When it comes the law, you can never have too many smarts, which is why Paul Greenwood is looking at the role of artificial intelligence at law firm Clifford Chance. Having already automated areas traditionally carried out by lawyers and created the firm's own legal process outsourcer, he may well be the man to deliver a lawyerbot. When did you start your current role?2002. What is your reporting line? COO. Do you meet with and discuss business strategy with the CEO every week? Yes. Are you a member of the board of directors? No. What other executive boards do you sit on? We are a partnership and so do not have a formal board of directors, but I sit on the operational board. I am also a member of the governing council of the Open University as well as a non-executive director of OSC, an Indian offshore BPO operation. Does your organisation have a CDO? No. What non-technology responsibilities do you have in the organisation? Knowledge management, offshore paralegal support, offshore BPO. How many employees does your organisation have? 7,000. Does your organisation carry out significant trade in the EU? Yes. How many users does your department supply services to? 7,000. How do you ensure that you have a good understanding of your business and how your customers use your business's products?Be close the business, meet regularly with stakeholders and groups of users, be part of the firm's strategic discussions and future planning, trial innovation, be connected outside of the firm. Clifford Chance technology strategy and agenda Is your organisation being disrupted by the internet, mobility or technology-oriented start-ups? Yes. Are you empowered by your organisation to disrupt from the inside? Yes. Describe a disruptive measure you’ve led or played a major part inWe created our own LPO, which is a new type of service provider disrupting traditional law firms. We have also fully automated areas traditionally carried out by lawyers. What major transformation project has been recently completed or is under way at your organisation? We are looking at the role of artificial intelligence in the practice of law. What impact will the above transformation have on your organisation? We aim to become more efficient without losing quality. How has your leadership style contributed to the outcomes of the transformation project?I am an internal evangelist and thought leader in this area. What key technologies do you consider enable transformation? There are a number of new technologies we are evaluating. Are you increasing the number of cloud applications or infrastructure in use at your organisation? Yes. What is your information and data analytics vision for the organisation? We are providing greater transparency both internally and to clients. How is mobile and social networking impacting operations and customer experience? Mobile a great deal, social network not so much in our space yet. Describe your strategic vision towards shadow IT and BYOD. How do you influence and engage executives and employees around choice?We have no real shadow IT but have been strongly in favour of BYOD from the start and have always taken it as an opportunity not a threat. Who are your main suppliers? Microsoft, Cisco, HP, BlackBerry, Apple, Oracle, Orange, EE. Clifford Chance IT security and budget Has your organisation detected a cyber intrusion in the last 12 months?Yes. Has cyber-security risen up your management agenda?Yes. Does your organisation understand the potential cyber-security threats it faces?Yes. Has this led to an increase in your security budget? Yes. What is the strategic aim of the CIO and IT operations for the next financial year? Increase client service and innovation while retaining a strong focus on operational excellence. Are you finding it difficult to recruit the talent you need to drive transformation? Yes. Has recruitment and retention risen up your agenda as a CIO? Yes. Are you looking for recruits in the EU to fill the skills shortage you have? Yes. Does your IT organisation operate an apprenticeship scheme?Yes. Clifford Chance technology department How would you describe your leadership style?Open, friendly, visionary (!). Explain how you’ve supported and developed your senior leadership team to support your overall objectives and visionI am fortunate to have had a very stable management team and we have nearly all worked together for most of the last 10 years as a solid team. How many employees are in your IT team? 400. What is the split between in-house/outsourced staff? 90/10. Does your team include key skilled workers from the EU? Yes.