Dr Fortune Gomo: Tributes to scientist as man appears in court charged with murder

A
young
man
has
appeared
in
court
charged
with
murder
following
the
death
of
a
scientist
who
was
found
seriously
injured
in
a
Dundee
street.

Dr
Fortune
Gomo,
39,
was
treated
by
paramedics
but
was
pronounced
dead
at
the
scene
after
emergency
crews
were
called
to
the
city’s
South
Road
at
about
4.25pm
on
Saturday.

Police Scotland announced
a
murder
investigation
was
taking
place
following
a
post-mortem
examination.

Kyler
Rattray,
20,
was
arrested
and
charged
in
connection
with
the
case
and
appeared
before
Dundee
Sheriff
Court
on
Monday.

The
suspect
made
no
plea
to
the
single
charge
of
murder.
Rattray
was
remanded
in
custody
and
is
due
back
in
the
dock
within
the
next
eight
days.

Dr
Gomo
was
originally
from
Zimbabwe
but
lived
locally,
was
a
graduate
of
the
University
of
Dundee,
and
worked
for
Scottish
Water.

Professor
Simon
Parsons,
director
of
environment
planning
and
assurance
at
Scottish
Water,
said:
“Everyone
at
Scottish
Water,
where
Dr
Fortune
Gomo
worked,
is
shocked
and
saddened
by
her
death
and
we
send
our
deepest
sympathies
to
her
family
and
friends.

“Fortune
was
an
exceptional
scientist
and
a
senior
service
planner
in
our
water
resources
planning
section
based
in
Dundee
where,
having
joined
us
in
February,
she
had
already
become
a
highly
valued
and
respected
member
of
our
team.

“We
are
supporting
her
colleagues
at
Scottish
Water
following
this
incident.”

Angela
Machonesa,
who
studied
with
Dr
Gomo
at
Chinhoyi
High
School
and
at
the
National
University
of
Science
and
Technology
in
Zimbabwe,
paid
tribute
to
her
friend
in
a
post
on
Facebook.

She
said:
“Her
brilliance
in
the
classroom
was
only
matched
by
her
emotional
intelligence.

“She
was
the
kind
of
person
you’d
go
to
when
you
needed
clarity,
not
just
of
mind,
but
of
heart.
She
listened.
She
cared.
She
uplifted.

“No
wonder
she
went
on
to
earn
her
PhD.
It
was
only
natural.
Her
path
was
written
in
the
stars
long
ago.
To
serve.
To
lead.
To
heal.”

Detective
Superintendent
Peter
Sharp
said
Dr
Gomo’s
family
were
being
supported
by
specialist
officers
as
he
urged
all
those
with
information
to
come
forward.

He
added:
“Our
enquiries
are
continuing
and
I
remain
satisfied
that
the
incident
poses
no
wider
risk
to
the
public.

“At
this
early
stage
of
the
investigation
we
are
following
a
number
of
lines
of
inquiry.
I
am
also
acutely
aware
of
content
circulating
on
social
media
and
urge
the
public
not
to
speculate
about
the
circumstances
of
the
incident.

“The
public
will
notice
a
visibly
increased
police
presence
in
the
area
and
I
would
encourage
anyone
who
has
any
concerns
to
speak
with
our
officers.”

Machakaire Presses Mahere For Apology

In
response
to
Machakaire,
Mahere
said
that
the
Access
to
Information
and
Protection
of
Privacy
Act
(AIPPA),
cited
in
his
legal
demand
for
a
retraction,
was
repealed
five
years
ago.

In
a
follow-up
to
their
initial
letter
of
demand
dated
7
July,
the
law
firm,
acting
on
behalf
of
Machakaire
in
his
personal
capacity,
responded
to
Mahere’s
reply
posted
on
her
X
(formerly
Twitter)
account.

While
acknowledging
her
public
statement,
the
lawyers
argued
that
she
had
not
provided
a
formal
legal
response.The
letter
states:

We
have
taken
note
that
you
have
used
your
Twitter
handle
to
respond
to
our
letter
mentioned
above.
We
have
not
received
a
formal
response,
which
we
still
anticipate.

