Daniel Michalek
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Daniel Michalek
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ABOUT

I’ve spent my career building the infrastructure behind legal teams.

My career in legal operations has been built around a pretty simple idea: legal teams work better when the systems around them are designed intentionally.


Over the past 15+ years, I’ve worked across startups, high-growth technology companies, healthcare organizations, and global enterprises, building and transforming the processes, technology, financial systems, and operating models that support legal teams.


My work sits at the intersection of strategy and execution. I’ve led CLM implementations, redesigned intake and contracting workflows, managed multimillion-dollar legal budgets and outside counsel programs, built legal technology ecosystems, and helped teams navigate the harder part of transformation: getting people to actually work differently.


I’m most interested in the problems that don’t have tidy answers. Where process meets culture. Where technology exposes an operating problem rather than solving it. And where Legal has to balance speed, risk, resources, and the realities of how a business actually works.

Man with gray hair smiling against a blue background.

HOW I WORK

Start with the Problem

Make the Invisible Visible

Start with the Problem

Technology can enable a better operating model, but it can't substitute for one.

Design for the People

Make the Invisible Visible

Start with the Problem

A theoretically perfect process that nobody follows isn't a good process.

Make the Invisible Visible

Make the Invisible Visible

Make the Invisible Visible

Good operations creates structure around work that otherwise disappears into inboxes, Slack messages, spreadsheets, and institutional knowledge.

EXPERIENCE

Sr. Legal Operations Manager | Skylo Technologies | 2026

Built the operational foundation for a growing legal function, with a focus on intake, contracting processes, legal technology, and scalable ways of working.

Legal Operations Manager | Rula Health | 2025

Established legal operations infrastructure for a high-growth healthcare company, spanning CLM, budgeting, outside counsel, knowledge management, and cross-functional programs.

Director, Legal Operations | Shockwave Medical | 2023

Led legal operations across technology, financial management, outside counsel, contracting operations, and department planning in a rapidly scaling public company.

Legal Operations Manager | Branch Metrics | 2021

Built and scaled legal operations programs across intake, technology, spend management, vendors, and cross-functional workflows.

Sr. Legal Operations Manager | Patreon | 2020

Supported the continued development of legal operations during a period of rapid organizational growth and change.

Sr. Legal Operations Manager | Veritas Technologies | 2019

Managed global legal operations programs spanning financial management, outside counsel, technology, and operational improvement.

IP Operations Manager | Agilent Technologies | 2016

Led operations for a global intellectual property function, including financial management, systems, vendors, workflow design, and team leadership.

Earlier career: Intellectual property operations and administration roles at Seagate Technology, Apollo Group, and Tessera Technologies.

© 2026 Daniel Michalek - All Rights Reserved

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