CIO50 Australia 2024: Gary Adler, MinterEllison
Name: Gary AdlerTitle: Chief Digital Officer
Company: MinterEllison
Commenced role: February 2018
Reporting line: Chief Operating Officer
Member of the executive team: Yes
Technology Function: 146 staff, 8 direct reports
In 2022, MinterEllison, Australia’s largest law firm, launched a bold hyperautomation strategy with the goal of automating all relevant processes. This initiative, sponsored by the board and executive, was driven by the principle that ‘everything which can be automated, should be automated.’
Chief digital officer Gary Adler spearheaded this effort by establishing an Automation Centre of Excellence (CoE). This team comprises a range of technical subject matter experts focused on developing and implementing new initiatives to improve both business operations and client delivery.
Focus on productivity gains
Year-on-year, the productivity gains for the organisation from the automation initiatives driven by the CoE have been significant. In the financial year 2024, MinterEllison saved 2.2 million minutes in legal workflow task time and $7 million of opportunity cost saved through these initiatives.
Under Adler’s leadership, the firm has democratised GenAI technology to boost productivity, enhance client experiences, and improve the value proposition for employees.
This included joining the inaugural ME Applied Innovation board to build an entity within the Technology Consulting business focused on creating client solutions using GenAI technology.
The organisation was one of only 600 companies globally selected to join Microsoft Copilot’s Early Access Program with several hundred licences deployed across the firm and 89 per cent of users reporting 2-5 hours saved weekly.
Adler and his team also implemented an AI Advice Generator that leverages the firm’s library of legal advice, precedents, legislation, and curated content and produces draft advice up to 80 per cent complete in under a minute. More than 16,000 pieces of content have been uploaded and there have been 10,000+ logins since the firm implemented this innovation in April this year.
The team also launched “Chat with ME,” an internal chat tool built on GPT-4 technology, integrated into the secure Microsoft Teams environment, offering easy access for employees.
Enhancing digital fluency
A key strategic priority for MinterEllison is increasing the digital fluency of its staff. To achieve this, Adler’s team implemented initiatives like the MinterEllison Digital Academy and Mintcoin®, an internal cryptocurrency designed to incentivise participation in the firm’s digital learning and innovation programs.
Mintcoin® rewards employees for engaging in formal learning, providing hands-on experience with cryptocurrency, digital wallets, and blockchain technology. A firmwide leaderboard fosters friendly competition among teams and individuals.
In collaboration with the Chief Talent Officer, Adler also launched the “Dedicated GenAI Time” initiative, which provided all staff with 12 hours of fee-credited time over a 12-week period to upskill in GenAI. The program saw widespread participation, with 1,266 employees completing 4,159 learning modules and logging 3,336 hours of learning.
Adler co-leads the firm’s GenAI Steering Committee, comprised of senior partners and C-Suite members. This committee oversees AI adoption and investment strategies, ensuring alignment with the firm’s broader goals. Adler also serves on the board of ME Applied Innovation, supporting its strategic direction and securing funding for its initiatives.
MinterEllison CEO Virginia Briggs commended Adler’s pivotal role in shaping the firm’s AI and digital strategies.
“Gary has been instrumental in influencing the ELT and Board’s decision for the firm to take a leading-edge posture on our AI and digital strategies. He has been excellent in getting our focus right and working with his team, as well as vendors on implementation at speed. This really has been the driving force to getting tech into the hands of our people at pace and in a way that is considered and meets our clients’ and our own core needs.”