Prichard
Attorneys
acknowledged
that
the
Access
to
Information
and
Protection
of
Privacy
Act
(AIPPA),
cited
in
their
initial
letter,
has
been
repealed.

However,
they
revised
their
legal
position
by
invoking
the
Freedom
of
Information
Act
[Chapter
10:33],
maintaining
that
Mahere
had
still
not
followed
the
correct
procedures
for
seeking
official
information.

Citing
Section
7
of
the
Act,
the
law
firm
argued
that
requests
for
public
information
must
be
made
in
writing
and
addressed
to
a
designated
information
officer,
not
shared
through
social
media
channels.
Reads
the
letter:

The
exchange
on
the
Twitter
handle
does
not
follow
due
process
as
required
by
law.
If
your
defamatory
broadcasts
on
X
are
directed
to
our
client
in
his
official
capacity
in
genuine
search
for
accountability,
then
such
must
be
made
in
terms
of
the
law,
law
of
which
you
are
conversant
with.

The
original
online
post,
viewed
tens
of
thousands
of
times,
questioned
the
Minister’s
alleged
involvement
in
an
US$8
million
tax
evasion
case
and
concluded
with
the
statement,
“We
need
new
leaders.”

Machakaire
contends
that
this
remark
impugns
his
character,
prompting
demands
for
a
retraction
and
public
apology.

While
Prichard
Attorneys
acknowledged
that
citizens
have
a
constitutional
right
to
hold
public
officials
accountable,
they
argued
that
such
actions
must
follow
established
legal
procedures,
standards
they
say
Mahere,
as
a
legal
practitioner,
ought
to
be
fully
aware
of.
Reads
the
letter:

Our
client
insists
that
the
broadcast
is
defamatory
as
it
attacks
his
person
and
not
official
public
title.
He
insists
with
his
demand
for
a
retraction
and
demands
that
if
you
indeed
request
information
from
the
Ministry
of
Youth,
you
must
follow
due
process
as
the
process
you
are
engaged
in
is
unlawful.

Tagwirei should start at Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology: Mutsvangwa

HARARE

Christopher
Mutsvangwa
says
Zanu
PF
leadership
rival
Kudakwashe
Tagwirei
is
“not
ready”
to
be
a
senior
leader
in
Zanu
PF,
and
has
suggested
that
he
enrols
with
the
party’s
ideology
school
to
learn
more
about
the
organisation
and
its
history.

Mutsvangwa
spoke
in
the
wake
of
the
millionaire
businessman’s
clumsy
attempt
to
be
elevated
into
the
central
committee,
the
party’s
key
decision
making
body
between
congresses.

The
businessman’s
actions
displayed
“uninformed
ambition,”
Mutsvangwa
claimed.

Tagwirei,
who
made
his
fortune
from
state
contracts
and
remains
Zanu
PF’s
largest
donor
has
entered
frontline
politics
by
accepting
a
recommendation
by
Harare
province
for
his
co-option
into
the
Zanu
PF
central
committee.

The
Sakunda
Holdings
founder
attended
a
meeting
of
the
central
committee
on
July
3
but
was
kicked
out,
allegedly
on
the
orders
of
vice
president
Constantino
Chiwenga.

Zanu
PF
officials
later
explained
that
Tagwirei
needed
the
recommendation
by
Harare
province
to
be
ratified
by
the
central
committee
first,
before
he
becomes
a
member.
As
it
turned
out,
the
item
on
endorsing
new
members
was
not
on
the
agenda
and
so
Tagwirei
should
wait
for
the
next
meeting

three
months
away.

Mutsvangwa,
the
Zanu
PF
spokesman
who
wears
his
heart
on
his
sleeve,
has
never
hidden
his
dislike
of
Tagwirei,
who
intends
to
use
his
financial
muscle
to
force
his
way
into
contention
as
one
of
the
potential
successors
of
President
Emmerson
Mnangagwa,
whose
second
and
final
term
ends
in
2028.

Reflecting
on
Tagwirei’s
embarrassing
removal
from
the
central
committee
meeting,
Mutsvangwa
said
the
process
is
that
the
party’s
hierarchy
first
deliberates
and
endorses
a
new
member
before
they
take
their
seat
in
the
central
committee.

