Studio A

AI is reshaping the legal industry, pushing firms to rethink leadership, innovation, and the traditional billable hour. As technology accelerates, law firms face a defining question. Will they simply adopt new tools, or transform how legal services are delivered?

In this episode of Studio A, Will Ayers sits down with Jason Schultz, CIO at Michael Best, to explore what real transformation looks like inside a modern law firm. Jason explains how his team approaches innovation as a long-term strategy and why building capability across people, process, and technology matters more than chasing the latest AI tools.

He also discusses how Michael Best is institutionalizing innovation through structured programs, cross-functional collaboration, and an AI center of excellence. From improving financial visibility across the work-to-cash cycle to managing the cultural side of change, Jason shares what it takes to turn technology investments into meaningful outcomes.

Join Jason as he shares his perspective on trustworthy AI, leadership during rapid change, and why the future of law firms will belong to those willing to rethink their business model and how they deliver value to clients.

Highlights:

• AI and the Billable Hour: Rethinking the Economics of Legal Services
• Institutionalizing Innovation: Building Long-Term Capability Inside Law Firms
• Trustworthy AI: Governance, Transparency, and Responsible Adoption

Jump into the conversation:
 (00:00) Introducing Jason Schultz
 (00:46) The Future of the Billable Hour in the Age of AI
 (02:09) Leading Innovation and Technology at Michael Best
 (04:04) What Leadership Looks Like During Industry Transformation
 (08:20) The Difference Between Adopting Tools and Building Capability
 (13:27) Balancing AI Urgency with Operational Discipline
 (16:20) Why Data Foundations Matter for Legal Innovation
 (17:01) Modernizing the Work to Cash Cycle
 (19:44) Improving Financial Visibility Across the Firm
 (22:02) Data Driven Decision Making and Firm Investments
 (23:03) Building an AI Center of Excellence
 (26:00) Surface Automation Versus Embedded Intelligence
 (28:42) Trustworthy AI and Governance in Law Firms
 (32:01) Where AI Augments Lawyers and Where Humans Lead
 (35:00) Leading Change in a Traditionally Slow-Moving Industry
 (37:40) Preventing Innovation Fatigue
 (40:02) Signals That Transformation Is Working
 (43:03) The Future of Law Firms in the AI Era
 (49:01) Closing Thoughts and Key 

For law firms, profitability is not just a reporting outcome. It’s shaped by decisions made throughout a matter's lifecycle. As AI changes how legal work is delivered, firms face a challenge. How do they ensure pricing intent translates into realized profit and cash?

In this episode of Studio A, Will Ayers sits down with Richard Burcher, Founder of Virtual Pricing Director and VP of Pricing and Profitability at Aderant, to discuss why law firms do not have a pricing problem, but actually a pricing execution one.

Richard explains how profitability leaks across the lifecycle of legal work through write-offs, poor time recording, scope creep, and billing adjustments. He also shares why pricing must be managed as an ongoing process, not treated as a one-time event at the start of a matter.

The conversation also explores how work-to-cash connects pricing, execution, billing, and collection into a single discipline. 

Join Richard as he shares insights on margin discipline, value-based pricing, and why firms that professionalize pricing and profitability will be better positioned for the future.

Highlights:

• Pricing Execution: Why Law Firms Lose Profit After the Price Is Set
• Profitability Leakage: Understanding the “Waterfall Discounting” Effect
• Work to Cash Discipline: Connecting Pricing, Execution, Billing, and Cash Outcomes

Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Introducing Richard Burcher
(00:36) Why Law Firms Distribute Cash, Not Revenue
(03:05) Where Profitability Leaks Inside Law Firms
(04:54) Why Write-Offs Have Become an Industry Expectation
(06:36) Pricing as an Event Versus Pricing as a Managed Process
(07:40) The Cultural Shift Required for Pricing Discipline
(09:20) Why Commercial and Financial Literacy Matters for Partners
(09:40) How Work to Cash Connects the Entire Matter Lifecycle
(12:46) From Retrospective Reporting to Real-Time Profitability Insights
(15:00) Why AI Is Transforming the Delivery Model of Legal Work
(17:07) The Growing Pressure on the Traditional Billable Hour
(18:20) Time Recording as a Management Tool Versus a Pricing Tool
(20:00) Why Value Pricing Will Become Increasingly Important
(22:40) Why Aderant Acquired Virtual Pricing Director
(25:04) What Will Separate Winning Law Firms in Five Years
(27:06) Where Managing Partners Should Start Improving Pricing Discipline

AI and cloud technology are revolutionizing the legal industry, and law firms need to embrace these innovations to stay competitive.

