In this episode of The Legal Leaders Podcast, host David Lancelot talks with Bjarne Tellmann, CEO and Founder of Fjord Stream Advisors, about how AI-driven disruption is reshaping the legal industry – and why the biggest force of change is coming from clients, not technology providers.

They discuss:

• Why disruption in legal will be driven by corporate demand, not just legal tech
• The evolution of the general counsel role from GC 1.0 to GC 4.0
• How exponential change in business is forcing a rethink of legal service delivery

Tune in for an unfiltered conversation on client-driven disruption, the evolution of legal leadership, and what comes next for the legal industry.

Exclusive Offer:

Get 30% off Bjarne Tellmann’s new book using code BJARN at checkout on Wiley’s website.
Valid globally until April 1, 2027.

Links:

• Connect with Bjarne Tellmann on LinkedIn.
• Follow the Legal Leader community on ⁠LinkedIn⁠.
• Join the Legal Leader community.⁠

In this episode of The Legal Leaders Podcast, host David Lancelot talks with Bill Deckelman, Chief Legal Officer at Anderson, about leading legal transformation, scaling global organizations, and the future of in-house legal in the age of AI.

They discuss:

• Building a public company's legal function from the ground up post-IPO
• Transforming legal teams through digital strategy, process, and technology
• How AI is reshaping risk, decision-making, and the role of in-house lawyers

You can tune in for an unfiltered conversation on legal transformation, leadership evolution, and the future of the in-house profession.

Links:

• Connect with Bill Deckelman on LinkedIn.
• Follow the Legal Leader community on LinkedIn.
• Join the Legal Leader community.

In this episode of The Legal Leaders Podcast, host David Lancelot talks with Brian Levey, Senior Advisor at Upwork and former Chief Legal Officer and Chief Business Affairs Officer, about scaling high-growth businesses, building high-trust legal teams, and how modern in-house lawyers become true business leaders. 

Brian shares lessons from helping scale eBay during its early hypergrowth – from 900 employees and $400M in revenue to a global powerhouse – and later building the legal function at Upwork, one of the world’s largest freelancer marketplaces. Throughout the conversation, he explains how legal leaders can embed themselves within the business, prioritize the risks that truly matter, and create systems that allow companies to scale without slowing innovation. 

They discuss: 

• How legal leaders help scale companies during hypergrowth 

• Building a high-trust legal team and culture 

• Moving from the “department of no” to the “department of how” 

• Creating frameworks that allow legal teams to prioritize risk and enable the business 

• Why modern in-house lawyers must become business partners, not just advisors 

Tune in for an unfiltered conversation on scaling businesses, building high-trust teams, and becoming a true partner to the business as a legal leader. 

Links: 

• Connect with Brian Levey on LinkedIn 

• Follow Legal Leader Community on LinkedIn.⁠

• Join the Legal Leader Community.

In this episode of The Legal Leaders Podcast, host David Lancelot talks with Fred Struve, General Counsel at Lunit International, about leading a modern legal function inside a fast-growing, AI-powered medical device company operating across the U.S., Europe, and Asia.

They discuss:

• Building and scaling a global legal function across highly regulated markets

• The evolving role of in-house legal leaders in AI and health technology

• Balancing risk, speed, and culture in cross-border growth and M&A

Tune in for an unfiltered conversation on global legal leadership, AI in healthcare, and what it really takes to enable growth in a regulated, international business.

Links:

• Connect with Fred Struve on LinkedIn
• Follow Legal Leader Community on ⁠LinkedIn
• Join the Legal Leader ⁠Community⁠

In this episode of The Legal Leaders Podcast, host David Lancelot talks with Anne Kerwin Payne, Founder and Managing Director at Kerwin, about the evolution of in-house legal leadership, the state of the legal talent market, and what modern legal leaders need to succeed.

They discuss:

• How the in-house legal profession has transformed from a law-firm alternative into a core business leadership function

• The impact of market cycles, layoffs, and recovery on legal careers and hiring trends

• Why legal operations, technology fluency, and strategic vision are now essential for legal leaders

Tune in for an unfiltered conversation on the changing expectations of general counsel, the rise of legal operations and legal tech, and how legal leaders can build resilient, future-ready careers.

