Join CJ Saretto as he corrals Peter Duffy of Titans Legal, Alex Fortescue-Webb of Legora, and Chris Frickland of Axiom for an inside look at running successful AI pilots in legal organizations. After helping Axiom test dozens of tools and compress months of contract review work into days, this group of legal AI experts unlocked the secret to achieving 10x efficiency gains that few in-house teams know.

In today's episode, learn why 14-day trials doom AI adoption before it starts, why training your AI on thousands of past contracts degrades does the exact opposite of what lawyers expect it to do (get smarter; but no, it gets dumber), and how focusing on one specific use case beats trying to solve everything at once.

The panel shares hard-won insights from their innovative structured 8-week pilot program, including why dummy data kills engagement, how vendor engagement and support makes or breaks adoption, and why it's crucial to give your lawyers 3-6 weeks to build new habits around AI tools.

Whether you're a GC evaluating generative AI tools, a legal ops leader running pilots, or a law firm partner wondering about how to measure ROI, this conversation offers field-tested strategies for what drives AI adoption in legal settings vs. expensive experimentation.

Key topics: Structured pilots vs. side-of-desk testing • Why playbooks beat historical data • The 90-day sweet spot • Building momentum with quick wins • The future of AI-augmented legal work

🎧 Part of the Axiom Legal Tech podcast series exploring practical AI implementation in legal services

Visit https://www.axiomlaw.com/solutions/tech-plus-talent for more information

Join CJ Saretto as he sits down with Daniel van Binsbergen, CEO of DraftPilot, for a candid conversation about the AI revolution in legal tech.

After running an ALSP for 10 years, applying the scientific method to contract redlining (including timing working lawyers with stopwatches), Daniel discovered the true impact today's AI has on contract work: reducing redlining from 2.5 hours to 20 minutes.

In this episode, learn why large language models (LLMs) succeeded where machine learning (ML) failed, why training on thousands of past contracts actually makes AI results worse, and how a simple "light blue highlight" became the killer feature that won over the most skeptical lawyers.

Daniel shares surprising insights from his journey from Big Law to legal AI tech entrepreneur, including why he resisted building an "apply all" recommendations button despite many requests, and how lawyers using AI well are already outpacing those who don't.

Whether you're a CLO or GC evaluating AI tools; a lawyer curious about the technology, or a legal ops professional looking to drive team efficiency, this conversation will give you practical insights on what actually works in AI-powered contract negotiation—and what's just blue-sky hype.

Key topics: LLMs vs machine learning in legal tech • The playbook revolution • Why historical data doesn't help • Building AI lawyers will actually use • The future of human judgment in an AI world • and more!

🎧 Part of the Axiom Legal Tech podcast series exploring innovation in legal services delivery

Visit https://www.axiomlaw.com/solutions/tech-plus-talent for more information

Axiom's Sean Rafter connects with Hiro Oshima, Managing Director and Deputy General Counsel at SMBC, to explore the pressing challenges legal departments face as they balance pressure to adopt AI with their responsibility to manage risk. Fresh from hosting 35 in-house counsel at an AI roundtable in New York City, Hiro discusses what true generative AI means for lawyers, why training future legal talent matters more than short-term efficiency gains, and what are the right questions to ask law firms and legal services partners about their AI use on client matters.

SHOW PANELISTS

· Host: Sean Rafter, VP and head of Axiom's financial services business.

· Hiro Oshima, Managing Director and Deputy General Counsel at SMBC, overseeing approximately 50 attorneys and covering commercial banking, emerging issues including ESG, cyber, AI, and financial crime compliance. Hiro has been with SMBC for over 23 years.

Today's show is packed with practical insights for legal leaders navigating AI adoption in heavily regulated industries. Hiro shares candid perspectives on measuring ROI, evaluating legal tech vendors, partnering with alternative legal service providers, and ensuring AI amplifies rather than replaces human judgment. The discussion tackles everything from law firm billing practices to law school curriculum changes in an AI-enabled world.

Here's what they discussed.

• Why legal departments aren't seeing AI-driven reductions in law firm billingExploring the disconnect between law firm AI adoption and client cost savings. Are efficiency gains being passed along to clients?
• The difference between true generative AI and automation toolsDetermining whether most legal AI applications are really using generative AI or simply extending existing automation technology with new branding.
• How to prevent AI from undermining the training of future lawyersThe shortsightedness of prioritizing efficiency over professional development, and how to ensure judgment and skills are gained by doing the actual work.
• When in-house teams should require client consent before their law firms use AI How and why SMBC requires law firms to seek approval and validate their AI configurations, policies, and use cases before deploying AI tools on client work.
• How legal departments can measure AI ROI when there's no clear answers yetDespite the lack of clear ROI metrics, legal teams can't afford to sit on the sidelines due to cost pressures and political realities.
• What makes alternative legal service providers a viable third optionHow Axiom helps SMBC bring competent, AI-skilled lawyers in-house to hit the ground running for project-based and capacity needs without involving high costs, long pilots, or long-term hiring commitments.
• Why kindness is the most important career advice for legal leadersReflections on making tough decisions with kindness, and being mindful of lawyers' job security concerns during the GenAI revolution.
• How lawyers should view their job security in an AI-enabled futureLawyers losing jobs to AI is less likely than lawyers losing opportunities to colleagues who master AI tools—and why lawyers are more necessary now than ever.

Episode Resources

1. SMBC Group Corporate Information
2. Explore Axiom's Financial Services Practice
3. Learn more about Axiom's Legal AI Solutions
4. Subscribe to the Axiom Insights Podcast

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