The Man Behind Legaltech NY Passes the Torch

For the past 17 years, Henry Dicker has been the face behind ALM’s Legaltech conference. Now, he’s moving on.

On Friday, Franklin Data, a Newport Beach-based company that advises on cyber security, e-Discovery and other data services, announced Dicker will fill the newly created position of chief revenue officer.

“My expertise really is making connections, or as my grandmother would say, ‘shidduchs,’” he said, using the Yiddish word for matchmaking. “I take two parties and try to make them work together.”

At Franklin Data, he will draw on his vast network of contacts in the legal industry, developed while serving as vice president, global events and executive director of Legaltech for the better part of two decades.

During the past year, Franklin Data launched a brand awareness campaign, sponsoring Legaltech as well as other ALM events, and Dicker developed a close working relationship with CEO Matt Blake, and others at the company. In the process, he realized it was a time for a new challenge, Dicker said.

The Legaltech conference had actually started before he joined the company in January 1999. At that time, legal technology meant “xeroxing,” not e-Discovery, cyber security or the vast number of high tech products out today, Dicker said. He added that the company was prescient in vision that the field would eventually grow.

“It really exploded, probably around 2002,” he said. “It became wildfire. That was when the real bright minds of technology and business and big data all came together and said, ‘Holy cow, we’ve got to find ways to come together and just manage this better.”

Dicker added, “I was just very lucky – I was manufacturing tires when the automobile came out. That’s sort of like what happened to me. I was the rubber expert, put it that way.”

This year, there were more than 13,000 attendees and 363 exhibiting vendors — from e-Discovery companies, to data security consultants to matter management and other legal technology companies — at the New York City event, which took place in early February.

“The opening day keynote this year, I basically said what an incredible ride it’s been and how much I loved the people and I love the industry,” said Dicker. “I’m one of the few people who says I look forward to talking to law firms and lawyers, because hey, they’re people too. Kudos to any one who can make it through law school.”

He left the position this week and said ALM has not yet filled his prior position. ALM declined to comment.

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