Preparation Workflow
Phase 1: Define the Meeting
Extract or confirm these details from the user's request or calendar:
- Title and category: What is the meeting called, and what type is it? (transaction review, governance session, vendor discussion, internal sync, client call, regulatory engagement)
- Attendees: Who will be in the room? What positions do they hold and what outcomes are they seeking?
- Topics: Is there a published agenda? What subjects will be addressed?
- Legal team posture: What role does the attorney play in this meeting? (counselor, presenter, silent observer, lead negotiator)
- Prep window: How much lead time is available?
Phase 2: Map Preparation Requirements
Each meeting category drives a different preparation focus:
| Category | Primary Preparation Needs |
|---|---|
| Transaction Review | Deal status, unresolved contract points, counterparty background, negotiation game plan, required approvals |
| Board / Committee Session | Legal department report, risk register highlights, active matters summary, regulatory landscape, draft resolutions |
| Vendor Discussion | Agreement status, outstanding items, performance record, relationship dynamics, negotiation goals |
| Internal Team Sync | Capacity overview, top-priority matters, staffing needs, approaching deadlines |
| Client / Customer Call | Contract terms, support history, unresolved issues, relationship background |
| Regulatory Engagement | Subject matter context, compliance posture, prior correspondence, counsel coordination |
| Litigation / Dispute Session | Case posture, recent activity, strategic options, settlement parameters |
| Cross-Functional Collaboration | Legal dimensions of business proposals, risk evaluation, compliance guardrails |
Phase 3: Assemble Context from Available Sources
Collect pertinent information from each connected system:
Calendar Systems
- Meeting logistics (time, length, venue or link, invitees)
- Historical meetings with the same group (prior 90 days)
- Scheduled follow-ups or related sessions
- Scheduling conflicts or time constraints
Email Systems
- Correspondence with or concerning attendees
- Follow-up threads from earlier meetings
- Outstanding commitments from past exchanges
- Documents shared as attachments
Messaging Platforms (Slack, Teams, etc.)
- Threads discussing the meeting subject
- Messages involving the attendees
- Team conversations about related work
- Relevant decisions or updates posted in channels
Document Repositories (SharePoint, Box, Egnyte, etc.)
- Prior agendas and meeting notes
- Relevant agreements, memos, or analysis
- Shared files involving meeting participants
- Working drafts intended for the meeting
Contract Management Systems (if available)
- Active agreements with the relevant counterparty
- Negotiation status and unresolved terms
- Approval workflow progress
- Amendment and renewal history
CRM Systems (if available)
- Account or opportunity records
- Relationship history and key contacts
- Pipeline stage and milestones
- Organizational stakeholder map
Phase 4: Compose the Briefing
Organize all gathered material into the structured format below.
Phase 5: Surface Information Gaps
Explicitly flag anything incomplete:
- Systems that were unavailable or returned no results
- Data that may be stale
- Unresolved questions
- Documents that could not be located
Briefing Document Structure
## Meeting Briefing
### Logistics
- **Subject**: [meeting title]
- **Scheduled**: [date, time, and timezone]
- **Length**: [anticipated duration]
- **Venue**: [physical address or virtual meeting link]
- **Attorney's Role**: [counselor / presenter / negotiator / observer]
### Participant Roster
| Name | Affiliation | Position | Primary Interests | Relevant Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [name] | [organization] | [title] | [what they prioritize] | [useful background] |
### Topics and Agenda
1. [Subject A] - [brief context]
2. [Subject B] - [brief context]
3. [Subject C] - [brief context]
### Situation Overview
[Two to three paragraphs covering relevant history, current state of affairs, and the purpose of this meeting]
### Reference Materials
- [Document A] - [summary and location]
- [Document B] - [summary and location]
### Unresolved Items
| Item | Current Status | Responsible Party | Urgency | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [item 1] | [status] | [owner] | [H/M/L] | [notes] |
### Legal Dimensions
[Specific legal questions, exposures, or regulatory considerations tied to the meeting topics]
### Recommended Talking Points
1. [Point with supporting rationale]
2. [Point with supporting rationale]
3. [Point with supporting rationale]
### Questions to Pose
- [Question A] - [why it matters]
- [Question B] - [why it matters]
### Decisions Required
- [Decision A] - [available options and recommended path]
- [Decision B] - [available options and recommended path]
### Firm Positions / Boundaries
[For negotiation settings: positions that must not be conceded]
### Carry-Forward Items
[Unfinished tasks from previous meetings with these participants]
### Incomplete Information
[Data that could not be sourced or verified; questions for the user to address]Category-Specific Additions
Transaction Reviews
Supplement the standard briefing with:
- Transaction snapshot: Parties involved, deal value, structure, and timeline
- Agreement posture: Stage in the review or negotiation cycle; outstanding sticking points
- Authorization requirements: Who must sign off and at what thresholds
- Counterparty intelligence: Their anticipated positions, recent tone, and communication patterns
- Precedent transactions: Similar past deals and their final terms (when accessible)
Board and Committee Sessions
Supplement the standard briefing with:
- Legal department summary: Volume of active matters, recent resolutions, newly opened items, closed files
- Risk register snapshot: Top-ranked risks with movement since the prior reporting period
- Regulatory landscape: Significant regulatory developments with business impact
- Items requiring board action: Resolutions, authorizations, or approvals on the agenda
- Litigation portfolio: Active proceedings, reserve updates, settlements, and new filings
Regulatory Engagements
Supplement the standard briefing with:
- Regulator profile: Which body, which division, their current enforcement focus and patterns
- Interaction history: Timeline of prior submissions, correspondence, and meetings
- Compliance standing: Current status on the specific topics under discussion
- External counsel coordination: Outside firm involvement and advice received to date
- Privilege awareness: Boundaries on what can and cannot be shared; privilege preservation considerations
Task Capture and Tracking
Recording Tasks During and After Meetings
Help the user document commitments from each meeting:
## Tasks from [Meeting Title] - [Date]
| # | Task Description | Owner | Due Date | Urgency | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | [concrete, actionable item] | [individual name] | [specific date] | [H/M/L] | Open |
| 2 | [concrete, actionable item] | [individual name] | [specific date] | [H/M/L] | Open |Principles for Effective Task Capture
- Precision: "Transmit revised Section 7.3 language to counterparty's outside counsel" rather than "Follow up on agreement"
- Single owner: Every task has exactly one accountable individual, never a team or department
- Concrete deadline: Every task gets a calendar date, never "soon" or "when possible"
- Dependency mapping: If a task is blocked by another action or external input, note the dependency
- Task type classification:
- Internal legal tasks (work the legal team must perform) - Business partner tasks (items to relay to non-legal stakeholders) - External party tasks (work the counterparty or outside counsel must complete) - Scheduling tasks (follow-up meetings that need to be booked)
Post-Meeting Execution
After the meeting concludes:
- Circulate the task list to all participants through the appropriate channel
- Calendar the deadlines so nothing falls through the cracks
- Update operational systems (contract management, matter tracking, risk register) with outcomes
- Archive meeting notes in the designated repository
- Highlight time-sensitive items that demand same-day or next-day attention
Review Cadence
- High urgency tasks: Verify progress daily until closed
- Medium urgency tasks: Check at the next team meeting or weekly review
- Low urgency tasks: Review at the next relevant meeting or monthly cycle
- Overdue tasks: Escalate to the owner and their supervisor; flag in the next applicable meeting