Making the Case for AI in Legal

Tara Waters

Partner

Ashurst

Tara is a partner and head of Ashurst Advance Digital, the technology arm of the firm’s NewLaw division Ashurst Advance. She is a technologist-turned-lawyer, with over 20 years’ experience working in the technology and legal industries. She has more recently married these two disciplines in her current role, where she is developing the Ashurst’s new digital products and services offering. Tara also continues to advise emerging technology companies on a range of corporate and strategic matters, and writes and speaks regularly on topics relating to NewLaw, LawTech, FinTech, DLT, crypto assets, AI and innovation.

Joe Cohen

Director of Innovation

Charles Russell Speechlys

Joe is the Director of Innovation at Charles Russell Speechlys where he is building a function to reshape how legal services are delivered to clients through a mix of legal technology, AI, LPM and process improvement. He was previously the Head of Innovation at Dentons and has also held similar roles at Linklaters, Slaughter and May and Deloitte. He regularly speaks at industry events and was shortlisted for the 2021 and 2023 LIA Innovation Trailblazer of the year awards.

Jill Schornack

VP of Product

NetDocuments

Jill Schornack is the Vice President of Product at NetDocuments and is instrumental in defining the vision for their portfolio of products, creating product development roadmaps, managing the launch of new solutions, and exploring opportunities to further align, integrate, and grow the portfolio. Jill spent 17 years with Thomson Reuters, where she guided law firms and corporate legal departments through many evolutions of technology. She currently works out of Minnesota because imagine life outside the state of hockey.

Sarah Harris

Partner/Head of Innovation

Kingsley Napley

Sarah joined Kingsley Napley from the Criminal Bar, having had a broad and varied criminal practice. After gaining a further 10 years’ experience investigating and presenting high profile and complex fitness to practise cases before a wealth of regulatory bodies, Sarah’s attentions then began to focus on harnessing her legal expertise to assist regulators in a more holistic review of their legal processes, policies and systems.

A Black Belt in the Lean Six Sigma methodology, Sarah’s unique ability to combine legal advice and process review has been called upon by a number of her clients. In particular Sarah has a keen interest in legal technology and AI, and how it can be safely harnessed to assist the Firm and its clients.

Now in a central role, Sarah leads the Firm’s innovation efforts, working with clients, both internal and external to help ideate, formulate and bring to life alternative delivery models, value streams and products.

Alex Bazin

Chief Technology Officer

Lewis Silkin

Alex is Chief Technology Officer at Lewis Silkin, responsible for leading their technology and information teams. His focus is on all aspects of how users experience technology both within the firm and as clients. His teams work to maximise the benefits users get from existing systems and to accelerate the application of leading-edge technologies.

He has over 15 years of experience in technology management and strategy, including with leading global IT and Business Services companies. He has also led a software startup and innovation unit on behalf of an international logistics firm. He is passionate about developing high-performing, diverse teams and inclusive, agile company cultures. He is a Chartered Engineer and member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology.