Microsoft, GlaxoSmithKline, Shell, Citi, Bloomberg Law, AmLaw Law Firms, Industry Organizations and Technology Providers Pledge Support

April 11, 2018 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

NEW ORLEANS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Standards Advancement for the Legal Industry (SALI) Alliance announced today at Legal Marketing Association’s (LMA) annual conference that SALI is now accepting applications for membership from all legal industry participants. The SALI Alliance is a recently created, independent, not-for-profit member organization focused on facilitating a more transparent and efficient market for the buying, selling and delivery of legal services.

“We formed SALI to bring all stakeholders to the table,” said Toby Brown, SALI Board Member and chief practice management officer at Perkins Coie LLP. “Previous efforts at legal industry standardization have fallen short because key parties were not part of the process.”

The SALI Alliance is all-inclusive for firms, clients, organizations and industry technology and service providers. SALI was created to ensure all stakeholders in the industry have a voice to shape the most useful and relevant standards that will foster transparency. LMA and the Association of Legal Administrators (ALA) are the two founding organizations of the SALI Alliance, and the founding board consists of Toby Brown, Oliver P. Yandle, J.D., CAE, ALA’s executive director; and Betsi Roach, MIM, CAE, LMA’s executive director.

The SALI Alliance is initially building a matter standard for describing legal matters to foster innovation and provide consistency for buyers and sellers of legal services. This standardization is welcomed by both buyers and sellers of legal services.

“Lack of consistency in the way we describe legal services has been an impediment to driving efficiency, transparency and innovation in legal services,” said Rebecca Benavides, director of legal business at Microsoft.

Justin Ergler, Director, Global External Legal Relations, GlaxoSmithKline, said, “We envision that the SALI Matter Standard will assist our company's efforts to manage spend and control costs.”

“The Association of Corporate Counsel is in favor of SALI’s objectives,” said Catherine J. Moynihan, associate vice president of the ACC. “Standardization of how legal work is defined facilitates effective benchmarking to ensure appropriate value for in-house clients.”

Any company or organization can become a member at www.sali.org. Members can participate in defining the legal services market through regular SALI standard committee meetings. Membership tiers are offered for clients, law firms, solution providers and other industry stakeholders.

“The SALI Alliance approach will accelerate progress and growth in the industry overall by enabling the market to function in a more transparent and efficient manner,” said Scott Mozarsky, president of Bloomberg Law. “This aligns with one of our primary goals at Bloomberg Law, and we are excited to be partnering with SALI on this initiative.”

The SALI Alliance is endorsed by leading companies, including GlaxoSmithKline, Microsoft, Shell and Citi. Leading law firms endorsing the SALI Alliance include Allen Matkins, Baker Donelson, Greenberg Traurig, Honigman, and Perkins Coie, and leading technology providers such as Intapp, Prosperoware and Foundation Software Group also endorse the SALI Alliance.

About the Standards Advancement for the Legal Industry (SALI) Alliance

The Standards Advancement for the Legal Industry (SALI) Alliance promotes an inclusive industry neutral standard for the progress of legal industry transparency, efficiency and innovation. It was founded by Legal Marketing Association and Association of Legal Administrators. Its mission is to create a common language for all participants for the delivery of modern legal services. Learn more at www.sali.org or on Twitter at @SALIalliance.

Contacts

Legal Marketing Association
Kat Seiffert, 312.673.4742
kseiffert@legalmarketing.org
or
Association of Legal Administrators
Oliver Yandle, J.D., CAE, 847.267.1570
OYandle@alanet.org