PLI Legal Ops Institute 2025 - Panel 3💡 Turning Legal Data into Business Insight

At the final PLI Legal Ops Institute 2025 session “Creating a Metrics Program – Leveraging Data and Operations to Add Value,” four experienced leaders shared practical approaches for translating legal work into measurable business impact. The conversation underscored a simple truth: if you want to demonstrate value, you need to define what matters for your stakeholders—and measure it meaningfully.

Legal teams are awash in data, but not all of it is compelling. The challenge lies in deciding what storyline is most important, collecting reverent data—and ensuring the story resonates with the business.

🧭 Takeaway for Legal Ops Leaders

A great metrics program is about curating data that advances your story. The panel’s collective message:

• Define the “why” before you measure.
• Simplify and tailor metrics to your stakeholders.
• Connect insights to business priorities.
• Before you commit to a metric, make sure you have vetted the data and established a baseline
• Revisit and refresh regularly.

In sum, metrics are your narrative of impact.

🎯 Defining the “Why” Behind the Metrics

Alma Rosa Montañez (S&P Global) reminded us that in a metrics-driven culture, transparency is non-negotiable:

“You can’t pull the wool over the eyes of people who analyze companies for a living. As a leader, you must communicate what and why—and why that focus is the right decision.”

She urged teams to consider the audience and what their needs are.  What is the story you tell your board, peers and clients? Next, address intent: what do you want to prove? Whether it’s capacity gains or risk reduction, identify the right data points and track progress over time. Convey the data with a specific anecdote instead of a vague concept to drive the point home,.

At the same time, unplanned things happen. Metrics evolve, she noted, so today’s dashboard should look different three years from now.

⚙️ Simplifying the Complex

Melissa Muscat (Mayer Brown) noted securing and retaining clients is knowing the market, and how many deals you have done in the space on what timeframe.  You have to be able to pull actionable data quickly and build your knowledge base. She shared how her team built a leveraged finance database that went from 300 data points to 80—gaining efficiency while focusing on data points with the greatest impact.

“We learned to strip out the noise while keeping accuracy high. The tool should support attorneys adding market value, and efficiency while leaning in to competitive advantage.”

Her takeaway: tailor data collection to your audience—partners, clients, or peers—and never let a tool overpromise at the expense of usability.

📊 Making Metrics Actionable

Tayo Kinnane (Con Edison) described a practical approach to operational analytics, rooted in practice group metrics within the department, for clients and company-wide.

“Start with what’s countable—work product, cost savings—and build from there. Then ask: what should we stop doing, hand off, or automate?”

Her framework layers productivity, client satisfaction, and process efficiency, connecting legal metrics directly to business evaluation categories.

🔄 Building a Data-Driven Culture

Yesenia Santiago Egner (Paragon) emphasized that metrics are not a one-and-done exercise:

“Data is not static. The most effective legal teams revisit it regularly—quarter by quarter—to stay ahead.”

She noted that proactive measurement allows leaders to anticipate needs, not just report on history.

To view the PLI Legal Operations Institute 2025 recording, visit: https://www.pli.edu/programs/legal-operations/416133 (requires paid registration if your team does not have a subscription).