You Can’t Buy Maturity: Legal Ops from Startup to Global Scale | Legal Soundings EP10

You can buy tools. You can’t buy maturity. That’s the throughline as two legal ops leaders at opposite ends of the scale spectrum compare notes on building a function that actually changes how a legal department works. In this episode, Kevin Clem is joined by Adam Becker (Director of Legal Operations, Cockroach Labs) and Donovan Bell (Head of Global Legal Operations, Intel) — both CLOC board members — to unpack what legal ops maturity really means. From standing up a function in weeks at a 500-person startup to keeping legal ops strategic (and not bureaucratic) across thousands of people and dozens of countries, the conversation gets honest about AI hype, retirement plans for old tools, and why legal ops is a contact sport. **What you’ll hear:** - Why maturity is a behavior change, not a checklist or a maturity-model score - The unglamorous first move that makes the fastest impact (hint: it’s about knowledge, not software) - “Barometer, not a barrier” — keeping legal ops strategic at global scale - Why every new tool should ship with a retirement plan for an old one - How to tell whether an AI initiative is real maturity or just more tech sprawl - Why “low-hanging fruit” is a myth — and what to chase instead - The one thing legal departments still get wrong about legal ops **Guests:** Adam Becker, Director of Legal Operations, Cockroach Labs Donovan Bell, Head of Global Legal Operations, Intel Corporation **Host:** Kevin Clem, EVP, Client Engagement – Corporations, Harbor **About Legal Soundings:** Legal Soundings is Harbor’s podcast exploring how technology, leadership, and innovation are reshaping the business of law. Each episode features a rotating Harbor host and expert voices from across the legal ecosystem. Learn more about Harbor: https://harborglobal.com Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don’t miss the next episode.