Zach Abramowitz is Legally Disrupted

In episode 26 of 'Legally Disrupted,' host Zach Abramowitz brings us a live conversation from the Legal Innovators California Conference in San Francisco. The discussion features Chris Fisher of Myriad Ventures and Jonathan Levy of Y Combinator, two prominent investors in the legal tech space. They delve into the shifts in legal tech investments from the pre-ChatGPT era to the post-ChatGPT world, the impact of AI on legal services, and the emerging talent in the field. The investors also share insights on their investment strategies, the importance of domain expertise, and their vision for the future of legal tech. 
 
In this episode:
Investing in Legal Tech: Pre and Post ChatGPT
The Talent Surge in Legal Tech
AI's Impact on Legal Practices 
Future of AI in Legal: Opportunities and Challenges 
AI in Legal Apprenticeship
AI as a Junior Associate
Investment Strategies in Legal Tech  
Specialized Legal Tech Solutions  
VC Model and AI Startups  
Evaluating Legal Tech Startups 
Productizing Legal Services
Learn More:
Chris - https://www.myriadventures.com/profile/chris-fisher
Jonathan - https://www.ycombinator.com/people
Zach - https://www.legallydisrupted.com/
 
Follow Along:
Chris - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-fisher-111a9025
Jonathan - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-levy-b98986b3
Zach - linkedin.com/in/zachabramowitz

E25 - Are Lawyers Adopting AI? With David Wong and Raghu Ramanathan
 
In episode 25 of 'Legally Disrupted,' host Zach Abramowitz sits down with David Wong, Chief Product Officer at Thomson Reuters and Ragunath (Raghu) Ramanathan, President of Legal Professionals and Government at Thomson Reuters, to discuss the 2025 Future of Professionals Report. The conversation explores AI's increasing adoption and its impact on the legal industry. 
 
In this episode:
Discussing the Future of Professionals Report
AI Adoption and Productivity Insights 
Comparing In-House Legal Departments and Law Firms 
AI Strategy and Leadership in Law Firms  
Understanding the ROI in Law Firms  
Time Savings and Efficiency Gains 
Quality Improvements and Creative Benefits  
Adoption Strategies in Small vs. Large Firms 
Thomson Reuters' AI Strategy and Market Position
Domain-Specific AI vs. General AI 
References:
2025 Future of Professionals Report - https://www.thomsonreuters.com/content/dam/ewp-m/documents/thomsonreuters/en/pdf/reports/future-of-professionals-report-2025.pdf
 
Learn More:
David - https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en/about-us/executive-team
Raghu - https://www.trust.org/people/ragunath-ramanathan/
Zach - https://www.legallydisrupted.com/
 
Follow Along:
David - https://ca.linkedin.com/in/dfwong
Raghu - https://www.linkedin.com/in/raghunathr
Zach - linkedin.com/in/zachabramowitz

In this episode, Zach interviews Tara Waters, founder of TLW Consulting and former Chief Digital Officer at Ashurst, who led the firm’s rollout of Harvey. They discuss Harvey’s meteoric rise in legal AI, Tara’s firsthand experiences adopting Harvey within a global firm, and how legal teams evaluate AI tools. The conversation explores why lawyers initially gasped at Harvey’s capabilities, how expectations have matured, and what true digital transformation in law might require. Tara emphasizes that law firms should rethink their entire business model and workflows rather than just choosing a tool.
 
In this episode:
Early Days of Harvey 
Adoption and Impact of AI in Law Firms 
Challenges and Realities of AI Integration 
Future of AI in Legal Industry 
Law Firm Transformation and AI 
Links Mentioned in this episode:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCEmiRjPEtQ
https://www.legallydisrupted.com/p/has-harvey-already-won
 
Follow Tara:
Website - https://www.tlw-consulting.com/
Content: https://www.innovationesq.com/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tlwaters/
 
Follow Zach:
Website -https://www.legallydisrupted.com/
Linkedin - linkedin.com/in/zachabramowitz

In this episode, Zach Abramowitz is joined by Eli Amsellem, an investor at Ridge Ventures, to delve into the hot topic of investment in legal AI. They discuss the hype around billion-dollar valuations and the reality behind customer adoption and revenue sustainability. Eli shares insights from his hands-on approach, including talking to actual buyers and hosting GC therapy dinners. They debate the future of legal AI, whether horizontal AI assistants or vertical workflow automation will prevail, and examine companies like Harvey, Legora, New Code, OpenPolicy, and Legalmation. This episode offers a nuanced view on the challenges and opportunities in the legal AI space.
 
Discover:
Deep Dive into Legal AI Adoption 
The VC Perspective on Legal AI 
Challenges and Opportunities in Legal AI 
The Future of Legal AI and VC Investments 
Case Studies and Market Dynamics 
The Role of Innovation in Legal AI 
Concluding Thoughts and Upcoming Events
References:Conversation with Paid CEO Manny Medina - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESa1TdS3dI4&t=318sLearn More:
Eli - https://ridge.vc/eliyahou-amsellem/
Zach - https://www.legallydisrupted.com/
 
Follow Along:
Eli - https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliyahou-amsellem-13aa2b164/
Zach - linkedin.com/in/zachabramowitz, https://x.com/ZachAbramowitz, https://youtube.com/@legallydisrupted?si=MGT7nW96PdM4a2ZM
 

In this episode, Zach delves into the evolution and impact of AI on contract management with Preston Clark and Electra Japonas.
 