“Whether
it
was
for
lack
of
proper
advice
from
the
Harare
provincial
leadership
or
personal
ambition,
he
(Tagwirei)
assumed
it
would
be
a
headlong
stampede,”
Mutsvangwa
told
The
Standard.

“It
was
procedurally
wrong
and
the
constitution
had
to
be
read
out
to
him
that
‘you
are
not
yet
a
member
and
that
you
are
coming
into
an
institution
with
principles
and
guidelines’.”

Mutsvangwa
suggested
that
Tagwirei
may
have
to
start
from
the
party’s
grassroots,
instead
of
parachuting
into
the
top
structures
of
the
organisation.

The
decision
to
attend
the
central
committee
when
he
was
not
a
member
is
“behaviour
that
creates
its
own
problems
because
it
flouts
the
constitution,
the
party
guiding
principles
and
tenets,”
Mutsvangwa
said.

He
added:
“It
shows
that
you’re
not
ready
to
be
part
of
it
and
you
may
have
to
go
back
and
understand
where
you
are.

“He
wanted
to
know
the
power
he
was
assuming,
not
the
mode
to
exercise
that
power.
Without
that
faux
pas,
the
process
would
have
taken
its
due
course.
It
brings
with
it
an
element
of
bad
faith
or
uninformed
ambition.

“This
ignorance
or
naivety
indicates
that
his
beginning
should
be
the
Chitepo
School
of
Ideology.
The
tenets
of
the
party
are
concretised
in
its
constitution
and
if
you
are
coming
in
you
have
to
relate
accordingly.”

Tagwirei
is
part
of
a
group
of
businessmen
that
Chiwenga
has
labelled
zvigananda

politically-connected
businessmen
who
have
corrupted
the
state’s
procurement
system
to
enrich
themselves
and
their
associates
to
the
detriment
of
the
country’s
economy.

The
thought
of
Tagwirei
succeeding
Mnangagwa
unites
some
of
the
party’s
bitter
rivals
like
Chiwenga
and
Mutsvangwa.

Zimbabwean scientist murdered in the street in Scotland

DUNDEE,
Scotland

A
man
has
been
charged
in
connection
with
the
death
of
a
scientist
who
was
found
seriously
injured
on
a
Dundee
street.

Dr
Fortune
Gomo,
39,
who
was
originally
from
Zimbabwe,
was
pronounced
dead
at
the
scene
of
the
incident
on
South
Road
at
about
16:25
on
Saturday.

The
20-year-old
suspect
is
due
to
appear
before
Dundee
Sheriff
Court.

Following
a
post-mortem
examination,
Police
Scotland
said
the
death
was
being
treated
as
murder.

Dr
Gomo,
who
worked
for
Scottish
Water,
lived
locally
and
was
a
graduate
of
the
University
of
Dundee.

Prof
Nigel
Seaton,
interim
principal
and
vice-chancellor,
said
the
university
was
“shocked”
by
the
death
of
the
former
research
assistant.

Det
Supt
Peter
Sharp,
the
officer
in
charge
of
the
investigation,
said:
“Firstly,
my
thoughts
remain
with
Fortune’s
family
at
this
incredibly
sad
time.

“They
are
being
supported
by
specialist
officers
and
I
would
ask
that
their
privacy
is
respected.”

He
added
inquiries
were
continuing
and
said
the
incident
“poses
no
wider
risk
to
the
public”.

The
senior
officer
said
his
team
were
following
a
number
of
lines
of
inquiry.

Det
Supt
Sharp
added:
“I
am
also
acutely
aware
of
content
circulating
on
social
media
and
would
urge
the
public
not
to
speculate
about
the
circumstances
of
the
incident.

“The
public
will
notice
a
visibly
increased
police
presence
in
the
area
and
I
would
encourage
anyone
who
has
any
concerns
to
speak
with
our
officers.”

Anyone
with
information
about
the
incident
is
asked
to
contact
the
force.

Prof
Seaton
said
Dr
Gomo
was
a
PhD
student
and
then
postdoctoral
research
assistant
in
geography
at
the
University
of
Dundee
until
February
2022.

Dr
Gomo
had
recently
joined
Scottish
Water
as
a
senior
service
planner
in
water
resource
planning
and
was
“thriving
in
her
career”.

