Cunningham is considered among the principal innovators and disruptors in the legal industry today. Previously a longtime consultant advising on some of the largest law firm integrations in history, he has recently served as the Chief Information Officer at Winston & Strawn. He is also CEO of Legal Metrics, a tech-driven consortium automating next-gen performance and diversity analytics between law firms and legal departments, which he will continue to lead. He played an early role in growing the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium, or CLOC.
Over the past several years, Reed Smith has emerged as a recognized brand for driving client-facing knowledge and innovation in the legal industry, launching Gravity Stack, Reed Smith’s data-driven legal technology and solutions subsidiary, and Reed Smith Global Solutions, the firm’s shared-services provider that today comprises more than 450 lawyers, analysts and business services staff. The Financial Times recognized Reed Smith as among the top five “most digital” law firms in its North America Innovative Lawyer Awards and Report in 2020. In May, the firm announced a partnership with BRYTER, the leading no-code service automation platform, that enhances the existing capabilities of the firm’s in-house Practice Innovation team to deliver digital solutions to the firm’s clients.
Chief among Cunningham’s responsibilities will be building on these and other far-reaching innovation offerings and incorporating them into an umbrella of technology solutions and shared services that rivals the firm’s best-in-class legal services. In addition, Cunningham will help bring new innovation products and services to market; guide the firm’s enterprise data and analytics strategy; and identify efficiency and process improvement initiatives to enhance client service. He will also provide input on the strategic direction of Gravity Stack.
“We must continue to create new service offerings and products that deliver more agile and customized client support – all with the purpose of helping our clients drive their businesses forward,” said Sandy Thomas, Reed Smith’s Global Managing Partner. “David brings the ultimate entrepreneurial approach to the delivery of legal services. He is a champion of innovation, and we are thrilled to have him lead us into the next iteration of Reed Smith’s commitment to innovation and client value.”
“Working with senior leadership, David will bring together the breadth of the firm’s current innovation activities and direct the future focus of the firm’s innovation strategy to advance the firm’s RS 2024 business strategy,” said Nick Bagiatis, Reed Smith’s Chief Operating Officer. “Integrating our technology-related offerings will help the firm better serve clients and establish the firm’s innovation vision for the future. We want to ensure the firm’s brand is synonymous with innovation.”
For the past nine years as Winston & Strawn’s CIO, Cunningham was responsible for all innovation initiatives at the firm, including Information Technology, Risk Management, Data Analytics, Knowledge Services, Practice and Client Services, Project Management, Tech Learning and Change Management, and eDiscovery.
Cunningham started his career as an analyst for the National Science Foundation before joining Baker Robbins & Company (later Hildebrandt Baker Robbins and now HBR Consulting) where for over 20 years he helped grow the business from 12 people to more than 120 consultants with multiple offices globally. In that capacity, he advised senior management at more than 200 law firms around the world across strategy, M&A, IT, process improvement and risk management. He led full law firm merger integrations, including a two-year integration of the world’s third largest firm. Thomson Reuters acquired Baker Robbins & Company in 2007, where Cunningham was one of the key executives for four years before executing a management buyout spinning off HBR Consulting as a standalone firm. In 2012, he joined Winston & Strawn with the mandate to drive technology, processes and innovation throughout the firm.
“Technology, efficiency, data analytics, AI, and metrics are key aspects of the equation that drives client value. When you combine them with exceptional lawyering, you create the ultimate value for clients,” Cunningham said. “Reed Smith is known as a progressive innovative leader, embracing technology and other tools to provide the best client service opportunity possible. I’m excited to be joining a team that is ready to move to the next level in leading that effort.”
As part of supporting CLOC’s growth in its early days, Cunningham established the CLOC-CxO initiative whereby selected senior roles in law firms were first allowed to participate in CLOC alongside corporate legal departments. He has a B.A. in Business Administration from Texas A&M University.
About Reed Smith
Reed Smith is a dynamic international law firm dedicated to helping clients move their businesses forward. With an inclusive culture and innovative mindset, we deliver smarter, more creative legal services that drive better outcomes for our clients. Our deep industry knowledge, long-standing relationships and collaborative structure make us the go-to partner for complex disputes, transactions, and regulatory matters. Now celebrating more than 140 years of service, our firm spans 30 offices with 3,000 people, including 1,700 lawyers.
For more information, please visit www.reedsmith.com.