Links:

• Connect with Anne Kerwin Payne on LinkedIn
• Follow Legal Leader Community on ⁠LinkedIn⁠
• Join the Legal Leader ⁠Community⁠

In this episode of The Legal Leaders Podcast, host David Lancelot, Chief Legal Officer and EVP of Advocacy at LawVu, talks with Michelle Clatfelter, Chief Legal Officer at Springfield Clinic, about her unconventional path into healthcare law, what it takes to lead as the first in-house lawyer, and how modern legal leadership is reshaping the healthcare industry.

They discuss:

• How Michelle built a modern in-house legal function from scratch at Springfield Clinic

• Why relationship-building, community, and trust are differentiators for today’s CLOs

• The evolution of in-house legal leadership—and why the old “risk mitigation only” mindset no longer works

Tune in for an unfiltered conversation on legal team building, cross-industry leadership lessons, and the realities of operating as a modern CLO in one of the world’s most complex, regulated industries.

Links:

• Connect with Michelle Clatfelter on LinkedIn
• Follow Legal Leader Community on ⁠LinkedIn⁠
• Join the Legal Leader ⁠Community⁠

In this episode of The Legal Leaders Podcast, host David Lancelot talks with Katja Fenton, General Counsel at Fugro, about global legal leadership, building high-impact legal teams, and navigating complex geopolitical and regulatory environments.

They discuss:

• How Fugro’s global operations – from geo-data to unmanned vessels – demand a sophisticated, business-aligned legal function

• The evolving expectations of modern GCs and why strategic leadership now sits at the core of the role

• Katja’s international career journey and how diverse experiences shaped her approach to influence, culture, and team development

Tune in for an unfiltered conversation on global business partnership, strategic legal leadership, and building a modern, globally minded in-house team.

Links:

• Connect with Katja Fenton on LinkedIn
• Follow Legal Leader Community on ⁠LinkedIn⁠
• Join the Legal Leader ⁠Community⁠

In this episode of The Legal Leaders Podcast, host David Lancelot talks with Delphina Turner, former Executive Director of Legal Operations at Panasonic Automotive, about leading legal operations transformation inside a complex, global enterprise.

They discuss:

• Building and scaling modern legal operations without a traditional legal background
• Using technology, AI, and playbooks to accelerate contracting and business outcomes
• Leadership, mentorship, and creating a sustainable legacy within the legal function

Tune in for an unfiltered conversation on legal operations leadership, AI-enabled transformation, and what it takes to modernize an in-house legal team.

Links:

• Connect with Delphina Turner on ⁠⁠LinkedIn
• Follow Legal Leader Community on ⁠LinkedIn⁠
• Join the Legal Leader ⁠Community⁠

In this episode of The Legal Leaders Podcast, host David Lancelot talks with Kasper Hansen, Head of Legal Operations at Arla Foods, about the evolution of legal ops in Scandinavia, the skills today’s legal teams need, and how operational mindset transforms the in-house legal function.

They discuss:

• How Kasper built Arla’s legal operations function from the ground up
• Why data, curiosity, and cross-functional fluency matter more than ever in legal
• The coming impact of AI and why structured data is now a critical legal asset

Tune in for an unfiltered conversation on modern legal operations, the rise of the operational lawyer, and how legal teams can accelerate the business through data and process discipline.

Links:

• Connect with Kasper Hansen on LinkedIn.
• Follow Legal Leader Community on ⁠LinkedIn⁠
• Join the Legal Leader ⁠Community⁠

In this episode of The Legal Leaders Podcast, host David Lancelot talks with Eduardo (Ed) Rastelli, Chief of Staff & Global Head of Legal Operations at IHG Hotels & Resorts, about how modern legal operations is evolving into a true business accelerator — integrating AI, data, people, and technology to transform how global legal teams operate.

They discuss:

• How IHG’s connected BRR model (Business Reputation & Responsibility) unifies legal, risk, compliance, audit, and insurance

• Why the role of legal operations has shifted from spend management to strategic enablement

• How AI, analytics, and people-centered design are shaping the next generation of in-house legal teams

Tune in for an unfiltered conversation on integrated legal operations, AI-driven transformation, and what it takes to build a strategic, data-powered legal function.

Links:

• Connect with Eduardo Rastelli on LinkedIn
• Follow the Legal Leader Community on ⁠LinkedIn⁠
• Join the Legal Leader ⁠Community⁠