Beacon Voices

On this episode of Beacon Voices, Akshay Verma (COO at SpotDraft) sits down with Linsey Krolik, Senior Director of AI Governance and Product Legal at Credo AI, and co-author of the American Bar Association's new book, Visual Literacy for Lawyers.  

Linsey talks about how the book came together, why relationships with the business matter more than adding more words, and why she says hands-on use is how you learn what AI can and can't do.  

Linsey Krolik is Senior Director of AI Governance and Product Legal at Credo AI, and co-author of Visual Literacy for Lawyers: A Guide to Enhancing Your Contracts and Practice (ABA), alongside Olga Mack and Tessa Manuello.  

Timestamps  
00:00 – Introduction
07:28 – The core problem: contracts people can't understand, and the typewriter-era habits behind them
12:06 – Who the book is for
16:11 – The evidence: how little readers retain
21:13 – AI and product counsel: why relationships matter more than more words
28:28 – Learning AI by using it
31:17 – Webinar preview and Linsey's best advice  

Connect with us:
Linsey Krolik - https://www.linkedin.com/in/linseykrolik
Akshay Verma - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshay-verma-esq/
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft   

SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

In this episode of Beacon Voices, Akshay Verma (COO at SpotDraft) sits down with Tessa Manuello, founder and CEO of Legal Creatives, and co-author of the American Bar Association's new book, Visual Literacy for Lawyers. 

Tessa Manuello is the founder and CEO of Legal Creatives and co-author of Visual Literacy for Lawyers: A Guide to Enhancing Your Contracts and Practice (ABA), alongside Olga Mack and Lindsay Krolik.  

Tessa unpacks why contracts can be legally airtight and still fail the people who actually have to use them, why most legal documents haven't visually evolved since the typewriter, and how a few design fundamentals can fix that without turning lawyers into graphic designers. She also walks through her own journey from managing international arbitration cases to building Legal Creatives from scratch. Tessa also digs into the cognitive science behind why dense, cluttered contracts overwhelm the brain. She closes with a claim worth sitting with: not a single legal-design contract has ever landed in court.   

Topics: 

00:00 – Introduction
06:35 – Moving upstream: from dispute resolution to contract design
09:30 – The founding of Legal Creatives
16:51 – How Tessa, Olga, and Lindsay came together to co-author the book
19:58 – The "typewriter era": why legal documents still look decades old
31:38 – What visual design actually changes: icons, color, dividers, font size
36:41 – Bringing AI into the conversation: does anyone need to read the contract anymore?
44:21 – What Tessa hopes people take away from the October 29 webinar
46:32 – Closing: why this is cheap, accessible, and doesn't require becoming a designer   

Connect with us:  
Tessa Manuello- linkedin.com/in/tessa-manuello
Akshay Verma - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshay-verma-esq/
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft  

SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.  

About the podcast: SpotDraft Beacon Voices is hosted by Akshay Verma, COO of SpotDraft, featuring conversations with leaders in law, legal technology, and contracting.

In this episode of Beacon Voices, Akshay Verma (COO at SpotDraft) speaks with Olga, CEO of TermScout, former General Counsel, and co-author of the American Bar Association's new book, Visual Literacy for Lawyers.

Olga talks about why most contracts are technically excellent and practically useless, why "information" is no longer a competitive advantage in the age of AI, and what lawyers should actually be training for instead.

Here, she also traces her path from art school dreams to Wilson Sonsini to General Counsel to becoming a legal tech founder. She also gets into why less than 10% of law students ever learn to draft a contract, and why she believes AI makes human judgment more valuable, not less.

Topics  
Introduction: 00:00
Why she wrote "Visual Literacy for Lawyers": 2:28
Who the book is really for: lawyers, clients, and counterparties: 8:21
Judgment vs. information — two very different skills: 12:10
What law school actually teaches: litigation over drafting: 15:35
Using AI to analyze lawyers’ transcripts: 25:04
Should law students read this book? Olga's hope for 1L curriculum: 31:30
Closing thoughts: changing humans' relationship with contracts: 33:30

Connect with us:  
Olga V- https://www.linkedin.com/in/olgamack/  
Akshay Verma - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshay-verma-esq/  
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft     

SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

In this episode of Beacon Voices, Akshay Verma (COO at SpotDraft) speaks with Stephanie Palmieri, Director of Legal Transformation at Palo Alto Networks, about what it really takes to modernize legal teams.

Stephanie shares her unconventional journey from television and sales to legal operations, and explains why successful transformation starts with people and processes, not technology. 

The conversation explores change management, stakeholder buy-in, measuring the impact of legal tech, and how AI is reshaping legal operations without replacing the human element.  Whether you're building a legal ops function or leading digital transformation, this episode is packed with practical lessons on driving adoption, influencing leadership, and preparing legal teams for the future.   

Topics 

Introduction: 00:00
From Television Producer to Legal Operations Leader: 03:36
Taking a Career Step Back to Move Forward in Legal Operations: 07:32
Leading the First Legal Technology Initiative: 09:39
Why Change Management Determines Technology Success: 12:11
Building a Data-Driven Legal Transformation Strategy: 16:26
Influencing Executives and Demonstrating Legal Ops Value: 26:08
AI in Legal Operations: Biggest Misconceptions and Opportunities: 30:52
The AI Skills Every Legal Ops Professional Needs Today: 33:56
The Future of Legal Operations in an AI-Driven World: 38:10

Connect with us:
Stephanie Palmieri - https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniehirasawa/
Akshay Verma - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshay-verma-esq/
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft

SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

What does it really take to transition from law firm perfection to real-world business impact?

In this episode, Rebekah Punak shares her journey from litigation to in-house roles at fast-growing companies like Instacart and Meta Platforms, and now leading legal at Faire. She unpacks how early exposure to startup environments reshaped her mindset—from aiming for perfect legal work to making fast, practical decisions that move the business forward.

The conversation explores how to build legal functions from scratch, why investing in legal operations early creates long-term efficiency, and how lawyers can become true business partners. Rebekah also shares how AI is changing the way legal teams operate and why the real opportunity isn’t doing the same work faster, but doing entirely new things that weren’t possible before.

Topics
00:00 Introduction
01:44 Early interest in law and breaking stereotypes about who can be a lawyer
03:55 Starting career in litigation and early expectations vs reality
08:10 Transition to in-house at Instacart and entering a startup environment
10:20 Transition to startup life: problem-solving without infrastructure
12:36 Why legal ops matters: efficiency, process, and team effectiveness
15:36 Transition to Meta: navigating scale and complexity
18:55 Becoming a trusted business partner and aligning with product teams
23:50 AI in legal: opportunities, use cases, and shifting mindset
35:02 Future of legal work, career advice, and leadership at scale

Connect with us:
Rebekah Punak  - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebekah-punak-4b965a6/
Akshay Verma - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshay-verma-esq/
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft

SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

In this episode of Beacon Voices, Akshay Verma (COO at SpotDraft) sits down with Shana Simmons, Chief Legal Officer at Zendesk, and Catherine Choe, Chief of Staff to the CLO, to explore what it takes to build a high-performing legal organization in the age of AI.

Drawing on their experience leading legal teams at scale, Shana and Catherine discuss the unique partnership between a Chief Legal Officer and Chief of Staff, why legal teams should measure success by business impact rather than activity, and how Legal Ops creates the foundation for operational excellence. They also share practical advice on implementing legal technology, avoiding common transformation pitfalls, and adopting AI in a way that empowers people instead of simply automating work.

Whether you're a General Counsel, Legal Ops professional, or in-house lawyer, this episode offers actionable insights on scaling legal teams, driving organizational change, and preparing the legal function for an AI-enabled future.   

