You recently joined Goodwin after successful careers at Google, a tech giant, and Ironclad, a SaaS firm. Now at Goodwin, one of the largest law firms, what will your first steps be to drive change?

Mary: The first step—always—is to understand the current state. This involves conducting a form of due diligence, including interviews and meetings with people across all levels, geographies, and functions within the organisation. It includes reviewing processes on both the operational and practice sides, identifying what is working well, what could improve, and addressing any immediate pain points.

From there, it is about aligning your own targets with the firm’s goals and leadership to ensure everyone is working toward the same North Star. I regularly check whether my observations match leadership’s understanding or if there are surprises that need addressing.

Once I have done my assessment, I focus on building trust and credibility by delivering quick, meaningful results. This includes finding opportunities for impactful early wins—not just low-hanging fruit, but initiatives that demonstrate value and build momentum.

Example: At Google, an early but highly impactful initiative was the implementation of billing guidelines for law firms and the establishment of an invoice review team. This saved significant time for in-house lawyers and reduced costs, building credibility for further investments in legal operations. We also focused on rightsourcing—evaluating work to determine whether it should go to a top-tier law firm, be handled in-house, automated, or sent to alternative service providers. This ensured that high-value work stayed with in-house teams while lower-risk tasks were outsourced or automated, which reduced costs and helped prevent burnout.

My past experiences have shown me that every organisation—whether a SaaS company, a tech giant like Google, or a professional services firm—faces similar challenges. Growth, scale, efficiency, and profitability are universal objectives. The key is to understand where the organisation wants to go, assess its external landscape, and use data to inform decisions.

Additionally, it is crucial to listen, engage in meaningful change management, and bring everyone along in the process. Change is only effective when aligned with shared goals and executed collaboratively.

Cross-functional collaboration also plays a significant role in in-house legal teams.

Mary: Absolutely. Legal is one of the most cross-functional departments within any organisation; it is not an island. Advancing legal operations requires identifying stakeholders across teams, aligning on shared goals, and agreeing on the problems or opportunities before moving forward.

The first step is to gather stakeholders and ensure everyone agrees that there is an issue worth addressing—often the most important yet understated step. From there, teams work collaboratively to assign clear roles and responsibilities. Whether someone is leading, implementing, or contributing, clarity is essential for driving successful outcomes. However, legal must avoid being seen as or becoming the sole source of truth.

‍You were the Chief Community Officer at Ironclad. This role is uncommon. How best to define and establish roles for which there are no templates?

Mary: In roles that are less defined or understood, it is critical to clearly establish your responsibilities and value, rather than allowing others to define them for you. Building trust, communicating effectively, and demonstrating how your skills add value to the organisation are key.

You are now the Chief Operating Officer of a global law firm. Are the KPIs for legal operations the same for in-house teams and law firms?

Mary: Not at all—they are very different.

In-house legal teams are cost centres, so the focus is on metrics like reducing expenses, improving turnaround times, stakeholder satisfaction, and demonstrating value to the business.

In a law firm, you are running a business, so profitability becomes the key metric, along with client satisfaction, revenue, and alignment with the firm’s strategy. Profitability involves sub-metrics like matter profitability and the return on IT investments.

Each firm must also evaluate whether their presence in certain geographies or practice areas aligns with client demand and strategic goals. Some firms may expand, while others might retreat, depending on profitability, client needs, and industry trends.

Does the drive for better operations at law firms come from within the firms or their clients? In other words, how much do you still need to pitch your role as Chief Operating Officer?

Mary: Historically, law firms have been very successful and profitable without needing to change much. However, with increased pressure on the business side, there is a growing recognition that operational efficiency and transformation are critical.

The term “legal operations” traditionally refers to in-house legal departments. As Chief Operating Officer, I oversee the entire business operations of the firm, including leadership, strategy, execution, and development—similar to a Chief Operating Officer in other industries.

The role of Chief Operating Officer in law firms is growing as firms realise what is needed to modernise, scale, and operate effectively in today’s competitive landscape.

What specific elements do you look for to determine if a firm is ready for change?

Mary: Law firms are often seen as resistant to change, which I considered carefully before taking on my role.  

From the outside, it is hard to judge readiness. Announcements about new tools or initiatives do not always reflect real preparedness for change.

In the case of Goodwin, I was pleasantly surprised. During my recruitment process, I met with many people to assess potential resistance and found none so far. I found 100 percent alignment among leadership on where the firm wants to go. That is critical.

You can have all the fancy tools and resources, but without leadership alignment, you are stuck. You cannot invest your way out of a lack of strategy.

However, ultimately, you need both buy-in and the right people to execute. Transformation fails if leadership believes in the vision but lacks the skills and structure to deliver on it.  

You are widely recognised as a leading expert in legal operations worldwide, what traits do you think contributed to your success?

Mary: Perhaps I would say stubbornness and passion. I genuinely believe there is a better way forward, and I do not stop until I get there.  

Rigour and genuine enjoyment of the work also play a big role—it does not feel like labour to me.

Any negative traits that you are still working to improve?

Mary: My biggest strength is also my biggest weakness: I move at one speed—the highest sense of urgency. While that is great for getting things done, it can mean I forget things, miss details, or do not bring people along in a way that makes them feel included.

I am working quite hard on balancing that drive with better communication.

Any final thoughts?

Mary: Sharing outcomes with leadership and the organisation helps establish the credibility of your team and builds momentum for future projects. So, do not hesitate to communicate wins and celebrate successes. It is something I have had to work on.

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Mary O’Carroll is a seasoned executive with extensive experience in legal operations, technology, and strategic transformation. As the Chief Operating Officer at Goodwin, she oversees the firm’s global operations and works closely with leadership to drive innovation and operational excellence. Mary previously held leadership roles at Google and Ironclad and is a founding member of the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium (CLOC), the largest legal ops organization.