The model
What our forward deployed engineers do.
A forward deployed engineer works inside the client’s organization to make a product work in that client’s real environment. Palantir built its delivery model around the role, and AI companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic now use forward deployed engineers for enterprise rollouts. This is how Swiftwater delivers legal technology: our practitioners work in your systems, alongside your legal, finance and IT teams, and stay accountable until the system is used. Read more in What is a forward deployed engineer?
01
Configure
Your instance set up around your workflows, approvals, billing guidelines and templates.
02
Integrate
Accounts payable, single sign-on, HR, finance, e-signature and document management connections, built at the start.
03
Build
The missing pieces: workflows, LSR and intake, custom apps, reports and AI agents.
04
Stay through adoption
Change management, training and hypercare, then managed services if you want us to keep running it.
By service
Forward deployed engineers by service.
The same model across every practice. Each row links to the service page.
| Service | Platforms | What our forward deployed engineers do |
|---|---|---|
| Enterprise legal management | Onit, Thomson Reuters Legal Tracker, SimpleLegal, Mitratech TeamConnect, Wolters Kluwer Passport and TyMetrix 360 | Implementation, migration, integration, Apptitude builds, administration and support |
| Legal bill review | The eBilling platform you already own, Brightflag included | Billing guideline enforcement, invoice review and e-billing optimization analysis inside the platform |
| Contract lifecycle management | Onit CLM, Docusign CLM, Agiloft, Conga, SpotDraft; readiness and migration for Icertis and Ironclad | Configuration, templates and approvals, contract migration, adoption programs |
| Docusign | eSignature, Docusign CLM, IAM, Agreement Manager, Maestro | Account consolidation, template control, signature authority, Salesforce integration |
| Document management | NetDocuments (partner; ndMAX, PatternBuilder), iManage | Matter-centric workspaces, migration off shared drives and legacy systems, governed AI |
| IP management | Anaqua, MaxVal and Clarivate (IPMaster, IP Manager) | IPMS implementation, docketing and renewals data, integrations with matter management and spend |
| Legal AI | Frontier AI models, use-case AI tools such as contract extraction, and the AI built into your ELM, CLM and DMS | Working sessions, pilots on your data, agentic AI development, governed deployment on Microsoft Azure |
| Managed legal operations | The ELM, CLM and reporting stack you run | Administration, bill review, contract operations and reporting after go-live |
How it runs
How an engagement runs.
01
Start on your instance
We review your configuration, data and processes with your team before anything is built.
02
Configure and integrate
The platform set up around your workflows, with integrations built at the start.
03
Build what is missing
Workflows, intake, reports, custom apps and AI agents, on the platform you own.
04
Adoption, training and change management
A program designed in from the start, through go-live and hypercare.
05
Hand over, or keep running it
Your team takes over with documentation and training, or our managed services practice runs it. There is no minimum commitment.
Results
Our professionals have delivered.
01
100% LSR adoption
User adoption of the legal service request (LSR) and intake portal, for a global company with 90,000 employees.
02
90,000 employees, 8 languages
LSR and intake, ELM, CLM and eBilling delivered for a global retail conglomerate.
03
70% faster
Contract processing cycle through CLM implementation and process automation.
04
One of the largest
eBilling implementations by spend and data migration volume in the industry.
One team
One team from configuration to adoption.
01
Process and change
Process design, change management and adoption, so the platform changes how the department actually works.
02
Testing, documentation, training
Our professionals test the configuration, document it, and adapt the training to your team.
03
Across platforms
Our professionals work across ELM, CLM, document management, IP and AI platforms, so the advice is not tied to one vendor.
04
After go-live
Administration, enhancements, reporting and user support from the team that implemented it.
Who you work with
The forward deployed engineers you will work with.
Danish Butt
Managing Director
20+ years standing up legal operations and technology functions for enterprise legal departments, with earlier roles at Huron Consulting and Morae Global. Works as a forward deployed engineer on client ELM, eBilling and contracting platforms.
