Thompson Hine, a national law firm and leader in innovative solutions, has once again been recognized by The American Lawyer (ALM) for its Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Awards, which recognize technological innovation in the legal industry. Winners will be announced on March 24 at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City. Test Edit
This year, the firm secured two short-list spots—the first, in the “Enabling Start-Up Success” category, for the firm’s New Ventures practice and multi-tier product-based start-up booster, QuickLaunch, and the second in the “Significant Advancement in Technology (Individual)” category for the contributions of Thompson Hine’s Chief Information Officer, Matt Coatney.
In the “Enabling Start-Up Success” category, the firm was recognized for QuickLaunch, which combines document assembly software and fully transparent fixed fees, uniquely meeting start-ups where they stand and offering them the accuracy, efficiency and certainty they need. This offering enables clients to engage Thompson Hine and form a new venture in as little as a day, as opposed to the weeks it might take without the benefit of these technologies and processes.
Matt Coatney is shortlisted in the “Significant Advancement in Technology” category, which is described as recognizing the achievements of individuals at law firms who have made a significant mark on the legal technology industry. Throughout his career, Coatney has demonstrated the unique ability to bring transformative ideas and practices to the intersection of law, technology and business. Drawing upon on a broad blend of experiences across multiple domains, including academia, emerging companies and large global corporations, Coatney combines strategic vision with his expertise in hands-on execution to deliver meaningful results. He has significantly contributed to the advancement of AI in law firms over the past 20 years through his work as a product leader and innovation advocate.
These latest award nods continue to bolster Thompson Hine’s standing as a recognized tech leader in the legal space, more than holding its own against often much larger firms.
Other recent examples include:
- In 2024, the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Awards North America recognized the firm for its groundbreaking approach to employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) in the “Innovation in Digitising Legal Practice” category.
- The new ESOP workflow was a finalist for Legalweek’s “Tech-Enabled Transactional Practice of the Year” award in 2024, and also was shortlisted by The American Lawyer’s industry awards in the “Best Use of Technology” category.
- In 2023, the firm secured the top honor in Legalweek’s “Tech-Enabled Hybrid Work Environment” category with SmartSTHaff, its proprietary staffing application.
Thompson Hine has a history of earning national recognition for its service and innovation. The firm was ranked number 1 in the “Most Innovative North American Law Firms: New Working Models” category by the Financial Times and was one of seven firms shortlisted for The American Lawyer’s inaugural Legal Services Innovation Award. Additionally, the firm has been recognized by the National Law Journal as a Legal Technology Trailblazer and featured by Bloomberg for its innovative service delivery models.
The Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Awards spotlight those working on game-changing projects and initiatives in the United States. Nominations are reviewed by an outside panel of judges, including senior in-house counsel, law firm partners and executives, legal educators, jurists and others. Last year, ALM received a record number of submissions.