Why Law Firms Reject Innovation and How Ted Theodoropoulos Is Making Change Happen

What’s it going to take for legal companies to wholeheartedly embrace legal technology? Social proof, as Ted Theodoropoulos, CEO of Infodash, puts it. In this episode of Between the Briefs by Steno, hosts Adrian Cea and Joe Stephens, pick Ted’s brain about the tech reckoning the legal landscape is confronted with, today.

What You’ll Learn:

Why "Innovation Theater" still dominates big law and why that’s dangerous
Why change management is critical to successful AI adoption, not the tools
How Gen AI is forcing conversations about business models that should have happened years ago

The “social proof” strategy for legal tech vendors to sell successfully

The how and why of practical AI integration that doesn’t replace the human touch

How managed service organizations (MSOs), private capital, and emerging regulatory pathways are quietly restructuring legal service delivery

The legal landscape has essentially reached the point of no return. And, that’s a good thing.

Highlights:

00:00 Introduction & Meeting Ted Theodoropoulos

02:03 Ted’s Podcasting Story & The Legal Innovation Spotlight

04:18 Innovation Theater is a Real Thing in Legal

12:14 Why Law Firms Resist Standardization

18:00 Building Social Proof is the Only Way for Legal Tech Adoption

20:26 Why Does Anyone Need an Intranet?

22:38 Measuring Success Beyond Page Views and Usage Data

28:06 How Venture Capital Is Reshaping Legal Tech Competition

32:06 Blending Generative AI with Human Legal Expertise

35:58 The Advantage of Vertical Focus Over Horizontal Expansion

39:00 Podcasting Lessons: Adapting Communication Style for Maximum Engagement

41:18 Ted’s Hot Take: The Business Model Reckoning & Why Law Firms Must Invest 10% in Tech

46:12 The Consolidation Wave Legal Can’t Ignore

47:19 Key Takeaways: Trust, Focus, and Structural Innovation in Legal Tech

Quotes:

"There's been a lot of innovation theater in legal where innovation titles were handed out, but firms weren't fully committed to innovating, especially at a foundational level. Until you've got buy-in at the top, which is now starting to happen because AI has really forced their hand.”
"The reason that law firms are so resistant to change and tech adoption is the bespoke nature of legal work. It's historically been an artisan craft. You can take lawyers in the same firm, in the same practice, and they are going to do things completely differently, with their own precedent documents that they use as starting points. They have their own little org structure, how they leverage paralegals, their own processes, how they engage with clients."
"I always say, law firms don't buy tech - they buy social proof. You have to build that book of social proof before you'll really get at-bats with the biggest firms. Most vendors have to work their way up the ladder incrementally and eat table scraps in the beginning until they build. And you have to build that book of social proof before you'll really get at bats with the biggest firms."
"Buying the tech is the easy part. It's the change management discipline that has to come along with the tech that is going to ultimately determine whether something becomes shelfware or generates great ROI for the firm.”
"I think the number one attribute is focus. Vendors who come into this space with a horizontal focus don't do well, it's the ones who jump all in because that legal resume is so important. If you're in it long enough and become a student of the industry, you become an advisor beyond just whatever it is your technology does.”