Director, Practice Innovation

Position Summary

Director of Practice Innovation & Knowledge Management (Director) is a senior firmwide leader charged with transforming how K&L Gates delivers legal services through innovation, knowledge, and technology. Reporting to the Chief Technology Officer, the Director establishes and executes a firm-wide strategy to improve attorney productivity, client value, and firm competitiveness.

The role leads three integrated priorities:

• Practice innovation and AI-enabled service delivery;
• Modern knowledge management and intellectual capital strategy;
• Client- and practice-facing innovation that drives measurable business impact.

The Director acts as a trusted partner to practice leadership, a bridge between lawyers and technology, and a hands‑on change leader who ensures initiatives move from concept to scaled adoption. The role has firmwide remit and manages Practice Support Lawyers (PSLs) and Knowledge Management professionals.

• Set and execute the firmwide practice innovation and knowledge management strategy aligned to the Firm’s strategic, commercial, and competitive objectives.
• Develop and manage a multi‑year innovation roadmap covering AI‑enabled service delivery, legal process improvement, knowledge reuse, and differentiated client solutions.
• Establish governance, intake, prioritization, and portfolio management processes to ensure focus, transparency, scalability, and return on investment across innovation and KM initiatives.
• Partner with practice leadership, PSLs, and attorneys to identify high‑value innovation and AI use cases and translate them into scalable solutions embedded in legal workflows.
• Lead the design, piloting, and firmwide rollout of AI‑enabled and practice-facing technology solutions, ensuring responsible, secure, and ethical deployment in collaboration firmwide IT.
• Drive adoption and measurable impact of innovation and KM initiatives through training, enablement, engagement strategies, and ongoing tracking of usage, outcomes, and ROI.
• Lead and modernize the Firm’s knowledge management function, including defining the KM operating model, governance, standards, and integration with innovation and AI efforts.
• Build and maintain the Firm’s knowledge architecture and core intellectual capital assets, including taxonomies, metadata, precedents, playbooks, clause banks, practice guides, and experience content.
• Lead legal design, process improvement, and automation initiatives to improve attorney efficiency, client experience, and day‑to‑day workflow effectiveness.
• Act as a firmwide change leader, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and knowledge sharing across practices and offices.
• Identify and support client‑facing innovation opportunities and advise partners and clients on evolving legal service delivery models and market trends.
• Lead, develop, and align PSLs and Knowledge Management professionals, setting clear priorities, expectations, and performance measures while partnering closely with cross‑functional teams.

• 10+ years of experience in practice innovation, knowledge management, legal operations, technology, or related leadership roles within a law firm or professional services environment.
• Demonstrated success delivering firmwide initiatives with measurable impact.
• Deep understanding of law firm practice workflows and economics.
• Proven ability to lead change and influence senior stakeholders.
• Strong people leadership and communication skills.

• Juris Doctor (JD) and prior legal practice experience strongly preferred.
• Experience with AI‑enabled legal tools and workflow automation.
• Expertise in modern KM concepts including knowledge architecture and reuse.
• Experience designing or scaling client‑facing innovation initiatives.

Salary $170,000 - $300,000. The compensation will be determined during the interview process and will vary based on prior experience, relevant expertise, current business needs, and market factors.

• Medical/Prescription Drug Coverage (including a Health Savings Account feature)
• Back‑up Child/Elder Care and access to a caregiving concierge
• Dental Insurance
• Wellness Program
• Vision…