San Antonio-based Whataburger, renowned for its popular fast-food chain, recently transformed its legal operations through a strategic investment in legal technology. According to Whataburger Legal Operations Manager Debra Baird, prior to this transformation, the company’s legal department relied heavily on manual methods such as emails, Excel, and guesswork. Baird highlighted this shift during a recent webinar hosted by the Buying Legal Council.
With the new system in place, Whataburger aims to optimize vendor selection, improve billing practices, and employ data-driven decision-making. The legal tech upgrade has already shown a 7% return on investment just a few months after implementation, Baird reported. A key aspect of the new approach is moving from a reactive to a collaborative legal model, ensuring that the focus is on performance and strategic partnerships rather than merely cutting costs.