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What happens when AI moves beyond individual legal tasks and starts changing how an entire legal department operates? In this episode of Meeting of the Minds – The Legal AI Podcast, hosts Hal Marcus and Memme Onwudiwe sit down with Monique White, Vice President and Head of Legal Operations at Link Logistics, to explore the rapid evolution of legal AI and what it means for legal teams, legal operations professionals, and business leaders. White brings a unique perspective shaped by her career across global supply chain operations, internal audit and compliance, legal operations, and alternative legal service providers. She explains how her audit background shaped her risk-based approach to legal operations and why understanding the business end-to-end is becoming increasingly important for legal professionals. The conversation explores AI as a potential junior-level resource for low-complexity, high-volume legal work, the shift from legal operations execution to workflow orchestration, the role of AI in contract analysis and risk identification, and the importance of closing the loop between contract insights and future workflows. White also explains why legal teams need to establish clear guardrails around AI and determine where human judgment must remain central. For legal operations leaders, general counsel, in-house legal teams, and professionals navigating AI adoption, this conversation offers a practical look at how legal technology, workflow automation, AI governance, and business strategy are coming together. What You'll Learn: How AI is changing resource sourcing and why legal teams are beginning to consider AI for low-complexity, high-volume work Why legal operations is evolving toward workflow orchestration, strategy, optimization, and innovation How contract intelligence can become more valuable when insights are fed back into playbooks and future workflows How AI can help legal teams identify risk, control gaps, and patterns across large volumes of contracts Why legal teams need to define what AI should and should not be allowed to do How centralized AI governance can prevent fragmented prompts, agents, and workflows across legal teams Why legal operations professionals need stronger end-to-end business knowledge and cross-functional relationships About the Guest: Monique White is the Vice President and Head of Legal Operations at Link Logistics, with more than a decade of experience spanning legal operations, supply chain management, internal audit, and compliance. Her career began in global supply chain operations before she moved into audit and compliance, where she developed the risk-based approach that continues to shape her work in legal operations. She has also worked with alternative legal service providers and led digital transformation initiatives involving contract lifecycle management and legal department standardization. Monique brings a cross-functional perspective to legal technology and transformation, with a focus on legal service delivery, risk management, workflow optimization, AI adoption, and the evolving role of legal operations within the broader business. Episode Resources Monique White on LinkedIn: Monique White Evisort Website - Evisort Hal Marcus on LinkedIn: Hal Marcus Memme Onwudiwe on LinkedIn: Memme Onwudiwe

The legal business model has resisted fundamental change for decades: Is now finally the time? In this episode of Meeting of the Minds - The Legal AI Podcast, hosts Hal Marcus and Memme Onwudiwe sit down with Co-founder & CEO at General Legal Ryan Walker to discuss how AI-native law firms are reshaping legal practice. Together, they explore what it truly means to integrate technology at every level of legal processes.   What You'll Learn: How to abandon the billable hour model and implement flat rate pricing Why AI integration goes beyond research and affects all processes How AI is accelerating junior attorney development How to build competitive advantage in a saturated profession through specialization The specter of AI agents hiring outside legal counsel Understanding legal market valuation in the age of agentic AI   About the Guest: Ryan Walker is the Co-founder & CEO at General Legal, an AI-native law firm bringing a fresh perspective to legal service delivery. His background in mathematics and machine learning ties into his unique expertise of applying AI solutions to tackle complex legal situations. Previously, he’s also led innovation at Casetext, where he championed the adoption of BERT models and semantic research engines in legal research, giving the company an undeniable edge in legal technology services.    Ryan's work is redefining what's possible in legal technology and accessibility, making this conversation essential for those navigating the intersection of AI, legal innovation, and organizational transformation.   Episode Resources Ryan Walker on LinkedIn: Ryan Walker General Legal  Website Hal Marcus on LinkedIn: Hal Marcus Memme Onwudiwe on LinkedIn: Memme Onwudiwe