Prof
Seaton
added:
“Her
death,
following
an
alleged
attack
in
South
Road,
Dundee,
on
Saturday
afternoon,
is
a
truly
shocking
event
in
our
city
and
for
our
University
community.

“It
will
be
particularly
distressing
for
those
who
knew
and
worked
with
Fortune
throughout
her
time
here
at
the
University,
and
for
all
of
those
in
our
close-knit
community
of
African
colleagues
and
students.

“Our
thoughts
are
with
her
family,
friends
and
colleagues
at
this
tragic
time.”

He
said
students
affected
by
Dr
Gomo’s
death
could
find
“support
and
solace”
in
the
university’s
Chaplaincy
Centre,
which
will
open
on
Monday.

Angela
Machonesa,
who
wrote
on
Facebook
that
she
had
been
at
school
and
university
with
Dr
Gomo
in
Zimbabwe,
said
her
death
had
left
her
heartbroken.

She
said:
“Her
brilliance
in
the
classroom
was
only
matched
by
her
emotional
intelligence.
She
was
the
kind
of
person
you’d
go
to
when
you
needed
clarity,
not
just
of
mind,
but
of
heart.

“We
are
heartbroken.
We
are
angry.
We
are
disoriented.
But
we
are
also
united
in
one
voice:
Fortune
Gomo
mattered.
Her
life
mattered.
Her
legacy
must
never
be
forgotten.”

BBC

Check The Funny Papers – See Also – Above the Law

Doonesbury
Can’t
Take
Biglaw
Serious:
Wait
until
you
hear
their
solution
to
the
Pro
Bono
Payola
problem!
About
That
Epstein
List
Disappearing
Act:
Pam
Bondi
and
the
DOJ
just
did
one
hell
of
an
about
face.
Is
This
An
IP
Lawsuit
Or
An
Advertisement
Campaign?:
Lululemon
drags
Costco
to
court
over
their
similar
products.
Is
More
Money
On
The
Way?:
We’re
talking
salary
and
bonus
prospects!
Appellate
Litigator
Leaves
Latham
For
Jenner
&
Block:
Leaving
for
a
place
that
actually
fights

go
figure!

Pam Bondi And The Case Of The Missing Epstein Client List (That She Assured Us Was ‘On My Desk’) – Above the Law

Back
in
February,
the
Attorney
General
of
the
United
States
Pam
Bondi
gleefully
told
Fox
News
that
she
had
Jeffrey
Epstein’s
client
list
“on
my
desk.”
The
head
of
the
Department
of
Justice
generally
doesn’t
go
on
cable
news
to
brag
about
an
investigation
into
a
dead
guy,
but
Epstein’s
case
had
taken
a
place
in
the
right-wing
conspiro-sphere
and
Bondi
was
ready
to
milk
a
few
minutes
of
fame
to
talk
about
the
grand
prize
at
the
end
of
the
QAnon
advent
calendar!

The
“client
list”
was
the
fabled
document
that
turned
Epstein
from
a
despicable
sex
criminal
into
the
lynchpin
holding
the
deep
state
together.
The
list
would,
according
to
the
most
addled
minds
on
the
internet,
finally
prove
that
liberals
run
a
global
pedophile
cult
out
of
a
pizza
place.
No
one
had
ever
seen
this
client
list,
but
the
top
law
enforcement
official
in
the
nation
told
the
public
that
it
not
only
existed,
but
that
she
already
had
it
dropped
onto
her
desk.

And
she
certainly
wouldn’t
have
said
anything
that
imprudent
if
she
didn’t
actually
have
anything
to
report.
Right?

Pam
Bondi
in
February:
The
Epstein
client
list
is
sitting
on
my
desk
right
now
to
review.Pam
Bondi
today:
There
is
no
Epstein
client
list
and
no
“further
disclosure”
of
Epstein-related
material
“would
be
appropriate
or
warranted.”



