We are pleased to invite you to participate in the invitation-only ALPMA Executive Edge, a landmark executive program designed exclusively for CEOs, Chief Executive Partners, and COOs from leading law firms across Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore.
The ALPMA Executive Edge has been created to bring together the most influential C-legal leaders in the region. This invitation-only initiative is a unique opportunity for you to learn, share, discuss, challenge, and build a robust platform for success in your leadership role. The program is structured to foster peer learning, drive transformation, and connect your brand directly with other top executives shaping the future of the legal industry.
The ALPMA Executive Edge brings together the most influential C-legal leaders in the region—a select group shaping the future of the legal profession. This is your opportunity to drive transformation, foster peer learning, and connect your brand with a network of top executives committed to excellence and innovation.
As the legal industry undergoes unprecedented change, staying ahead requires bold leadership and actionable insights. With limited spaces available and strong demand among the region’s top firms, we encourage you to respond promptly to secure your place in this exclusive cohort.
alpma’s purpose: to drive the evolution of legal practice.
Our program is anchored by Mark A. Cohen, a globally recognized lawyer, thought leader, innovator, and visionary at the intersection of law, business, and technology. Mark’s views are shaped by his remarkable range of high-level experiences forged over a 50-year professional career.
The first 30 years of that career were as a practicing lawyer. His distinctions include: a decorated stint as an Assistant US Attorney, youngest partner at the then second largest US law firm, Founder and Managing Partner of a national boutique civil trial firm with offices across the US and clients that included 7 foreign sovereign nations and 67 of the then Fortune 500, an appointment by a federal judge to serve as Permanent Receiver of an international aviation company conducting business on 4 continents, and serving as outside General Counsel to 3 insurance company clients. Mark was an early adopter of technology applied to legal practice. In 1991, he commissioned AT&T, a client, to install a virtual law library, videoconference capability, centralized phone access among the firm’s multiple offices, as well as other bleeding-edge advances.
Mark has focused on modernizing the global legal industry for the past twenty years. He co-founded Clearspire, a ground-breaking “two-company model” comprised of a law firm and bundled managed services corporation that featured an integrated tech stack. The Clearspire model has been studied globally and has been adopted by several legal providers over the years. Mark has published approximately 350 articles on the global legal industry for Forbes over the past decade, has been a keynote speaker at major business, law, and technology conferences around the world, has taught and lectured at leading global business and law schools, and serves as a Distinguished Scholar at the Singapore Academy of Law.
Mark is insightful, creative, pragmatic, and authentic. He will offer actionable insights, not buzzwords, and provide data-backed support for his opinions and recommendations. As lead facilitator and keynote, Mark will deliver unmatched insight, connecting international best practice with local ambition, and ensure every session is informative, engaging, and designed to provoke and encourage a more holistic, humanistic, and value-driven approach to meeting client needs and societal obligations.
Meet our guest presenters joining Mark A. Cohen
Mark Smolik is a highly accomplished legal leader with a distinguished track record of transforming legal departments and driving business value at global organizations. As General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer for DHL Supply Chain Americas, he leads all legal, compliance, commercial contract management, and government incentives functions across the region, and serves as Global Chair of DHL’s Supply Chain Legal Practice Group.
Mark is widely recognized for his innovative approach to legal operations, notably pioneering the use of AI and data analytics to automate processes, reduce costs, and improve efficiency. Under his leadership, the legal department has expanded from a small team to a high-performing group of over 80 professionals, while significantly reducing outsourcing expenses and delivering substantial savings through automation.
With a career spanning top-tier companies such as Safelite Auto Glass and Sherwin-Williams, Mark is known for building collaborative, results-driven teams and fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. He is a sought-after speaker on legal transformation and a mentor to emerging leaders in the legal and business communities.