Most contract problems begin with teams not knowing where their agreements are, which version is current, and what data those agreements contain.    In this episode of Meeting of the Minds - The Legal AI Podcast, hosts Hal Marcus and Memme Onwudiwe speak with Shelle Elzer, Legal Operations Manager at NetApp, about the operational foundation legal teams need before AI can deliver meaningful value.    What You'll Learn: Why contract visibility is an operational insurance policy How to move Legal Ops out of constant firefighting mode Why new technology cannot compensate for bad contract data How to define and enforce a minimum viable contract data set Why AI is giving contract teams a stronger seat at the business table   About the Guest: Shelle Elzer is a Legal Operations Manager at NetApp, where she focuses on contract operations, legal technology and the processes that help teams turn agreements into usable business intelligence. Her career has followed contracts across several very different industries. She began at GE working on the procurement side, later moved into healthcare with a focus on physician contracts, and eventually joined NetApp, where she now works with a contract portfolio of more than 100,000 agreements.   Here, Shelle has helped build repeatable contract processes that support major organizational initiatives, including entity changes, M&A activity and the company’s headquarters relocation to Cork, Ireland.    Episode Resources Shelle Elzer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelle-elzer-91ab634/  NetApp Website: https://www.netapp.com/  Workday Contract Management: Website Hal Marcus on LinkedIn: Hal Marcus Memme Onwudiwe on LinkedIn: Memme Onwudiwe

Contracting isn’t just legal paperwork - it’s one of the most important operational systems inside any organization. In this episode of Meeting of the Minds - The Legal AI Podcast, hosts Hal Marcus and Memme Onwudiwe sit down with Sofya Mikhelson, Vice President of Contract Lifecycle Management at Fairview Health Services, to explore how enterprise contracting can become more centralized, strategic, and technology-enabled. What You'll Learn: Why contract lifecycle management needs governance, technology, and operational ownership How to build contracting alignment across siloed departments Why contracts need to be designed with post-signature monitoring in mind How CLM and ERP integrations can close the gap between contract terms and financial execution Why AI can improve contract review without replacing human judgment How templates, playbooks, and decision trees can speed up contracting while keeping legal involved Why contracting professionals need to think like strategic business partners About the Guest: Sofya Mikhelson is Vice President of Contract Lifecycle Management at Fairview Health Services, a nonprofit health system serving communities across Minnesota. With over 25 years of contracting experience across nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and healthcare operations, Sofya brings a deeply practical view of how organizations can build contracting governance at scale. Her work focuses on centralizing contract lifecycle management, improving cross-functional collaboration, integrating CLM technology with enterprise systems, and positioning contracting as a strategic partner to the business. Episode Resources Sofya Mikhelson on LinkedIn: Sofya Mikhelson Fairview Health Services Website Workday Contract Management: Website Hal Marcus on LinkedIn: Hal Marcus Memme Onwudiwe on LinkedIn: Memme Onwudiwe Theme music: "Load" Copyright © 1996 by Hal Marcus.

In this episode of Meeting of the Minds - The Legal AI Podcast, hosts Hal Marcus and Memme Onwudiwe sit down with Donovan Bell, Senior Director and Head of Global Operations for Corporate Affairs, Policy, Integrity, Trade, and Legal at Intel, to discuss how Intel’s legal operations team is navigating organizational change and AI adoption simultaneously. What You'll Learn: Why agentic AI requires a decision architecture before deployment How to foster healthy skepticism in AI adoption The four essential qualities to hire for in legal ops talent How to balance aggressive AI adoption with human psychology Why orchestration drives meaningful transformation How to apply agile frameworks to legal ops innovation Why contract lifecycle management becomes your competitive intelligence engine About the Guest: Donovan Bell is Senior Director and Head of Global Operations for Corporate Affairs, Policy, Integrity, Trade, and Legal at Intel, bringing over 15 years of experience in technology-driven organizational transformation. With a background spanning Microsoft, Walmart, and other Fortune 500 companies, Donovan specializes in orchestrating intelligence across legal operations, AI adoption, and people-centric change management. He also serves on the Board of the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium (CLOC) and co-chairs the Inclusion and Social Impact Council, while also teaching as an adjunct professor and program director in project management. Episode Resources Donovan Bell on LinkedIn Intel Website Hal Marcus on LinkedIn: Hal Marcus Memme Onwudiwe on LinkedIn: Memme Onwudiwe Theme music: "Load" Copyright © 1996 by Hal Marcus.

