About Spring Forward Consulting
Spring Forward Consulting provides advisory services to Investors, Start-ups, Legal Tech / Reg Tech businesses, Law Firms, and others.
Meet Ken Crutchfield
Ken Crutchfield has over forty years of experience in legal, tax, and other industries. Throughout his career, he has focused on growth, innovation, and business transformation.
As a strategic thinker who understands markets and creating products to meet customer needs, he has worked in start-ups and large enterprises. He has served in General Management capacities in six businesses.
Ken has a pulse on the trends affecting the market. Whether it was the Internet in the 1980s or Generative AI, he understands technology and how it can impact business.
Crutchfield started his career as an intern with LexisNexis and has worked at Thomson Reuters, Bloomberg, Dun & Bradstreet, and Wolters Kluwer. Ken has an MBA and holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from The Ohio State University.
Venture Capital/Private Equity
- Business Review
- Due-Diligence
- Board Participation
Start-Ups
- Business Plan Critique / Business Strategy
- Product-Market Fit
- Artificial Intelligence
- Sales Traction
- Relationships / Partnerships
- Advisory Board / Fractional C-Suite
Legal Tech / Reg Tech
- Custom Advisory Services
Law Firms and Corporations
- AI Strategy
- Vendor Evaluation
Public Speaking and Podcasts
Ken is also an engaging speaker, participating in conferences, moderating panels, and appearing on podcasts. Reach out for more details.
The Geek in Review Podcast, August 2025
The Wild West of AI: A Legal Tech Reckoning with Ken Crutchfield
Legal Leaders Exchange - Podcast Episode 28, June 2025
Regulating intelligence: Navigating AI governance with Wolters Kluwer
LawDroid Manifesto Podcast - Generative AI Legal Technology, January 2025
The Future-Ready Executive: Ken Crutchfield
Straight Talk: Why should attorneys embrace AI?, December 2024
GenAI is impacting law firms and corporate legal departments. Reasons why attorneys should embrace AI and the technology's positively impacts are discussed.
Today in Tech Podcast, Oct 2024
Where does the legal industry stand on AI these days?
Ad Watchers Podcast: AI is Everywhere - What about advertising?, August 2024
Crutchfield discusses AI’s potential impact on advertising.
ABA Section 72nd Antitrust Law Spring Meeting, June 2024, Panelist
The New Beneficial Ownership Reporting Requirement and How Legal Tech Can Help Companies Comply
LegalTech's The Business Case for AI, September 2023, Panel Moderator
Thought Leadership and Media
Ken is a thought leader and regular contributor on legal technology and related topics. His views are frequently quoted in the news. For media inquiries, click here.
Approaches To Drive AI Adoption In Biglaw
- The successful adoption of an AI initiative requires a holistic view of people, processes, and technology.
Will AI Really Move The Needle On The Billable Hour? Above the Law, August 2025
- The billable hour is more embedded, especially in Biglaw, than most realize.
Agentic AI in Legaltech: Proceed with Supervision!, July 2025
- OpenAI's ChatGPT Agent highlights the need for supervision over GENAI solutions and a new level of accountability for AIGovernance.
- There are parallels to other attempts at combining content and software, but this one is different, with GenAI from vLex's Vincent AI helping to blur traditional lines and categories.
- Jennifer McIver joins Ken Crutchfield to discuss how AI is accelerating corporate legal’s status from support function to strategic partner.
'Watts the Problem', Above the Law, June 2025
- The growth in AI computing is going to drive electricity demands.
Is Legal AI Approaching The Chasm?, April 2025
- The first thing is to be aware that it exists.