In this special episode of The Abstract, host Tyler Finn speaks with Tommie Tavares-Ferreira, newly appointed Chief Strategy Officer at Lawtrades and longtime legal ops leader, community builder, and podcast host.  

Tommie walks us through her unconventional path from the music industry to Peloton, Rakuten, Cedar, and now the executive team at Lawtrades. She shares lessons on scaling companies, embracing curiosity, balancing parenting with leadership, and how legal ops leaders can (and should) step into strategy roles. It’s a personal, powerful conversation about evolving careers, future tech, and the next phase of legal work.

Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-103

Topics:
Introduction: 0:00
Tommie’s early career in music, HBO, and the spirit of DIY creativity: 2:26
Legal ops as a career by necessity, not design: 5:03
Legal ops as a creative discipline and never-ending work: 6:53
Helping businesses scale through legal ops alignment and prioritization: 8:39
Love of technology, fears of automation, and the case for balance: 13:46
Bringing legal teams into the AI journey and overcoming resistance: 19:24
Why Tommie joined Lawtrades and what she hopes to build: 24:55
Legal ops as strategy and expanding the role into go-to-market leadership: 33:15
The glass ceiling in legal ops and the need for executive pathing: 36:52
Rapid-fire questions: 41:17

Connect with us:
Tommie Tavares-Ferreira - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommie/
Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinn
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft  

SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues.   

Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

Ep 103: Building What Doesn’t Exist Yet: Inside the Legal Career of Tommie Tavares-Ferreira

In this special live-recorded episode of The Abstract from CLOC in Las Vegas, host Tyler Finn sits down with David Cowen, founder of The Cowen Group and creator of the SOLID Summit Series.

David shares his journey from staffing to shaping the legal ops ecosystem, the moment he foresaw the rise of e-discovery, and why community is the most powerful response to chaos. He discusses the evolution of legal operations, the future of AI and agentic teams, and why trusting your talent matters more than ever. From frameworks on scaling legal to using ChatGPT as an executive coach, this episode offers a playbook for building a career and community in a rapidly changing industry.

Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-102  

Topics:
Intro: 00:00
David's career journey: From staffing to community building: 2:22
The moment he discovered e-discovery's potential: 5:10
How TED Talks inspired the SOLID Summit format: 6:49
Chaos as the ideal condition for community building: 8:43
Overbuilding in legal tech: problem or opportunity?: 10:52
Spotting innovation through curiosity, not prediction: 13:02
Legal Ops turns 10: What’s next for the profession?: 17:33
Climbing the legal career “jungle gym,” not a ladder: 21:03
How to manage anxiety and disruption in an AI-driven future: 25:53
On coaching, preparation, and using ChatGPT as a partner: 28:25
Legal Ops’ evolving role in helping businesses scale: 32:49
The future of legal tech: use cases and AI agents: 37:12
The GC as catalyst: Top-down transformation is here: 39:46
Creators, Builders, Consumers: Who shapes the industry?: 42:54
What excites David most about the next 10 years: 45:35
Rapid-fire Questions: 47:25

Connect with us:
David Cowen – https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidcowen/
Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinn
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft  

SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues.   

Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

Ep 102: What Comes After Legal Ops? A Conversation with David Cowen

What does it mean to lead legal operations when there’s no clear blueprint?

In this episode of The Abstract, host Tyler Finn sits down with Adam Becker, Director of Legal Operations at Cockroach Labs and board member at CLOC, for a candid conversation about evolving careers, scaling legal departments, and the growing scope of legal ops. From breaking the “lawyer mold” to embracing AI-native strategies, Adam shares personal lessons on confidence, curiosity, leadership, and why legal ops is entering a new season of strategic impact.

The discussion also explores how CLOC’s community and resources help elevate the field, and why every legal ops professional should see themselves as a partner to the GC — not just a process owner.

Read detailed summary:  https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-101  

Topics
Introduction and career arc overview: 0:00
Early clues that pointed to process thinking: 1:14
Breaking out of the lawyer mold and recognizing transferable skills: 2:09
Confidence, curiosity, and pivoting into legal ops: 5:51
Driving impact at MetLife and Endeavor: 8:33  
Why legal ops requires conviction, not just thick skin: 11:09  
The people-process-tech triangle — and why “people” matters more: 14:13  
Culture and collaboration at Cockroach Labs: 16:36
Balancing scale with flexibility in a fast-growing company: 18:53
How legal ops has evolved through CLOC’s growth: 21:14
Is legal ops at a crossroads? And what’s CLOC’s role in the future?:  26:22
Rapid Fire: 32:59

Connect with us:
Adam Becker - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-becker-896a7a3/
Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinn
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft  

SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues.

Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

Ep 101: How Legal Ops Became the Center of Strategy with Adam Becker, Cockroach Labs

In the 100th episode of The Abstract, the mic flips as SpotDraft’s Chief of Staff, Nakta Alaghebandan, interviews our podcast’s usual host and creator, Tyler Finn.  

From his start in public policy to shaping one of the most influential legal communities at SpotDraft, Tyler shares the pivotal career moments, risky leaps, and trust-building lessons that defined his path. He reflects on navigating early career detours, becoming a privacy leader despite skepticism, and building trust from scratch with executive stakeholders and customers.  

The conversation dives deep into community-building philosophy, the value of calculated risk, and how Tyler sees “increasing your surface area” as the most underutilized career growth strategy. You'll also hear how the podcast came to life, what he’s learned after 100 episodes, and his advice for creating lasting impact — with humility, humour, and heart.  

Read detailed summary:  https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-100  

Topics
Introduction: 0:00
Tyler’s early pivot from public policy to legal tech: 3:15
Choosing privacy despite warnings against it: 5:40
Building trust after entering a low-trust role: 8:33
Becoming the go-to for high-anxiety customer: 12:04
Why cross-functional thinking matters in legal leadership: 15:52
Sitting in the grey: layoffs, uncertainty, and consulting: 19:03
Taking calculated risks and trusting your gut: 22:51
From outsider to community leader at TechGC: 25:20
What real community building looks like: 29:28  
How to design a community where people actually open up: 30:55
Building trust and reputation intentionally: 31:25
How SpotDraft went from a consulting client to employer: 36:26
Community as a future-facing marketing strategy: 40:18
How Tyler now evaluates executive teams and companies: 43:22
Why the CEO and executive team matter more than you think: 46:33
What great executive teams do to support internal community: 47:42
Why Tyler launched The Abstract and his goals for it: 50:12
Personal lessons from 100 episodes: 56:04
“Increasing your surface area” and embracing uncertainty: 1:01:56
Favourite part of the day: 1:05:12
Professional pet peeve: 1:06:11
Book recommendations: 1:07:09
Advice to younger self: 1:11:21   

Connect with us:
Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinn
Nakta Alaghebandan - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nakta/
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft  

SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues.   Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

Ep 100: Community as Strategy: Your Guide to Growth with Tyler Finn

Download the AI Impact Report now:  https://www.spotdraft.com/ai-impact-report-2025

What does it take to thrive in law without losing yourself in the process?   

In this episode of The Abstract, host Tyler Finn is joined by Keita de Souza, General Counsel of Ryse and a former big law attorney turned wellness advocate, for a conversation that redefines what it means to be successful in legal practice. From pushing herself to burnout in her early law firm years to navigating the emotional toll of winding down a startup, Keita opens up about how personal health crises sparked a shift toward sustainability, intentionality, and self-compassion.

Keita discusses her unique path from big law to in-house roles, the lessons learned from yoga and physical setbacks, and how she’s learned to prioritize both career and care. She also shares what it was like to lead legal through the closure of a company — and why she decided to take the leap again with a new startup.   This episode is a candid and empowering look at resilience, leadership, and how to keep your center while leading others.

Topics
Introduction: 0:00
Early years in Big Law and unsustainable pace: 3:07  
Physical breakdowns and health wake-up calls: 5:2  
Small habits that transformed wellness: 11:42  
Transitioning from law firm to in-house counsel: 13:30  
Differences Between Law Firm and In-House Legal Work: 14:54  
Developing Wind-Down Strategies and Daily Resets: 18:50  
Aggressive Self-Care Days: A Personal Practice: 18:55  
Leading Through a Company Wind-Down: 23:05
Staying Grounded in Crisis: Leading with Calm and Integrity: 26:57
How yoga helped her survive high-stress moments: 29:11  
Starting over as General Counsel at Ryse: 30:22
Balancing ambition with intentional self-care: 32:12   
Redefining legal excellence beyond perfectionism: 34:15   
Building confidence and shedding self-doubt: 39:03   
Daily Rituals for Reset and Recovery: 42:35
Professional Pet Peeves: 44:23  
Book Recommendations: 46:37  
Advice to Younger Self: 49:32

Connect with us:
Keita de Souza - https://www.linkedin.com/in/keitadesouza/
Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinn
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft   

SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues.

Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

Ep 99: Resilience, Wellness, and the Law: Keita de Souza on Building a Sustainable Legal Career

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, so we’ve pulled together some of the most vital stories from some of the star legal and business experts we’ve featured on The Abstract about managing stress, achieving a healthy work/life balance, dealing with tragedies at home, leaving toxic working environments and more. Keep listening and feel inspired to make a positive change in your life and career.

Read detailed summary:  https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-98

Topics
Introduction: 0:00
Ryan Nier, General Counsel at Nova Credit on imposter syndrome and feeling like an outsider in the legal community: 0:43

Joe Sullivan, ex-Chief Security Officer at Uber, Facebook, and Cloudflare on managing the stress of a federal indictment: 6:49

Lawtrades Co-Founders Raad Ahmed and Ashish Walia on how to support your business partner during difficult times: 11:36

Dan Haley, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Guild, on balancing work and life after a cancer diagnosis: 14:07

Zoe McMahon, Head of Legal Ops at HP, on mindfulness and bringing parts of your private self into the workplace: 16:47

Laura Frederick, CEO of How to Contract on the importance of seeing a therapist: 18:59

Connect with us:
Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinn
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft

SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues.

Visit https://www.spotdraft.com [https://www.spotdraft.com/] to learn more.

Ep 98: Breaking the Silence: Legal Leaders Talk Mental Health

What's it like to be the first European legal hire for a fast-growing tech company? How do you build out a European legal team? And where is the European tech sector headed?

Join Volker Weisshaar, General Counsel EMEA at Sonos, as he talks about establishing and scaling European legal teams for US tech giants NetApp and Sonos, and what it takes to help these companies thrive in the regulation-heavy and culturally diverse landscape of the EU.

Listen as Volker discusses his approaches to hiring at NetApp and Sonos, taking on an operator function and getting your hands dirty as you build a new office, evolving your leadership style in a growing business, key differences between European and US regulations, and much more.

Read detailed summary:  https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-97

Topics
Topics Introduction 0:00
Living and working in Amsterdam: 2:24
Europe’s tech and startup scene: 2:27
What motivated Volker to become a tech lawyer: 3:44
Being the first European legal hire at Sonos and NetApp: 11:10
Approaches to building out a legal team: 14:54
Being a lawyer and an operator: 16:52
Joining Sonos: 19:01
Evolving as a leader: 23:12
Managing your relationship with a global CLO: 26:10"
Differences between US and EU regulations: 28:48
Europe’s start-up scene and regulation: 34:41
Biggest challenges at Sonos: 40:24
Leveraging AI: 44:41
Proudest accomplishments at Sonos: 47:29
Rapid-fire questions: 49:07

Connect with us:
Volker Weisshaar - https://www.linkedin.com/in/volkerweisshaar/
Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinn
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft

SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com [https://www.spotdraft.com/] to learn more.

Ep 97: From First Legal Hire to EMEA GC with Volker Weisshaar, Sonos

How do you make the move from building a legal career in the US to one in Europe, scale one of Europe's hottest unicorns, and transition to launching your own start-up?

Join Jordan Hatcher, co-founder, CLO, and COO of The Grid, a blockchain-based tech start-up, as he shares his experience as a Texas-born lawyer living and working across Europe in senior counsel  roles at Optimizely, ARM, and Hewlett Packard before joining Staffbase as GC and ultimately co-founding his own cutting-edge Web3 company.

Listen as Jordan discusses his early work writing and advocating for open data licenses, offers advice to US companies looking to build or scale in Europe, explains the value of a well-timed career break, and much more.