Topics
Introduction: 00:00
How a Chief Legal Officer and Chief of Staff Build a High-Trust Partnership: 02:07
Leading Legal Teams with Trust, Vision, and Shared Values: 05:09
Why Modern Legal Departments Must Prioritize Business Impact Over Busyness: 09:52
Creating High-Impact Legal Teams Through Mission, Performance, and Accountability: 15:57
Balancing Growth, Risk, and Stakeholder Expectations: 18:39
Building Systems That Scale Instead of Solving Every Problem Manually: 23:29
Culture vs. Mission: What Actually Drives High-Performing Legal Teams: 25:14
Unlocking Team Potential Through Purpose and Operational Excellence: 27:55
Common Mistakes in Legal Operations and Technology Implementation: 33:16
Why Legal Ops Should Focus on Business Outcomes, Not Just Software: 35:55
The Future of Legal Technology in the AI Era: 41:57
AI in Legal Departments: Tool or Game Changer?: 45:31
How Legal Teams Should Adopt AI Without Losing Focus on Business Impact: 47:15
The Skills Lawyers Need to Thrive in the Age of AI: 49:54   

Connect with us:
Shana Simmons - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shana-simmons/
Catherine Choe - https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetcatherinechoe/
Akshay Verma - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshay-verma-esq/
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft   

SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

In this episode of Beacon Voices, Akshay Verma (COO at SpotDraft) sits down with Sumeet Chugani, Legal Director at SpaceXAI (ex-Cloaked) to discuss his journey from litigation and financial services to leading legal at a fast-growing startup.  

Sumeet shares why he left law firm life, what it takes to become a true business partner, and how his experience in banking, product counseling, and Coinbase shaped his approach to legal leadership. The conversation also explores how AI is changing legal work, why young lawyers still need strong fundamentals, and how startups can scale without losing speed.  

Whether you're an aspiring in-house lawyer, legal leader, or founder, this episode offers practical insights on navigating career transitions, embracing AI, and building legal teams that enable business growth.  

Topics
Introduction: 00:00
Why Sumeet Chose Law School and His Early Career Aspirations: 01:25
Practicing Law During the Financial Crisis: 03:30
Why Legal Apprenticeship Still Matters: 10:36
Will AI Change How New Lawyers Learn Their Craft?: 14:40
Moving In-House: From Litigation to Business Strategy: 24:20
Building Consumer Banking Products and Becoming Product Counsel: 31:29
How Litigation Prepared Him for Product and Business Decisions: 38:19
Joining Coinbase and Building Products in Crypto: 40:24
Legal Operations, Process, and Scaling Without Slowing Down: 44:44
AI, Privacy, Security, and the Future of Legal Teams: 50:11
Advice for Young Lawyers and Taking Career Risks: 55:25  

Connect with us:
Sumeet Chugani - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sumeet-chugani/
Akshay Verma - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshay-verma-esq/
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft

SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues.  Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

In this episode of Beacon Voices, Akshay Verma (COO at SpotDraft) speaks with David Tudor, Group General Counsel at Prosus and Naspers, about what it takes to lead legal teams at scale in today’s fast-moving, tech-driven environment.  

David reflects on his career path from private practice in South Africa to overseeing legal strategy for a global technology powerhouse. He shares candid perspectives on how legal teams can prioritize better, move beyond routine work, and align more closely with business goals.  

The conversation also dives into the growing influence of AI on legal workflows and decision-making and what it means for the future of both in-house teams and law firms. This episode is packed with actionable ideas for legal professionals looking to elevate their impact and stay ahead in a rapidly changing landscape.

Topics
Introduction: 00:00
Why David Tudor Chose Law and Studied Business Science: 01:06
Life at the University of Edinburgh and Studying European Law: 04:18
Starting a Legal Career and Working on South Africa's First Mobile Network: 06:43
The In-House Experience That Changed His Career Path: 10:27
From Law Firm Lawyer to Business Partner: 14:41
Law Firm Life, Work-Life Balance, and Career Choices: 20:48
How the Role of the In-House Lawyer Has Evolved: 23:50
What Modern Legal Teams Should Stop Spending Time On: 29:51
Why Lawyers Need to Become Product Builders in the AI Era: 32:26
How AI Is Transforming Legal Departments and Law Firms: 34:50
Trusting AI: Risk, Regulation, and the Future of Legal Work: 39:06
Building High-Impact Legal Teams That Understand the Business: 50:00

Connect with us:
David Tudor - https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-tudor-4211a510/
Akshay Verma - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshay-verma-esq/
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft

SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

In this episode of Beacon Voices, Akshay Verma (COO at SpotDraft) sits down with Reese Arrowsmith to explore the evolution of legal operations over the last 25+ years.  