Lisa Mather is a seasoned global legal executive with extensive cross-border experience and a proven record of driving business success at world-leading companies including Mars, PayPal, and Colgate-Palmolive. As Vice President and Global General Counsel for Mars Snacking, she leads legal strategy, compliance, and governance across international markets, supporting high-profile M&A, corporate transactions, and global business expansion.
Lisa is recognized for her ability to navigate complex international regulatory environments and manage high-stakes transactions, such as Mars’ $36 billion acquisition of Kellan ova and the acquisition and delisting of Hotel Chocolat from the UK AIM. At PayPal, she played a pivotal role in global expansion and digital payments innovation, supporting landmark deals including the acquisition of iZettle and GoPay in China.
With a dynamic career spanning consumer goods, e-commerce, and fintech, Lisa is known for her collaborative leadership, strategic insight, and commitment to mentoring emerging legal talent. She serves on multiple corporate boards and is passionate about empowering teams to deliver business-forward legal solutions.
Ian Nelson is the co-founder of Hotshot, a leading video-based learning platform for lawyers. Based in Miami, Florida, Ian brings a unique blend of legal, business, and educational expertise to his work. Before founding Hotshot, he helped launch and lead the US operations of Practical Law Company (PLC), where he served as head of marketing and played a key role in introducing “know-how” training to the US legal market. Prior to his work at PLC, Ian practiced as a corporate lawyer in New York and London.
Ian is passionate about helping lawyers and law firms develop practical skills efficiently and effectively. He is recognized for his innovative approach to legal education, building short, interactive videos and training materials that address real-world needs. His contributions have earned him recognition, including being named to the “FastCase 50” class of 2019. Ian holds a JD with honors from Hofstra Law School, where he served as an editor of the Hofstra Law Review.
Isabel Parker is the Chief Global Innovation Officer at White & Case, where she leads the firm’s innovation strategy across its worldwide offices. She oversees the Practice Solutions function, which includes Business Intelligence, Practice Technology, Research and Market Intelligence, and Knowledge Management teams. Isabel is responsible for leveraging technology—including Generative AI—to enhance client service, build a firmwide culture of innovation, and ensure White & Case remains at the forefront of advancements in the legal industry.
Previously, Isabel was a partner at Deloitte Legal, where she led the global Generative AI practice and helped clients transform their legal operations. Before Deloitte, she served as Chief Legal Innovation Officer at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, where she shaped the firm’s digital transformation strategy and led the development of client-facing digital products. Under her leadership, Freshfields was named the Most Innovative Law Firm in Europe in 2019.
Isabel is the author of Successful Digital Transformation in Law Firms: A Question of Culture and is recognized as a top innovator, having been listed among the top 10 innovative lawyers in the FT Innovative Lawyers Report (2018) and winning the European Women of Legal Technology Award in 2020. She is passionate about legal education, diversity, and mentoring the next generation of legal innovators. Isabel is a frequent speaker and writer on innovation, digital transformation, and the future of legal services.
Program Outline
In Partnership with Ethan Group
More about our Partner | Ethan Group
Our Partner, Ethan Global, is well regarded for their technical expertise in the legal sector, and has now, through the depth of professional services and industry knowledge, become a pinnacle partner and advisor to many C-Suite law firm teams. Providing strategic advice, guidance and platforms to underpin and deliver the next generation of strategies, this partnership is a natural fit. No longer are firms just making decisions on laptops and servers; now technology is providing a true legal advantage, and Ethan Group is aligned perfectly to support the ALPMA Executive Edge leadership teams across these regions, to achieve the firm’s objectives and ensure competitive advantage. Antony Flutey from Ethan will challenge traditional thinking on IT investment, expectations on efficiency and opportunity and the value of innovation, security and old school up-time.
IT should support the business model, client engagement needs and the aspirations of a law firm. Is business driving IT investment or is IT innovation changing the business model?
New subscribers receive a Free Guest Pass to attend any upcoming event or watch an On-Demand webinar for free!
© 2025 Copyright ALPMA
