Bart Gabler
Bart Gabler is the chief officer for legal operations at K&L Gates. He is responsible for the firm’s operations related to the delivery of legal services and practice operations. He oversees a team of professionals with a diverse skills set that include strategy development, project management, data analysis and pricing, technology enablement, research and knowledge management, process improvement and design thinking with a keen focus on developing creative solutions to address the business challenges of the firm and our clients. Bart is a creative problem solver who works closely with our clients, lawyers and paraprofessionals to design, develop, and implement solutions that enable the efficient, effective, and competitive delivery of legal services. Bart has global responsibilities to oversee the development of creative fee arrangements to meet client business objectives and support the management of the work in a timely, efficient manner aligned with client expectations. He manages a team of professionals that drive technological, analytical, matter management, and process improvement enhancements across the firm. Bart is a management team member that works collaboratively with cross functional teams that includes K&L Gates lawyers on developing, negotiating and implementing strategic legal solutions that meet the operational needs of our clients. He works directly with client service teams on legal service delivery and pricing related issues, including helping to identify client objectives, business constraints, and pricing preferences to ensure seamless client service. In addition, Bart is responsible for developing, implementing and coordinating the firmwide practice operations and support functions. He coordinates across K&L Gates’ global platform of offices and practices to implement processes and tools to assist in matter delivery, management and monitoring to help ensure effective and efficient client service.
Bart currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Carlow University, the Board for the Fox Chapel Futbol Club and the Advisory Board for the Serene Leadership Institute. He has lectured on leadership, project management and problem solving topics.
With over 15 years of professional experience, Bart previously was a consultant with McKinsey & Company, where he served in both a client service and practice management capacity. His experience cuts across strategic planning and growth strategy development to organizational transformation and operational effectiveness. He was also involved in the assessment, design, and rollout of large scale projects to meet both immediate and long-term goals. Prior to McKinsey & Company, Bart was a strategy consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he conducted competitor analyses, evaluated operational strategies, and assessed current state business and technology capabilities.
Bart is a long standing volunteer on the Hidden Valley Ski Patrol and is both a Certified Patroller and member of the National Ski Patrol’s Eastern Division Ski and Toboggan Educational Training Staff.
- Board of Trustees, Carlow University
- Advisory Board Member, Serene Leadership Institute
- Member, Jack Heinz Society of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
- Past President, Hidden Valley Ski Patrol (non-profit)
- Board of Directors, Fox Chapel Youth Soccer
- Graduate, Leadership Pittsburgh
- Reunions Co-Chair, University of Virginia Alumni Association
- Member, Legal Marketing Association
- Panelist, “The Evolving Client-Firm Relationship” Legal Value Network (February 2022)
- Panelist, “2020 Law Firm of the Year,” Law Insights (October 2020)
- Presenter, “K&L Gates and Thomson Reuters: Developing Panoramic” Legal Current Series (December 2019)
- Co-Presenter, “Destination 2018: A more Profitable and Efficient Law Firm,” LMA Client Value Education Session (March 2018)
- Panelist, “Integrating Pricing into New Business Intake,” Praxis Conference (February 2018)
- Panelist, “Law Firm Profitability, Pricing and Compensation,” Sandpiper Partners Briefing (December 2017)
- Co-Presenter, “The First 100 Days: Your Pricing and LPM Journey,” P3 Practice Innovation Conference (May 2017)
- Panelist, “Case Study: Successful Partner Adoption of Planning and Monitoring,” P3 Practice Innovation Conference (May 2017)
- Panelist, “Leveraging Data to Optimize the Value of Legal Services,” P3 Practice Innovation Conference (May 2017)
- Co-Presenter, “Putting Together the Puzzle,” Praxis Conference (March 2017)
- Co-Presenter, “How to Design an Effective Pricing & Project Management Team,” P3 Practice Innovation Conference (May 2016)
- Guest Lecturer “Setting Goals and Objectives,” Management Training Curriculum (May 2016)
- Co-Presenter, “Right Brain + Left Brain: Combining Communications and Analytics in a Pricing Strategy Rollout,” P3 Practice Innovation Conference (June 2015)
- Guest lecturer, Serene Leadership Institute Summer Program, California University of PA (June 2012 and June 2013)
- Guest lecturer for MBA students, “Cases in Business Strategy,” SC Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University (August 2009, September 2010, August 2011, and September 2012)
- Board presentation, Organizational Effectiveness Assessment (August 2010)
- Guest lecturer, Executive MBA students on “Management Consulting,” Joseph M. Katz Graduate Business School at the University of Pittsburgh (July 2009)
- Board presentation, Multi-format Strategic Organizational Design (April 2009)
- Board presentation, Strategic Cost Structure for Corporate Support Functions (February 2009)
- Guest lecturer, MBA level “Projects Course” on consulting processes and problem solving, Joseph M. Katz Graduate Business School at the University of Pittsburgh (various sessions 2008-2011)
- Board presentation, Organizational Transformation and Change Management (December 2008)
- Co-Author, “Redefining Matter Management: A Best Practice Guide to Improving Processes and Profitability,” Ark Group (2018)
- Co-Author, “Practical Innovations in Legal Pricing,” Ark Group (2017)