Reese shares his unconventional journey from environmental science to becoming one of the earliest leaders in legal operations, and reflects on how legal departments have transformed through the dot-com era, the 2008 financial crisis, and the rise of AI.  

The conversation dives into change management, legal tech adoption, outside counsel management, enterprise legal strategy, and why empowered legal operations teams are becoming critical in the AI era. Reese also discusses the future of legal engineering and knowledge management, and the importance of documenting the history of legal operations in the upcoming documentary Smooth Operator.  

If you're interested in legal operations, legal innovation, AI in legal, or the future of in-house legal teams, this episode is packed with practical insights and industry perspective.  

Topics
Introduction: 00:00
Reese Arrowsmith’s career journey from environmental science to legal operations: 00:57
Discovering legal operations through litigation support and problem-solving: 04:07
Early legal tech implementations and the evolution of data-driven legal operations: 06:23
Why change management is the biggest challenge in legal ops projects: 09:27
Building successful legal ops rollouts through stakeholder buy-in and communication: 11:02
Moving in-house: consulting, AIG, and learning legal department leadership during the financial crisis: 13:25
How the dot-com era, financial crisis, and COVID transformed legal operations: 17:00
The rise of legal operations communities, networking groups, and the ACC Legal Ops movement: 22:16
Evolution of the legal operations role from admins to enterprise strategy leaders: 24:46
The empowerment gap: why many legal ops teams still struggle to influence legal departments: 30:44
The future of legal operations and AI-driven transformation in legal departments: 32:50
Rethinking outside counsel relationships and the rise of legal engineering: 34:42
AI adoption challenges, legal department pilots, and the future of knowledge management: 38:30
“Smooth Operator”: documenting the history and future of legal operations: 41:41

Connect with us:
Reese Arrowsmith -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/reesearrowsmith/
Akshay Verma - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshay-verma-esq/
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft

SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

In this episode of Beacon Voices, Akshay Verma speaks with Susan Packal, Head of Global Legal Operations and Chief of Staff at Avalara, about the creation of a first-of-its-kind documentary on the history and evolution of legal operations.  

Susan shares the inspiration behind the project, the three-year journey to bring it to life, and the stories of the pioneers who helped shape the profession. Together, they explore how the documentary came together, what it reveals about the growth of legal operations, and why preserving these stories matters for future generations of legal professionals.  

The conversation also touches on the challenges of producing a film while leading global teams, the role of leadership and creativity in driving meaningful change, the importance of taking career risks, and how legal operations continues to evolve in the age of AI.  

Topics:
Introduction: Susan Packal on the Legal Operations Documentary: 00:00
Susan’s winding career path into legal ops and watching the community evolve: 01:56
Why Documentary Filmmaking Was the Perfect Medium: 04:56
Capturing Authentic, Unscripted Stories from Legal Ops Leaders: 07:59
The Origin Story: How the Documentary Idea Was Born: 10:02
Taking Risks, Career Transitions, and Building Something New: 12:45
The Risks Participants Took to Share Their Stories: 14:39
Inside the Four-Part Legal Operations Documentary: 17:25
Why Susan Hired a Documentary Coach and Filmmaking Team: 18:21
The Biggest Challenges of Producing the Film While Leading Legal Ops Teams: 22:49
The Creative Process Behind the Documentary: 27:51
What the Film Means for the Future of Legal Operations and Legal Leadership: 30:19
Final Reflections and Launching the Documentary to the Community: 32:49

Connect with us:
Susan Packal  -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanpackal/
Akshay Verma - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshay-verma-esq/
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft

SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.