided teams and KM Department with regular briefings on key opportunities relating to technology and its effective use.
•	Managed training and education of KM programs. Aided in the maintenance and training of the KM group’s SharePoint-based products and applications to users and the firm's clients.

Knowledge Management Director

Directed, coached and mentored team of 13 for firm’s web presence (intranet, extranet and Internet) and information-management-related solutions. Managed multi-million dollar departmental technology budgets for Knowledge & Business Development Departments as well as for large IT projects. Member of global teams, including: IT Leadership, Project Review Board and Intranet Steering Committee.

 Drove firm’s public website and intranet re-design projects to improve site usability and regional compliance with constantly-evolving accessibility regulations.
 Championed and led global initiatives to standardize information (practice areas and memberships) by creating cross-functional teams, establishing naming conventions for consistency and developing processes for keeping information current.
 Led team through several international mergers ensuring that all KM and website information was appropriately managed throughout the process.
 Liaised with lawyers on addressing compliance issues which minimized firm risk.
 Led research and development of knowledge management innovations to determine feasibility, cost and return-on investment of potential future projects, including enterprise search proof of concept (POC), matter dashboard POC, global precedent management analysis and master data management strategy.
 Initiated firm-wide web governance program to ensure management of de-centralized content ownership and publishing as well as enforcement of approved standards.
 Directed change management planning to maximize end-user acceptance of technology solutions by developing communication plans, establishing focus groups and conducting surveys.

Rick Krzyminski