What if your contracts could become a strategic asset instead of a bottleneck? In this episode of Meeting of the Minds - The Legal AI Podcast, hosts Hal Marcus and Memme Onwudiwe sit down with Anthony Tacker, Director of Procurement and Risk at FlexGen, to explore how purpose-built legal AI is transforming contract management, accelerating deal cycles, and enabling smarter risk mitigation.  What You'll Learn: How to reduce contract analysis time from days to hours using purpose-built AI The key differences between generalized AI models and specialized legal AI and why it matters for risk and compliance Proven strategies for embedding tariff protections and adapting to shifting government policies How to structure an effective procurement-legal partnership for faster, more accurate outcomes Methods to identify and mitigate multi-party contract risks across large contract portfolios Why AI is enabling a shift from hourly billing to value-based pricing models in legal and procurement services About the Guest: Anthony Tacker is the Director of Procurement and Risk at FlexGen and an accomplished project management executive and business operations leader. With extensive experience managing complex, multi-million-dollar capital projects and service contracts, Anthony has built a reputation for driving operational excellence and delivering measurable business results. He has successfully led global teams and negotiated high-value, multi-year contracts across North America, Aruba, the Netherlands, and Venezuela, building strong relationships with top-tier heavy industry clients. Known for turning around underperforming operations, Anthony combines strategic vision with hands-on leadership to improve performance, mitigate risk, and accelerate growth. Episode Resources Anthony Tacker on LinkedIn FlexGen Website Workday Contract Management: Website Hal Marcus on LinkedIn: Hal Marcus Memme Onwudiwe on LinkedIn: Memme Onwudiwe Theme music: "Load" Copyright © 1996 by Hal Marcus.

Legal teams are more than the firefighters of your organization. They can be the reason your business scales. In this episode of Meeting of the Minds - The Legal AI Podcast, hosts Hal Marcus and Memme Onwudiwe sit down with Olivier Plummer, Program Manager for Legal Technology and Operational Excellence at Coinbase, to explore how to leverage contract intelligence and AI agents to drive real business impact. What You'll Learn: How to balance centralized data governance with democratized AI innovation Why API and Model Context Protocol (MCP) integration is now non-negotiable The "Start Simple, Impact-Driven" framework for AI implementation How to position Legal Ops as a strategic thought partner, not a delivery function Why contract data is a multi-stakeholder goldmine  The critical importance of finding internal champions and managing tech debt About the Guest: Olivier Plummer is the Program Manager for Legal Technology and Operational Excellence at Coinbase, bringing deep expertise in contract intelligence, AI agents and enterprise legal management. With a background spanning marketing technology, entertainment and four years driving legal tech evolution at Coinbase, Olivier has become a thought leader in democratizing AI across legal departments. His work at Coinbase, including scaling contract management to handle 5,000+ agreements monthly and expanding contract analytics value across sales, finance and HR, demonstrates how AI transforms legal from a cost center into a competitive advantage. Episode Resources Olivier Plummer on LinkedIn: Olivier Plummer Coinbase Website Workday Contract Management: Website Hal Marcus on LinkedIn: Hal Marcus Memme Onwudiwe on LinkedIn: Memme Onwudiwe Theme music: "Load" Copyright © 1996 by Hal Marcus.