MeidasTouch
(@meidastouch.com)


2025-07-07T01:46:47.383Z

Having
earlier
released
a
heavily
redacted
set
of
Epstein
files

along
with
JFK
assassination
materials
that

more
or
less
confirmed
the
Warren
Commission
was
right
all
along


the
Justice
Department
just
followed
up
with
a
memo
explaining
that
the
client
list
doesn’t
exist,
there’s
nothing
in
the
Epstein
files
that
they
feel
like
divulging,
and
he
definitely
killed
himself.
Kash
Patel
and
Dan
Bongino,
now
running
the
FBI,

previously
mused

that
Epstein
was
murdered
to
prevent
him
from
revealing
the
extent
of
the
conspiracy.
Now
they’re
officially
backing
the

Justice
Department’s
wet
blanket
of
a
memo
:

This
systematic
review
revealed
no
incriminating
“client
list.”
There
was
also
no
credible
evidence
found
that
Epstein
blackmailed
prominent
individuals
as
part
of
his
actions.
We
did
not
uncover
evidence
that
could
predicate
an
investigation
against
uncharged
third
parties.

As
hard
as
it
may
be,
put
aside
everything
about
the
horrific
crimes
involved
in
this
case.
One
of
two
things
happened
here.

Either
the
Attorney
General
is
currently
engaged
in
covering
up
a
damning
client
list
that
would
expound
upon
allegations
of
the
the
pedophile
sex
trafficker’s
ties
to

at
least
some
key
Trump
donors
.
Or
there
never
was
a
client
list
and
Bondi
was
just
bald-faced
lying
for
attention
when
she
explicitly
said
that
it
was
on
her
desk.

Neither
is
good!

The
former
would
be
a
criminal
conspiracy
run
from
the
highest
halls
of
government.
The
latter
is
that
the
Attorney
General
exhibits
a
level
of
weaponized
stupidity
that
should
disqualify
her
from
managing
a
Chipotle,
let
alone
the
Justice
Department.
It’s
probably
the
latter,
but
then
what,
exactly,
was
the
endgame?
Baiting
their
most
rabid
and
dangerous
fans
that
there
was
a
big
revelation
coming
that
they
never
bothered
to
verify
existed?
Not
exactly
3D
chess
over
there.

James
Comey
became
a
pariah
because
he
felt
compelled
to
inform
Congress
that
he
needed
to
correct
his
testimony
over
ultimately
irrelevant
and
redundant
documents
that
hadn’t
previously
come
to
his
attention.
Fast
forward
and
the
Justice
Department
is
chatting
up
cable
news
about
documents
that
don’t
exist.

Or
at
least
they
now
say
don’t
exist.

That
the
AG
publicly
misled
the
country
is
the
real
scandal
that’s
going
to
get
buried
as
morons
tweet
about
conspiracy
theories.

Yes.
Definitely
someone

way
above

the
president
wielding
unprecedented
power
to

defy
Congress

and

the
courts

while
disappearing
people
to
El
Salvador.
And
if
the
elite
pedophiles
are
above
Trump…
does
that
mean
he’s
complicit
with
them?
Because
if
he
were
fighting
them
wouldn’t
they
just
get
rid
of
him
with
all
their
power?
In
either
case,
it
doesn’t
seem
like
a
reason
to
support
him.[1]

Occam’s
Razor
continues
to
take
an
undeserved
beating.

It
certainly
couldn’t
be
the
natural
and
logical
consequence
of
an
administration
headed
by
a
guy
who
partied
with
Epstein
and
infamously
word
vomited
his
way
through
a
conversation
about
the
Epstein
files,
pre-butting
that
“it’s
a
lot
of
phony
stuff.”

But
I
digress.
The
Justice
Department
is
fully
untethered
from
any
professional
crime-fighting
standards.
Letting
conspiracy
theorists
shape
department
priorities,
premature
public
proclamations,
fast
and
loose
handling
of
key
evidence…
this
is
how
an
agency
squanders
its
credibility.
I
mean,
they’re

already
making
up
fake
quotes
in
court

so
there
isn’t
much
credibility
to
be
lost.
But
there’s
something
about
the
very
public
nature
of
this
bumbling
escapade.

This
is
about
deeply
serious
criminal
activity.
Epstein
was
a
monster.
And
the
AG
treated
it
as
a
carnival
act.
As
it
happens,
that
chyron
from
the
February
news
hit
now
seems
weirdly
prophetic:
The
DOJ

has

lost
its
mission
to
fight
crime.