Read detailed summary:  https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-96

Topics
Introduction: 0:00
Living in Amsterdam: 3:08
Working in IP, Web3, civil liberties law: 5:54
Collaborating with engineers at HP and ARM: 8:14
Open source data and standards making: 10:37
A throughline from open source to Web3 Leading legal at Staffbase: 14:57
Signs that you’re overworking: 19:22
Dual perspectives on business culture in the US and Europe: 23:40
Building a business in Europe: 26:50
Biggest accomplishments at Staffbase: 29:58
When to leave a GC role: 31:38
Taking a career break: 35:38
Diving into Web3 with The Grid: 36:30
Reflecting on entrepreneurship: 39:40
Starting a non-profit: 46:16
Raising a child with a disability: 48:56
Rapid-fire questions: 53:39

Connect with us:
Jordan Hatcher - http://linkedin.com/in/jordanhatcher/
Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinn
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft

SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com [https://www.spotdraft.com/] to learn more.

Ep 96: Scaling Teams from 80 to 800 with Jordan Hatcher, Co-Founder, CLO, and COO of The Grid

Where is the legal innovation space headed? Is this an area where European businesses are actually investing more deeply than their American counterparts? And how can you transition your team to focus more on innovation and a little less on the law?

Join Alex Herrity, Director of Global Legal Solutions at Adidas, as he offers expert takes on the future of legal tech and legal ops, including adopting new technology like AI, leaning into change management, scaling innovations globally, and more.

Listen as Alex discusses his transition from lawyer to “legal tech guy,” the growing acceptance of ops roles in inhouse legal departments, legal innovation’s big moment, hosting the Law://WhatsNext podcast, and much more.

Read detailed summary:  https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-95

Topics
Introduction: 0:00
A big moment for legal innovation: 2:33
Characterizing legal innovation: 5:28
From lawyer to legal ops director: 7:50
Adopting technology vs. change management: 9:12
Avoiding mistakes in legal tech: 15:41
Leading with AI: 18:52
Deciding to be a lawyer: 21:09
Becoming a “legal tech guy”: 26:18
Directing global legal ops for Adidas: 27:40
Managing teams in multiple countries: 30:54
The future of legal ops at Adidas: 34:21
Advice to future legal ops professionals: 36:50
Hosting the Law://WhatsNext podcast: 42:24
Rapid-fire questions: 46:02

Connect with us:
Alex Herrity - https://www.linkedin.com/in/legalopshezzle/
Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinn
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft

SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues.

Visit https://www.spotdraft.com [https://www.spotdraft.com/] to learn more.

Ep 95: How Adidas Is Scaling Legal Ops with Alex Herrity, Director, Global Legal Solutions

How important is the culture of an organization to its success? How can legal leaders cultivate high-performing cultures for their teams and their companies? And why is this something that a lot of legal teams struggle with?

Join Manu Kanwar, Founder and CEO of LexSolutions, as he shares how he improves his clients’ legal teams and why he focuses on strategy, culture, and relationships as the cornerstones of legal innovation.

Listen as Manu discusses strategies for changing work cultures, fixing toxic situations, and maintaining a healthy self-image, why he left Yahoo! after ten years to start his own legal consulting firm, the problem with “doing more with less,” and much more.

Read detailed summary:  https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-94

Topics
Introduction 0:00
Founding LexSolutions after ten years at Yahoo!: 2:07
Approaches to legal innovation: 5:07
Shifting cultures: 7:11
The rewards and challenges of consulting: 9:44
What’s wrong with “do more with less?”: 12:14
Why corporate culture is so hard to get right: 19:25
Who is responsible for changing culture? 26:22
Reinforcing psychological safety: 31:06
Fixing toxic cultures: 32:38
Advice to lawyers in toxic situations: 34:16
Why lawyers struggle with self-image: 41:48
Considering authenticity: 45:58
How to connect with Manu: 52:44
Rapid-fire questions: 53:07

Connect with us:
Manu Kanwar - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mkanwar/
Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinn
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft

SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues.

Visit https://www.spotdraft.com [https://www.spotdraft.com/] to learn more.

Ep 94: Why Legal Teams Break and How to Fix Them with Manu Kanwar, CEO LexSolutions

Savvy and strong legal leadership is only becoming more critical in a complex world.

On The Abstract, we'll be interviewing leading legal executives about how they’ve nurtured their careers, grown in their roles, and become true operators within their businesses. At some points, we’ll deal with the pressure of leadership.

We care deeply about helping in-house counsel grow alongside each other. Join us for insightful and interesting conversations with legal leaders.

The Abstract

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Tyler Finn - Head of Community and Growth at SpotDraft and Host of the podcast "The Abstract"

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