Nothing is stopping your legal team from functioning like a high-performing business unit - except a lack of understanding and clarity on the real potential of AI. In this episode of Meeting of the Minds - The Legal AI Podcast, hosts Hal Marcus and Memme Onwudiwe sit down with Kelly McCord, Founder and Principal Consultant at SimpliPhi Management LLC and former head of legal operations at HSBC, to explore how to leverage AI and automation to transform legal workflows. What You'll Learn: How to cross-train multiple LLMs simultaneously to compound results Why legal ops professionals need baseline AI literacy, not deep technical expertise The practical framework for embedding legal earlier in business decisions How to build AI agents with guardrails that automate routine work while preserving human control The skill-building path to AI competency in legal operations How to reduce contract negotiation cycles from weeks to hours using agent-to-agent negotiations About the Guest: Kelly McCord is the Founder and Principal Consultant at SimpliPhi Management LLC, a legal operations consulting firm. With over 20 years of experience spanning engineering, business process consulting, financial services, and legal operations (including her role as Head of Legal Operations at HSBC), Kelly has become a pioneering voice in legal technology and AI implementation. Her work helping corporate legal teams integrate cutting-edge AI tools while maintaining quality human oversight makes her a leading voice for legal operations professionals seeking to modernize their functions and demonstrate clear value to the broader organization. Episode Resources Kelly McCord on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-m-mccord/ SimpliPhi Website: https://simpliphillc.com/ Workday Contract Management: https://www.workday.com/en-us/products/contract-management/overview.html Hal Marcus on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/halmarcus/ Memme Onwudiwe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/memmeonwudiwe/ Theme music: "Load" Copyright © 1996 by Hal Marcus.

What if we’re chasing the wrong problem? As it turns out, it’s not so much about getting agents ready – it’s about getting ourselves ready to benefit from them. In this episode of Meeting of the Minds – The Legal AI Podcast, Hal Marcus and Memme Onwudiwe sit down with Alex Herrity, Legal Operations Leader at adidas, to explore the strategies and frameworks that unlock transformation and capability for legal teams in the long run. What You'll Learn:How to articulate what you actually want an AI agent to do before building or buying one Why simplifying processes before automating them is non-negotiable The difference between what legal leaders think happens vs. what actually happens operationally How to use AI as an intelligence tool to audit your own legal operations Why CLMs aren't going away and how they’re evolving How to shift from replacing lawyers to leveling up their work About the GuestAlex Herrity is a Legal Operations Leader at adidas with a unique background spanning both in-house counsel and legal technology innovation. Transitioning from commercial law into legal ops around 2017, he has become a thought leader on preparing legal departments for AI adoption. Co-hosting the podcast “Law://WhatsNext” alongside Tom Rice, Alex brings practical, grounded perspectives on legal technology implementation. Episode ResourcesAlex Herrity on LinkedIn: Alex Herrity Workday Contract Management: Website Hal Marcus on LinkedIn: Hal Marcus Memme Onwudiwe on LinkedIn: Memme Onwudiwe Theme music: "Load" Copyright © 1996 by Hal Marcus.Meeting of the Minds - The Legal AI Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

How can legal leaders transition from the "Department of No" to the "Department of Growth"? In this milestone episode of Meeting of the Minds – The Legal AI Podcast, Hal Marcus and Memme Onwudiwe sit down with Workday’s Chief Legal Officer, Rich Sauer, to reflect on a year of explosive AI growth and project the trends for 2026. From his 20-year tenure at Microsoft to leading legal at Workday, Rich provides a masterclass on balancing innovation with responsibility. What You'll Learn:The Three Pillars of Modern Legal: How Workday organizes its legal team around driving growth, protecting the brand, and earning stakeholder trust. Agentic AI & The "Front Door": Why AI agents are becoming the new interface for legal departments to manage high-volume routine inquiries. The End of the Contract Silo: How moving contract data into systems like Salesforce transforms "file cabinet" documents into active business drivers. Navigating the Regulatory Patchwork: Why the EU AI Act, NIST Framework, and ISO 42001 are valuable guideposts for global AI adoption. AI and the Human-in-the-Loop: Why soft skills like trust, empathy, and persuasive communication are more valuable now than ever before. The Legal Business Model Tipping Point: Rich's take on the future of the billable hour and how AI is transforming the dynamic between in-house teams and outside counsel. About the GuestRich Sauer is the Chief Legal Officer & Head of Corporate Affairs at Workday. With