Michael Lordi, head of law department operators at Equitable, said working with law firms has gotten a lot easier. He remembers when his efforts to take advantage of tech tools to boost efficiency drew responses like, “I hate this. Don’t ever say this to me. Or we’ve always done it that way.”

Lordi would reply, “It’s better for both of us. It’s not just a benefit to me; it’s going to be a benefit to you.”