In this episode of Studio A, Will Ayers sits down with Cody Walker, VP of Business of Law and Platform Engineering at Aderant, to discuss how Stridyn is driving Aderant’s cloud transformation and shaping the future of legal technology.

Cody explains how Stridyn serves as the foundation for Aderant’s cloud applications, breaking down data silos and enabling seamless integration across products. He also zooms into how AI is enhancing firm-wide workflows, providing real-time insights, and enabling rapid innovation without complex upgrades.

Join Cody as he shares his vision for the future of AI and cloud technology in law firms, and how Aderant is empowering firms to stay ahead of the curve.

Highlights:

• Stridyn Framework: Revolutionizing Aderant’s Cloud Architecture
• AI-Powered Innovation: Enabling Smarter Legal Operations Across Products
• The Future of Law Firms: How AI and Cloud Technology Will Shape the Industry

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Introducing Cody Walker
(01:31) Stridyn: The Foundation of Aderant’s Cloud Strategy

(03:07) Unlocking AI Potential Across Legal Systems

(05:32) Breaking Down Data Silos for Better Integration

(07:08) Enabling Rapid Innovation with Seamless Adoption

(08:42) The Future of AI and Cloud in Legal Practice

(10:46) The Role of Trust in AI Development

(12:08) Stridyn’s Data Plane and Autonomy in Legal Workflows

(14:07) Why Data Foundations Matter More Than AI Models

(16:46) Enabling Communication Across Systems

(18:57) Governance, Permissions, and Client Trust

(20:51) AI Without Disrupting User Workflows

(22:35) The Importance of Native AI Integration

(24:28) Balancing Autonomy and Human Involvement

(26:10) Creating Long-Term Value with AI Innovation

(27:19) Expert Sierra: Unlocking New Capabilities for Law Firms

In this episode of Studio A, Will Ayers sits down with Aderant President and CEO Chris Cartrett for an in-depth discussion of the evolving landscape of legal technology. 

They discuss rapid advancements in AI and Aderant’s vision for the future of legal tech, including the role of AI in optimizing workflows. Chris also shares valuable insights on leadership during times of technological change and how Aderant is helping firms thrive in an increasingly digital world. 

Tune in to hear why embracing AI and cloud solutions is no longer optional for law firms, and what it takes to lead through transformation in the legal industry.

Highlights:

• AI-Driven Transformation: Chris discusses how AI is reshaping legal workflows and why law firms must adopt these technologies to stay competitive
• Leading Through Change: Chris shares his insights on the leadership mindset required to navigate the rapid pace of technological change in the legal industry
• Aderant’s Vision for the Future: Chris reveals how Aderant is positioning itself to drive innovation and support law firms with AI and cloud-powered solutions

In this episode of Studio A, Will Ayers talks with LawNext Legal Technology Directory Co-founder Bob Ambrogi about how the relationship between the legal industry and technology has developed over the past 30 years. This conversation covers the rise of AI, the importance of founder mindset, and why legal firms thrive on innovation. Bob talks about LawNext and how it serves as a trusted hub for independent legal tech coverage. And finally, reflecting on the traits that separate thoughtful product builders from the rest.

Learn why legal tech is now required and what it means to stay curious in a fast-moving environment.

Highlights:

• Agentic AI: How automation is evolving from task-based to workflow-based solutions
• LawNext Origins: Bob explains how his work as a journalist shaped the platform
• Founders Who Last: Successful legal tech leaders from the rest

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Introducing Bob Ambrogi
(01:28) Bob on blending journalism and law
(03:36) The rise of agentic AI in legal workflows
(05:10) What LawNext offers to the legal community
(06:20) Favorite interviews and stories from the podcast
(07:48) What makes great legal tech founders
(09:36) How law firms should approach new technology
(11:13) The role of podcasts in legal education
(12:54) What keeps Bob excited about legal tech

In this episode of Studio A, Will Ayers welcomes back Cody Walker, Vice President of Cloud Development at Aderant, for a conversation on how to approach AI adoption with clarity and efficiency.

Recorded at Momentum Global 2025 in Dallas, Cody outlines how solutions like Cloud AR, Cloud GL, and MADDI are integrated to simplify financial management, modernize back-office processes, and deliver end-to-end visibility. He explains how Stridyn and Aderant’s multi-agent AI framework creates new opportunities for law firms to align data, automate processes, and optimize the user experience.

Hear how Aderant unifies systems, streamlines operations, and prepares law firms in this new era of technology.