a career spanning twenty years at Microsoft and previous experience at Sullivan & Cromwell, Rich is a leading voice on the intersection of technology, global policy, and corporate governance. At Workday, he oversees the responsible AI team and is a primary advocate for risk-based frameworks that unlock business innovation while protecting stakeholder trust. Episode ResourcesRich Sauer on LinkedIn: Rich Sauer Workday Official Website: Workday.com Workday AI & Innovation: Workday AI Evisort (Part of Workday): Evisort Website Regulatory Frameworks Mentioned: EU AI Act: Official Information NIST AI Risk Management Framework: NIST.gov ISO/IEC 42001 (AI Management System): ISO Standards Hal Marcus on LinkedIn: Hal Marcus Memme Onwudiwe on LinkedIn: Memme Onwudiwe Theme music: "Load" Copyright © 1996 by Hal Marcus.Meeting of the Minds - The Legal AI Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

How can AI shape AND be shaped by the law? In this episode of Meeting of the Minds – The Legal AI Podcast, hosts Hal Marcus and Memme Onwudiwe welcome Kimberley Odums, Senior Counsel of Intellectual Property and AI at IEEE and founder of Lawyers Learn AI, to explore the intersection of legal innovation and artificial intelligence through a futuristic lens. What You'll Learn:How to position yourself as a Legal AI expert on your team by staying informed on critical AI developments Why the New York Times v. OpenAI case matters beyond just the case of publishing Why the $1.5 billion Anthropic settlement is an important precedent How to build confidence in AI tools through closed-environment systems leveraging Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) Why pro se litigants are winning cases using AI platforms for $20/month and the impact of this on access to justice The critical distinction between human authorship and AI generation in copyright law About the GuestKimberley Odums is Senior Counsel of Intellectual Property and Artificial Intelligence at the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) and founder of the newsletter community Lawyers Learn AI. With a background spanning big law, nonprofit work and solo practice in trademark and brand protection, Kimberley has become a leading voice in the intersection of legal policy and AI development. Her work bridging the legal and tech communities makes her a leading voice in the rapidly evolving landscape of AI regulation and implementation. Episode ResourcesKimberley Odums on LinkedIn IEEE Website Memme Onwudiwe on LinkedIn Hal Marcus on LinkedIn Evisort Website Theme music: "Load" Copyright © 1996 by Hal Marcus.Meeting of the Minds - The Legal AI Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Are we going to see a new CXO in the boardroom - the Chief Contracting Officer? In this episode of Meeting of the Minds – The Legal AI Podcast, hosts Hal Marcus and Memme Onwudiwe sit down with Mark Ross, Principal at Deloitte Legal Business Services, to explore the evolution of legal technology, from early e-discovery to agentic AI. What You'll Learn:How the evolution of eDiscovery created a blueprint for legal technology adoption and transformation Why generative and agentic AI represent a paradigm shift in legal services The three-bucket framework for measuring ROI in legal tech implementation How to successfully implement Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) by starting with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) approach Why contract visibility should precede workflow automation for optimal results Why to expect the emergence of a Chief Contracting Officer role and why multidisciplinary skills will define the future legal department Why legal teams must balance risk management with business enablement to remain strategically relevant Why traditional legal business models remain resilient even in the face of technological disruption About the GuestMark Ross is Principal and Market Leader at Deloitte Legal Business Services, where he spearheads innovative approaches to legal department transformation. With over two decades of experience spanning from practicing law in the UK to pioneering legal outsourcing operations, Ross has been at the forefront of legal industry evolution. As a self-described "recovering attorney," he has played a pivotal role in shaping how global organizations leverage technology and alternative delivery models to optimize legal operations. His perspective on the intersection of legal operations, technology, and business strategy has helped legal professionals and business leaders navigate the rapidly evolving legal technology landscape. Episode ResourcesMark Ross on LinkedIn Deloitte Website Memme Onwudiwe on LinkedIn Hal Marcus on LinkedIn Evisort Website Theme music: "Load" Copyright © 1996 by Hal Marcus.Meeting of the Minds - The Legal AI Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Join hosts Hal Marcus and Memme Onwudiwe as they speak with Brooks Hall, Legal Operations Manager at Human Interest, about driving AI adoption in legal departments. From gradual implementation to weekly “AI jam sessions,” Brooks reveals strategies for building trust, improving workflows, and fostering