[1]

Also,
someone
really
needs
to
talk
to

Musk
about
his
bizarre
failure
to
understand
this
book
series
.
He
would
be
the
main
villain
of
these
books!
It’s
one
thing
for
these
tech
bros
to

uncritically
invent
technologies
that
sci-fi
authors
warned
us
about
,
but
it’s
another
for
the
richest
right-wing
figure
in
the
world
to
constantly
reference
a
book
that’s
not
even
subtle
about
the
theme:
“socialism
would
make
everything
better.”



HeadshotJoe
Patrice
 is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law
and
co-host
of

Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer
.
Feel
free
to email
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments.
Follow
him
on Twitter or

Bluesky

if
you’re
interested
in
law,
politics,
and
a
healthy
dose
of
college
sports
news.
Joe
also
serves
as
a

Managing
Director
at
RPN
Executive
Search
.

Some Biglaw Lateral Hires Really Aren’t That Great – Above the Law



Ed.
note
:
Welcome
to
our
daily
feature,

Quote
of
the
Day
.


Growth
through
laterals
and
even
groups,
net
of
retirements
and
other
departures,
is
slow
and
expensive
and
error-prone.
When
we
ask
firms
to
candidly
give
us
a
sense
of
what
percent
of
the
time
laterals
are
successful,
the
candid
answer
is
between
one
in
two
or
one
in
three.





Kent
Zimmermann,
a
law
firm
advisor
with
the
Zeughauser
Group,
in
comments
given
to

Law.com
,
on
the
overall
riskiness
involved
in
lateral
hiring
as
a
law
firm
growth
strategy.


Staci Zaretsky




Staci
Zaretsky
 is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to

email

her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
her
on BlueskyX/Twitter,
and Threads, or
connect
with
her
on LinkedIn.

Latham Loses Appellate Litigator To Biglaw Firm Actually Willing To Defend The Rule Of Law – Above the Law

It’s
not
surprising
that

Jenner
&
Block

is
adding
to
its
appellate
practice.
The
firm
is
well
known
for
its
top
notch
appellate
work,
so
naturally,
its
always
on
the
lookout
for
lateral
talent
that
will
bolster
their
roster.
And
Jenner
&
Block’s

litigation
prowess

has
been
in
the
news
ever
since
Donald
Trump

went
after
the
firm
,
targeting
them
with
an
Executive
Order
designed
to

extract
a
financial
penalty

for
pissing
off
the
president.

Unlike
*some*
in
Biglaw
,
Jenner
&
Block
fought
the
EO
and

quickly
notched
victories

against
the
unconstitutional
orders.

So,
against
this
backdrop,
Jenner’s

announcement

that
they’ve
added
partner
Peter
Davis
to
their
ranks
is
notable.
As
Co-Managing
Partners
Ishan
Bhabha
and
Randy
Mehrberg
said,
“Peter’s
arrival
reflects
our
continued
investment
in
building
the
nation’s
premier
appellate
practice
that
fiercely
advocates
for
our
clients.”
And
Ian
Heath
Gershengorn,
Co-Chair
of
Jenner
&
Block’s
Appellate
&
Supreme
Court
Practice,
reflected
on
the
addition
saying,
“Peter
represents
the
caliber
of
fearless
appellate
advocate
that
defines
our
practice.
His
Supreme
Court
pedigree,
first-chair
argument
experience,
and
proven
track
record
with
sophisticated
clients
strengthens
our
ability
to
handle
the
most
consequential
matters.
Peter’s
understanding
of
constitutional
law
and
regulatory
challenges
is
particularly
valuable
as
our
clients
navigate
an
increasingly
complex
legal
landscape.”

Davis’s
legal
pedigree
is
elite
with
three
federal
clerkships
for
Supreme
Court
Justice
Elena
Kagan,
Judge
James
Boasberg
in
the
US
District
Court
for
the
District
of
Columbia,
and
Judge
Sri
Srinivasan
in
the
US
Court
of
Appeals
for
the
D.C.
Circuit
and,
having
most
recently
worked
at
an
AmLaw
25
firm
(as
the
release
demurely
notes).
That

AmLaw
25
firm
is
Latham
&
Watkins


one
of
those
obsequious
firms
that

inked
a
deal
with
Trump
,
promising
$125
million
in
pro
bono
payola
for
conservative
clients
and
causes,

as
Trump
sees
fit
.

