Legal Teams Digital Contracting: Negotiate Smarter, Not Harder

What if legal teams could transform contract negotiation from a slow, frustrating back-and-forth into a streamlined, data-driven process? Legal teams’ adoption of digital contracting could save time and strengthen business relationships while reducing manual workflows.

For years, in-house lawyers have relied on manual workflows—email chains, endless document versions, and drawn-out negotiations. But as businesses push for faster deal cycles and greater efficiency, legal teams can no longer afford to stick with outdated processes.

In a recent conversation with Nada Alnajafi, Corporate Counsel at Franklin Templeton and founder of Contract Nerds, we explored how digital contracting is transforming in-house legal work. The key takeaway? Technology isn’t replacing lawyers—it’s empowering them to negotiate smarter, faster, and more strategically.

Watch the full conversation with Nada Alnajafi here:

Most contract negotiations still happen via email, which leads to version control nightmares, miscommunication, and unnecessary delays. A single misplaced attachment or missed comment can derail progress, leaving legal teams scrambling to keep track.

Digital negotiation platforms eliminate these inefficiencies by providing real-time collaboration, visibility, and automation. Instead of sifting through email chains, legal teams can manage negotiations within a single, centralized platform where all changes, approvals, and discussions happen in one place.

Nada Alnajafi emphasizes that email wasn’t designed for contract negotiation—it’s a workaround that creates more problems than it solves. By using Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) platforms or digital negotiation tools, in-house counsel can track changes in real-time, prevent outdated drafts from circulating, and speed up approvals through automated workflows.

When contract negotiations are transparent and centralized, deals close faster, with less friction and fewer errors.

For years, contract negotiation has been driven by experience and intuition. But what if legal teams had data-driven insights to refine their negotiation strategies?

With digital contracting platforms, in-house counsel can analyze past negotiations, identify bottlenecks, and optimize contract templates based on real-world data. Instead of guessing where contracts stall, legal teams can pinpoint the exact clauses that cause delays and adjust accordingly.

Tracking key metrics—such as cycle times, frequently negotiated terms, and approval bottlenecks—gives legal teams an edge. If a particular indemnification clause consistently leads to pushback, lawyers can proactively revise the language to streamline negotiations.

Negotiating with data-backed insights means fewer surprises, faster resolutions, and stronger business relationships.

Too often, in-house lawyers spend more time on administrative contract tasks than on actual negotiations. Manually tracking signatures, updating templates, and managing document versions drains legal bandwidth and slows deal-making.

By automating these repetitive tasks, legal teams can shift their focus to strategic negotiations and high-value business advising. Auto-populated templates, automated approval workflows, and e-signature solutions eliminate unnecessary manual work, allowing deals to move at business speed, not legal speed.

Nada Alnajafi highlights that automation doesn’t replace lawyers—it removes inefficiencies. When legal teams aren’t buried in administrative work, they can spend more time negotiating better deals and supporting business growth.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic concept—it’s already transforming contract review and negotiation. AI-driven tools can flag risky clauses, suggest alternative language, and benchmark terms against market standards.

Rather than manually reviewing contracts line by line, in-house counsel can use AI to identify potential risks, compare agreements to industry benchmarks, and generate negotiation playbooks based on past deals.

Nada Alnajafi points out that AI doesn’t replace legal expertise—it enhances it. With AI-driven insights, lawyers can negotiate more effectively, reduce risk exposure, and maintain consistency across contracts.

Legal teams that integrate AI into their workflows will spend less time reviewing and more time strategizing.

Contracting inefficiencies don’t just slow down legal teams—they impact the entire business. When negotiations stall, revenue recognition is delayed, partnerships are put on hold, and operational goals are disrupted.

That’s why digital contracting isn’t just a legal initiative—it’s a business efficiency strategy. By positioning digital contracting as a business enabler, legal teams can gain executive buy-in more effectively.

Instead of saying, “We need a CLM platform,” in-house counsel should frame it as, “By digitizing our contract workflows, we can close deals 30% faster and accelerate revenue.”

Nada Alnajafi stresses that business leaders respond to impact, not just process improvements. The more legal teams align digital contracting with company-wide efficiency goals, the easier it becomes to drive meaningful change.

The best in-house legal teams aren’t just focused on mitigating risks—they’re enabling business growth. Lawyers who embrace digital contracting can negotiate more efficiently by reducing friction in deal-making, leverage data and AI to enhance negotiation outcomes, and automate routine tasks to free up time for strategic advising.

Additionally, they can use digital tools to align legal operations with business goals, driving revenue growth. Contract negotiation is evolving, and digital contracting is not the future—it’s already here. In-house counsel who adopt these tools today will lead the way in smarter, faster deal-making.

The legal teams that embrace digital contracting today will lead tomorrow. The question isn’t whether AI and automation will change contract negotiation—it’s whether your legal team will lead the change or struggle to catch up.

Are you ready to embrace digital contracting?

Watch the full conversation here: Notes to My (Legal) Self: Season 1, Episode 17 (ft. Nada Alnajafi)

At Notes to My (Legal) Self®, we’re dedicated to helping in-house legal professionals develop the skills, insights, and strategies needed to thrive in today’s evolving legal landscape. From leadership development to legal operations optimization and emerging technology, we provide the tools to help you stay ahead.

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