innovation. Discover how to integrate AI responsibly while maintaining oversight and efficiency. What You'll Learn:- How to successfully implement AI tools in legal departments by starting with simple use cases and expanding gradually- Why hosting weekly "AI jam sessions" can accelerate adoption and create excitement around new solutions- Strategies for evaluating AI tools in a rapidly changing tech landscape- How to leverage existing tools before investing in new solutions, maximizing ROI on current technologies- How to bridge the gap between legal operations and HR through shared solutions- The approach to managing AI access controls and governance while expanding capabilities- Why creating bite-sized, AI-powered training videos can improve legal department efficiency- How to stay current with AI developments through diverse learning channels like podcasts, social media, and community forums About the GuestBrooks Hall is the Legal Operations Manager, Systems and Technology at Human Interest, where she drives innovation in legal workflows by implementing cutting-edge systems and AI solutions. Since joining in 2022, she has supported the company’s mission to democratize retirement savings by making 401(k) plans more affordable, accessible, and intuitive for small and medium businesses. Prior to Human Interest, Brooks built deep expertise in intellectual property and legal operations serving as Senior Paralegal at Dexcom and Gilead Sciences, where she supported global IP strategies in healthcare and biotech. She began her career as a patent assistant at Bozicevic, Field & Francis LLP, laying the foundation for her legal operations journey. Brooks is passionate about leveraging technology to simplify legal processes and empower teams. Episode ResourcesBrooks Hall on LinkedIn Human Interest Website Memme Onwudiwe on LinkedIn Hal Marcus on LinkedIn Evisort Website Theme music: "Load" Copyright © 1996 by Hal Marcus.Meeting of the Minds - The Legal AI Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Welcome to Meeting of the Minds - The Legal AI Podcast, brought to you by Evisort. In this episode, hosts Hal Marcus and Memme Onwudiwe speak with Kristine Suero, Senior Paralegal and Director of Business Development at Schechter Benefits Law Group, about the evolving role of paralegals in an increasingly AI-driven legal industry, ethical considerations, and opportunities for growth in the profession. What You'll Learn:- How paralegals can embrace AI as an assistive tool while maintaining focus on essential human skills and client relationships- Why ethical and responsible use of AI in legal workflows requires clear policies and human oversight- The framework for "future-proofing" the paralegal profession through continuous learning and technology adoption- How paralegals can create hybrid roles by combining traditional legal skills with business development and legal operations- The importance of maintaining client confidentiality and security when implementing AI tools in legal workflows- Why proper training and internal policies are crucial for responsible AI adoption in law firms- The role of paralegals as early adopters and influencers in bringing new technologies to legal teams- How to architect your own career path by identifying opportunities to add value through technology and innovation Episode ResourcesKristine Custodio Suero on LinkedIn Schechter Benefits Law Group Website Articles & Publications:Future Proofing the Paralegal Profession: Navigating AI, Ethics, and Emerging Workflows in the Legal Industry What She-Hulk Gets Right About Paralegals Memme Onwudiwe on LinkedIn Hal Marcus on LinkedIn Evisort Website Theme music: "Load" Copyright © 1996 by Hal Marcus.Meeting of the Minds - The Legal AI Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Workday’s deployment of Evisort AI to manage 100,000 contracts yielded such strong results, they bought the company. Now, as “Customer Zero” for contract AI innovation, Workday is helping shape the future of legal technology. In this "special edition” of “Meeting of the Minds - The Legal AI Podcast,” host Hal Marcus sits down with Greg Bennett and Kristi Johnson of Workday Global Legal Services to glean hard-won lessons from their multi-year experience deploying contract AI to better support M&A analysis, revenue operations, and more. We also discuss their aspirations for the future of in-house legal services with an increasingly AI-powered workforce. What You’ll Learn: Why having a program manager is important for a successful AI adoption. Why synchronizing contract data with CRM systems fosters operational efficiency. The importance of balancing AI and human expertise in contract analysis. How to amplify contract intelligence beyond the legal team. How to leverage custom AI models to extract valuable insights from legacy contracts. Co-host Memme Onwudiwe will be back with Hal in our next episode! Episode ResourcesGreg Bennett LinkedIn Kristi Johnson LinkedIn Workday Website Hal Marcus on LinkedIn Evisort Website Theme music: "Load" Copyright © 1996 by Hal Marcus.Meeting of the Minds - The Legal AI Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so