This
gives
a
much
different
spin
to
Davis’s
departure.
Because
there’s
an

industry-wide

trend
of

litigators
leaving
firms

that

capitulated

to

Trump


it
just…

doesn’t
reflect

well

on
litigators

when
their
firm

isn’t
willing
to
fight

against

unconstitutional
orders

in
court.
Though
his

statement

on
the
lateral
move
is
void
of
some
of
the

fiery
rhetoric

that
characterized

some
departures

from
the
capitulating
firms,
Davis’s
new
Biglaw
home
says
plenty.




Kathryn
Rubino
is
a
Senior
Editor
at
Above
the
Law,
host
of

The
Jabot
podcast
,
and
co-host
of

Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer
.
AtL
tipsters
are
the
best,
so
please
connect
with
her.
Feel
free
to
email

her

with
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments
and
follow
her
on
Twitter

@Kathryn1
 or
Mastodon

@[email protected].

Colin Levy Says Contracts Are Data – So Why Aren’t Legal Teams Listening? – Above the Law

Most
in-house
legal
teams
talk
about
contracts
in
terms
of
risk.
They
focus
on
fallbacks,
approval
workflows,
and
redlines.
Rarely
do
they
talk
about
contracts
in
terms
of
data.
And
that’s
where
the
real
opportunity
is
hiding.

In
a
recent
episode
of


Notes
to
My
(Legal)
Self
,
legal
tech
leader

Colin
Levy

offered
a
perspective
that
should
make
every
in-house
lawyer
stop
and
think.
“Contracts
really
are
how
businesses
run,”
he
said.
“They’re
the
lifeblood
of
a
business

and
they
contain
a
lot
of
valuable
data
that
often
goes
unnoticed
or
not
tracked
or
not
acted
upon.”

It’s
the
kind
of
comment
that
sounds
obvious
once
you
hear
it.
Of
course,
contracts
are
full
of
valuable
information.
But
if
we’re
honest,
most
legal
departments
still
treat
them
like
static
documents

PDFs
to
be
negotiated,
signed,
and
filed
away.
We
don’t
treat
them
like
data
sources.
We
should.

Watch
the
full
conversation
here:


We’re
Sitting
On
Gold
And
Calling
It
Admin
Work

Contract
data
isn’t
limited
to
party
names
and
payment
dates.
It
includes
risk
positions,
clause
trends,
cycle
times,
fallback
usage,
and
term
variations.
It’s
business-critical
information
hiding
in
plain
sight.
However,
we
often
treat
this
data
as
a
legal
admin

something
to
“handle”
rather
than
something
to
learn
from.

Whether
or
not
you
use
a
CLM
system,
contract
data
remains
one
of
the
most
underused
assets
legal
teams
have.

That
gap
leads
to
familiar
problems.
Sales
wonders
why
contract
approvals
stall.
Finance
can’t
reconcile
revenue
forecasts
with
reality.
Procurement
teams
miss
auto-renewals
that
cost
the
company.
Legal
scrambles
to
explain,
but
without
clear,
structured
data,
we
fall
back
on
narrative.
That’s
when
legal
becomes
the
black
box
everyone
struggles
to
navigate.


You
Can’t
Leverage
What
You
Can’t
See

Colin
emphasized
that
legal
tech
isn’t
just
about
automation.
It’s
about
visibility.
“To
be
a
valued
member
of
the
team,
you
have
to
understand
how
the
business
operates,”
he
said.
“Legal
tech
helps
you
become
more
data-driven
and
visible.”

Visibility
is
the
difference
between
legal
being
seen
as
a
blocker
and
being
trusted
as
a
strategic
partner.
When
legal
shows
up
with
metrics,
real
insights
about
what
slows
deals,
where
risk
accumulates,
and
how
terms
evolve,
everything
changes.
You’re
no
longer
asking
for
trust.
You’re
earning
it.


The
First
Step
Isn’t
AI.
It’s
Attention.