Imran Jaswal
President & Co-Founder · Executive Director, Swiftwater AI Lab
Lawyer turned transformation leader with 25 years of business transformation experience, including Kroll, Tregin and Huron Consulting. Leads forward deployed AI deployments from the Swiftwater AI Lab.
Sam Lu
Senior Advisor, Legal Technology
Onit Level 4 certified. Has led ELM implementations for global enterprise legal departments across North America, with delivery across Onit, Mitratech and large-scale legacy migrations. Works as a forward deployed engineer on client ELM platforms.
Jonathan Gilman
Senior ELM / CLM / LSR Expert
Onit Level 4 certified, and joined Onit as employee number eleven. Data migration and systems integration across complex enterprises. Works as a forward deployed engineer on client ELM, CLM and LSR platforms.
Roger Jarman
EMEA Leader
Onit Level 4 certified, with 35+ years across IP management, ELM and ERP. Works as a forward deployed engineer on client ELM and IP management platforms across EMEA.
Gary Wheeler
CLM & AI Lead
Built contracting programs inside Fortune 500 legal departments, including Home Depot and Cox. Works as a forward deployed engineer on client CLM platforms and AI-powered contract workflows.
Bob Frostad
PMO Director & DMS Lead
30+ years, including 15+ at Microsoft and a Director role at Kroll Information Management. Works as a forward deployed engineer on client NetDocuments and document management programs.
Ed Craft
Chief Information Officer
30+ years of enterprise technology experience, including 23 years at Microsoft. Works as a forward deployed engineer on Azure environments, data pipelines and the integration layers legal systems connect through.
Jeannine Puello
Managed Services and Legal Ops Leader
Ran legal operations inside AT&T and Verizon. Works as a forward deployed engineer inside client legal operations: billing oversight, vendor management and matter operations.
Hafid Karama
Business Intelligence, PM, and Legal Ops
Previously at Kroll and Duff & Phelps, with in-house and consulting experience across ELM implementations. Works as a forward deployed engineer on the reporting and dashboards built on client ELM data.
Frequently asked questions
What is a forward deployed engineer?
A forward deployed engineer is a practitioner who works inside the client’s organization to make a product work in the client’s real environment: configuring it, integrating it with other systems, building what is missing, and staying until people use it. Palantir built its delivery model around the role, and AI companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic now use it for enterprise rollouts.
What does a forward deployed engineer do in a legal department?
They configure the ELM, CLM, document management or AI platform around the department’s workflows, connect it to finance, HR, e-signature and document systems, build the missing workflows, reports and agents, and run training and change management through adoption. Our forward deployed engineers then hand over to your team, or keep running the system through managed services.
What is the difference between a legal engineer, a legal technologist and a forward deployed engineer?
A legal technologist works where law and technology meet, often selecting, configuring and running legal tools. A legal engineer designs legal processes and builds them into technology, usually with legal training. A forward deployed engineer is defined by where the work happens: inside the client’s environment, accountable for the product working there. Our practitioners combine all three.
Which platforms do your forward deployed engineers work on?
Onit, Thomson Reuters Legal Tracker, SimpleLegal, Mitratech, Wolters Kluwer, LexisNexis, Dilitrust, Brightflag, Docusign, Agiloft, Conga, SpotDraft, NetDocuments, iManage and IP management systems, plus frontier AI models, use-case AI tools and the AI built into legal products. Homegrown and legacy systems too.
How long does an engagement last?
Scope drives it. A focused matter management or eBilling rollout typically runs 3 to 6 months, a CLM repository implementation 45 to 90 days, and enterprise programs across jurisdictions and languages 9 to 18 months. A legal AI pilot runs 4 to 8 weeks.
Can forward deployed engineers stay on after go-live?
Yes. We stay through go-live and hypercare and keep tuning the system. Our managed services practice can then run it: administration, enhancements, reporting and user support. There is no minimum commitment.
Put a forward deployed engineer on your platform.
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