Description

Mary O'Carroll kicks off a new era of Pearls On, Gloves Off - independent, sponsor-curious, and still laser-focused on what's actually changing in legal. Her first guest in this new chapter is the person many listeners will recognize instantly: Alex Su. Former litigator, ex-legal tech sales leader, early "legal influencer," and now Chief Revenue Officer at Latitude.

This episode is a blunt conversation about the gap between buying innovation and actually using it. Mary and Alex dig into why legal excellence by itself doesn't deliver business value, why so much AI adoption is still "innovation theater," and why integration (not hype) is the make or break factor for legal tech, legal services, and legal careers.

In this episode

• The core thesis: Legal excellence alone doesn't cut it. If a lawyer, ALSP, or AI tool isn't embedded in the workflows, it won't stick.
• AI reality check: 2025 was the year of "buying"; 2026 will be about renewals, retention, and ROI.
• CLM is back: "Agents will replace workflows" didn't land (yet). Real SaaS infrastructure still matters, and AI works best layered into it.
• Disaggregation/right-sourcing is accelerating: Big Law moves upmarket, expanding room for ALSPs, flexible talent, and tech-enabled delivery.
• The Innovator's Dilemma for firms: Dropping "lower-value" work can erode stickiness, and invite new providers to move up the chain.
• Training is the looming issue: As work shifts and automates, the profession has to rethink where reps and apprenticeship come from.

For those thinking seriously about legal transformation, technology, and where the industry is headed, this conversation lays out what actually matters next.

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