Legal
departments
are
eager
to
explore
generative
AI,
but
Colin
offered
a
caution:
it’s
not
the
tool
that
matters;
it’s
the
data
you
feed
it.
Before
exploring
automation,
start
by
understanding
what’s
already
in
your
contracts.

Colin
suggested
focusing
on
foundational
insights:
renewal
dates,
payment
schedules,
performance
obligations,
negotiation
trends,
and
clause
alternatives.
“The
more
you
can
track
those
data
points
and
use
them
to
drive
your
decision
making,”
he
said,
“the
more
leadership
will
value
what
you’re
doing

and
understand
why
you’re
doing
it.”


Contracts
Should
Speak
The
Language
Of
Business

Colin
made
a
strong
case
that
legal
teams
need
to
speak
in
data
to
be
heard
by
the
business.
It’s
no
longer
enough
to
say
“trust
us.”
Business
leaders
want
to
see
impact

measured,
quantified,
and
aligned
to
objectives.
“Data
can
really
help
you
get
there,”
he
said.
“And
in
a
way
that
leadership
and
other
functions
of
the
business
can
understand
and
act
upon.”

When
legal
speaks
in
contract
data,
it
becomes
a
force
multiplier.
It
supports
better
decisions.
It
builds
trust.
It
clarifies
how
legal
supports
both
revenue
and
risk
mitigation.
And
it
transforms
contracts
from
paperwork
into
strategic
intelligence.


Final
Thought:
Don’t
Wait
To
Get
Loud

Colin’s
message
is
clear.
Legal
doesn’t
need
to
boil
the
ocean
or
launch
a
transformation
project
to
make
progress.
It
just
needs
to
pay
closer
attention
to
the
signals
already
embedded
in
contracts.

Start
by
asking
one
good
question.
Track
one
useful
data
point.
Turn
one
insight
into
a
conversation
with
a
business
partner.
That’s
how
change
starts.

Legal
teams
have
always
been
great
at
protecting
the
business.
But
now
we
have
the
tools,
and
the
data,
to
illuminate
it.









Olga
V.
Mack
 is
the
CEO
of TermScout,
an
AI-powered
contract
certification
platform
that
accelerates
revenue
and
eliminates
friction
by
certifying
contracts
as
fair,
balanced,
and
market-ready.
A
serial
CEO
and
legal
tech
executive,
she
previously
led
a
company
through
a
successful
acquisition
by
LexisNexis.
Olga
is
also
Fellow
at
CodeX,
The
Stanford
Center
for
Legal
Informatics
,
and
the
Generative
AI
Editor
at
law.MIT.
She
is
a
visionary
executive
reshaping
how
we
law—how
legal
systems
are
built,
experienced,
and
trusted.
Olga teaches
at
Berkeley
Law
,
lectures
widely,
and
advises
companies
of
all
sizes,
as
well
as
boards
and
institutions.
An
award-winning
general
counsel
turned
builder,
she
also
leads
early-stage
ventures
including Virtual
Gabby
(Better
Parenting
Plan)
Product
Law
Hub
ESI
Flow
,
and 
Notes
to
My
(Legal)
Self
,
each
rethinking
the
practice
and
business
of
law
through
technology,
data,
and
human-centered
design.
She
has
authored The
Rise
of
Product
Lawyers
Legal
Operations
in
the
Age
of
AI
and
Data
Blockchain
Value
,
and Get
on
Board
,
with Visual
IQ
for
Lawyers
 (ABA)
forthcoming.
Olga
is
a
6x
TEDx
speaker
and
has
been
recognized
as
a
Silicon
Valley
Woman
of
Influence
and
an
ABA
Woman
in
Legal
Tech.
Her
work
reimagines
people’s
relationship
with
law—making
it
more
accessible,
inclusive,
data-driven,
and
aligned
with
how
the
world
actually
works.
She
is
also
the
host
of
the
Notes
to
My
(Legal)
Self
podcast
(streaming
on SpotifyApple
Podcasts
,
and YouTube),
and
her
insights
regularly
appear
in
Forbes,
Bloomberg
Law,
Newsweek,
VentureBeat,
ACC
Docket,
and
Above
the
Law.
She
earned
her
B.A.
and
J.D.
from
UC
Berkeley.
Follow
her
on LinkedIn and
X
@olgavmack.