In this episode:
AI and Contracts: A Boring Use Case
The Adoption Curve of AI in Legal 
The Story of Law Insider 
The Birth of One NDA 
The Future of AI and Contracting 
Legacy Product Overview 
AI Capabilities and New SKU 
User Growth and Market Excitement 
Product Distribution and Democratization 
Customer Focus and Data Utilization 
CLM Market Insights and Future 
Learn More:
Electra - https://www.onenda.org/about
Preston - https://www.lawinsider.com/resources/contributors/preston-clark
Zach - https://www.legallydisrupted.com/
 
Follow Along:
Electra - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/electra-japonas
Preston - https://www.linkedin.com/in/prestonjclark
Zach - linkedin.com/in/zachabramowitz

This episode of Zach Abramowitz is Legally Disrupted features a conversation with lawyer and technologist Carolyn Elefant about whether legal specific tools and legacy software will be able to keep up with general applications like ChatGPT.
 
In this episode: 
The Rapid Evolution of AI in Law
The Future of AI in Legal Practice
Exploring AI Tools for Lawyers
Legal Research and AI Integration
The Impact of AI on Legal Research
The Future of Legaltech and AI
 
Learn More:
Carolyn - https://lawofficesofcarolynelefant.com/
Zach - https://www.legallydisrupted.com/
 
Follow Along:
Carolyn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynelefant/
Zach - linkedin.com/in/zachabramowitz

In this episode, Zach and Charlie delve into the rapid advancements in AI, particularly in the legal tech sector. The discussion transitions to the increasing caliber of entrepreneurs in legal tech and the acceleration of innovation in the field. They reflect on the evolution of legal AI from 2015 to 2023, noting the shift from mere ideas to full-blown products. The conversation also explores the potential for AI to reshape traditional legal processes, improve efficiency, and alter the way legal professionals approach their work, concluding with an optimistic outlook on the future of legal tech.
 
In this episode:
The Rise of Legal Tech Entrepreneurs 
AI's Impact on Legal Tech 
Challenges and Opportunities in AI Adoption 
The Evolution of Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM)
Applying Machine Learning in Legal Tech 
Generative AI vs. Automation 
AI as a Legal Assistant 
Training Lawyers with AI 
AI in eDiscovery 
The Future of Legal Tech
Learn More:
Charlie - https://gravitystack.com/
Zach - https://www.legallydisrupted.com/
 
Follow Along:
Charlie - https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlieconnor
Gravity Stack -  https://www.linkedin.com/company/gravity-stack-law-llc
Zach - linkedin.com/in/zachabramowitz

In this episode, Zach speaks with Legora's head of strategic partnerships and community, Chris Williams, about the rebranding journey and the strategic role of Legora in the AI-driven legal tech landscape. The discussion covers the responsibilities of his role, the transition from selling no-code, low-code platforms to generative AI, and the significant shift in how AI is transforming legal practices. The episode also explores differences between Legora and other AI tools like Harvey, the challenges and opportunities in the market, and the future direction for legal professionals using AI. Tune in to learn about Legora's mission to build the world's first truly collaborative AI for lawyers, enhancing strategic business development while reducing non-billable work. 
 
Discover:
The Role and Responsibilities at Legora
Transition from Selling Traditional Tech to AI 
The Impact of Generative AI in Legal Tech
Rebranding from Leya to Legora 
Collaborative AI for Lawyers 
Adoption of AI in Law Firms and In-House Teams 
Comparing Legora and Harvey 
The Future of Legal Work with AI 
Connecting with Legora at Legal Week 
Career Opportunities at Legora
Learn More:
Chris - Legora.com
Zach - https://www.legallydisrupted.com/
 
Follow Along:
Chris - linkedin.com/in/chriswiiiiams/
Zach - linkedin.com/in/zachabramowitz

Zach, Ken and Josh talk about the upcoming three day conference in Myrtle Beach focusing on AI, Cybersecurity and Data Governance. Attendees will have opportunities to interact with cutting-edge AI companies and products.The event features specific presentations, including those by startup community members, covering practical AI applications in fields like legal finance, pricing, collections, and timekeeping.
Register - https://www.iltanet.org/live-events/evolve#speak
 
Follow Along:
Josh Smith https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuadsmithcissp/
Ken Jones https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethejones/
Zach - linkedin.com/in/zachabramowitz
 
Learn More:
https://www.legallydisrupted.com/
 

In this episode, Zach interviews Eleanor Lightbody, the CEO of Luminance, about her journey from working at Darktrace to leading Luminance, a legal tech company. Eleanor shares insights from her four years as CEO, highlighting the transformative impact of AI in the legal tech space. They discuss Luminance's growth strategy, the development of their contract lifecycle management tool, and the shift from M&A-specific uses to a broader, more inclusive approach. Eleanor also delves into how generative AI is changing user expectations and behaviors, and emphasizes the importance of balancing current customer needs with future innovations through a specialized 'blue sky thinking' team. Follow Luminance's developments on LinkedIn, their website, and at key industry conferences like Legal Week. 
Eleanor's Background
Journey at Darktrace 
Transition to Luminance 
Growth and Strategy at Luminance 
Evolution of Luminance's Focus 
Impact of Generative AI 
Future Vision and Blue Sky Thinking 
Learn More:
Eleanor - https://www.luminance.com/team.html
Zach - https://www.legallydisrupted.com/
 
Follow Along:
Eleanor - https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-lightbody-69a6b784/
Zach - linkedin.com/in/zachabramowitz