Highlights:

• AI Across the Suite: Learn how MADDI powers in-app help and real-time insights
• Financial Management in Focus: Explore how Cloud AR and Cloud GL support revenue capture
• The Stridyn Platform: See how data transparency enables stronger firm-wide decision making

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Introducing Cody Walker

(01:21) How Cloud AR and Cloud GL work

(02:26) MADDI as more than a chatbot

(03:32) Stridyn powering next-generation legal technology

(05:14) Connecting AI across third-party systems

(07:41) Why a common data plane matters

(11:55) What excites Cody most about MADDI

In this episode of Studio A, Will Ayers speaks with Andrew DeBratto, Chief Information and Security Officer at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, about how they are navigating cloud adoption, security demands, and the fast-paced world of gen-AI.

By shifting critical systems such as Aderant Sierra to the cloud and building internal safeguards around these tools, Andrew shares how his team balances innovation with operational stability. He also tells us about how client expectations are evolving, and why collaboration across finance, compliance, and IT is essential.

Hear Andrew’s perspective on modernizing legal technology while keeping a focus on trust and reliability.

Highlights:

• Cloud at Scale: Why Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP embraces a cloud-first approach
• Responsible AI: How training and guardrails prepare teams for new tools
• Client Value: New technology directly improves client service and transparency across the firm

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Introducing Andrew DeBratto

(02:13) Planning for innovation in a cloud-first world

(03:59) Opportunities for AI across legal and business teams

(05:44) Overcoming fears of cloud migration in law firms

(07:57) Why Aderant Sierra became a cloud-first priority

(09:48) Building compliance and vendor trust for data security

(13:14) Training teams for ethical use of generative A

In this episode of Studio A, Will Ayers speaks with Mike McKay, Vice President of R&D at Aderant, about how law firms and technology benefit from practicality. 

Drawing from his time at IBM and NCR, Mike shares how patents, empathy, and common sense shape the approach to building useful software for legal professionals. He explains how Aderant modernizes our products through a new data platform and integrations with Stridyn or Milana, as well as AI initiatives powered by MADDI and askMADDI.

Hear how Aderant makes legal technology simpler, more consistent, and designed to scale alongside law firms.

Highlights:

• Innovation in Action: Mike recalls patents and lessons that influence his work today
• MADDI and askMADDI: How Aderant implements AI across its product suite
• The Data Plane: Why holistic data access impacts legal technology

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Introducing Mike McKay

(01:24) Patents that shape practical technology solutions

(03:01) Building tech that matches law firm needs

(04:04) Why empathy drives better software development

(05:48) How MADDI and askMADDI operate

(07:24) The power of Aderant’s new data plane

(08:35) Making legal software easier to use

(09:17) What’s next for VI and Milana

AI is reshaping how law firms work, but only if they know how to stay in control.

In this episode of Studio A, Will Ayers sits down with Lisa Erickson, SVP of Product Management and AI at Aderant, to discuss how law firms can move beyond basic automation and into orchestrated, AI-powered workflows.

Lisa explains how AI agents increase productivity by connecting systems, teams, and processes, thereby creating more efficient, client-focused operations. She also shares how Aderant’s recent Hercules Legal Assets acquisition strengthens MADDI and advances timekeeping, OCG compliance, and AI capabilities across the Stridyn platform.

Hear Lisa’s perspective on how firms can stay in control of AI adoption through strong data strategies and thoughtful policy decisions.

Highlights:

• Beyond Automation: How AI agents connect workflows across the entire firm
• Data Strategy and Control: Why structure and scalability matter in AI adoption
• The Future of Legal Work: How Aderant’s innovations are shaping more innovative practices

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Introducing Lisa Erickson

(01:20) From automation to orchestrated workflows

(03:03) Breaking down silos with orchestrated AI systems

(04:40) Keeping humans in control of AI

(05:44) Measuring AI success beyond speed and KPIs

(07:09) Inside Aderant’s Hercules Legal Assets acquisition

(08:44) What’s next for AI in legal practice

In this episode of Studio A, Will Ayers is joined by Nicholas Wolter, Senior Director of Applications Architecture at Aderant, to explore how Stridyn shapes a unified experience across the firm’s product portfolio.

Recorded at Momentum Global 2025, Nicholas explains what “one Stridyn UI” is, from faster workflows to native applications. He also shares how real-time metrics are being built into the platform to surface issues and insights before they reach the help desk.

Hear why the groundwork today sets the stage for rapid innovation in the year ahead.

Highlights:

• One Experience Across Apps: How Stridyn eliminates context switching with shared actions
• Speed and Efficiency: What faster really looks like for attorneys in daily practice
• Real-Time Insight: How metrics give firms visibility and control at every step

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Introducing Nicholas Wolter

(01:55) Leading applications architecture across the portfolio

(02:57) What one Stridyn UI means for firms

(04:36) Taking actions anywhere without leaving your screen

(06:27) Real-time metrics that prevent hidden issues

(08:24) Building momentum for Stridyn’s next breakthroughs