BDO's Legal Tech Talk Podcast

Hosted by BDO USA

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Jun 2026

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About the show

BDO’s Legal Tech Talk is a podcast hosted by Daniel Gold, Principal, E-Discovery Managed Services Leader, and Eric Derk, Managing Director, Legal Operations. They are joined by judges and legal professionals for exciting discussions on the use of technology in the legal industry.

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December 15, 2025Episode 3514 min

Harnessing AI for Smarter Legal Workflows

Guests’ NotesAngelic Benavidez and Joanne Liu are senior litigation paralegals within the legal department at Hyundai Motor America. Angelic oversees e-discovery, legal holds, and manages the Relativity database, working primarily in the class action and intellectual property group, and occasionally supporting product liability matters. She brings extensive experience from big law, particularly in employment litigation, and has played a key role in transforming Hyundai’s e-discovery processes. Joanne also focuses on e-discovery and is involved in managing class action and intellectual property cases, with additional responsibilities in product liability. Her background includes private practice and big law, and she is dedicated to streamlining legal workflows and bridging the gap between outside and in-house counsel. Guests’ LinkedInJoanne LiuAngelic I. B.Key Takeaways1. AI-powered tools are streamlining contract analysis and document comparison, reducing reliance on manual and traditional translation services.2. Closed systems for document review offer enhanced confidentiality, making it safer to analyze sensitive materials without using public platforms.3. Adopting Gen AI in legal workflows requires a learning curve, and professionals must balance efficiency with maintaining critical thinking skills.4. Embracing AI is essential for staying competitive in legal operations, and organizations risk falling behind if they do not adapt to these technological advancements.

December 12, 2025Episode 3419 min

Democratizing Law: Generative AI, Ethics, and the New Legal Landscape

Guest NotesNiki Black is Principal Legal Insight Strategist at 8am, the team behind LawPay, MyCase, CasePeer, and DocketWise. She operates at the intersection of law, technology, and innovation strategy. Inside the company, Niki provides insight on the legal market, law firm operations, and how AI is impacting the practice of law. Niki advises on AI implementation within our products, author legal industry reports, and guide teams on how to communicate with lawyers so that our technology solutions and messaging align with their needs and realities. Niki’s role bridges market knowledge, product strategy, and effective engagement with the legal profession.Guest LinkedInNicole Black | LinkedInKey Takeaways:1. Generative AI is Accelerating Change in Law: The adoption of generative AI in the legal profession is happening at an unprecedented rate, with exponential growth in use cases and potential for disruption.2.Ethical Obligations Remain Paramount: Legal professionals must uphold rules of professional responsibility, ensuring that AI-generated work is thoroughly reviewed for accuracy, validity, and ethical compliance before submission to courts.3. Democratization of Legal Knowledge: AI is leveling the playing field by making legal information widely accessible, potentially changing how both attorneys and pro se litigants approach legal matters.4. Accuracy and Commercialization Challenges: While AI offers abundant knowledge, concerns about the accuracy of its outputs and the emergence of paid, promotional responses highlight the need for vigilance and critical evaluation in legal practice.

December 8, 2025Episode 3327 min

Guardrails and Gaps: E-Discovery, AI, and Compliance in Legal Tech

Guest NotesGreg Buckles is the founder of eDJ Group Inc. He is an Independent corporate legal technology consultant focused on reasonable, defensible process solutions. Greg’s specialties are in forensics, consulting, software design, product management, legal technology, data classification, analytics, and efficiency consulting.Guest LinkedIn:Greg Buckles | LinkedInKey Takeaways:1. Efficiency and Speed in Legal Research: Modern technology has dramatically reduced the time required for legal research, enabling professionals to deliver results in minutes rather than hours. However, validation and accuracy remain essential safeguards.2. Adoption of AI and Innovation in Law: Despite traditionally being slow to adopt new technologies, the legal industry is rapidly embracing AI and generative tools. This shift brings both opportunities and risks, especially concerning the submission of hallucinated cases and the need for professional responsibility.3. Compliance Gaps in New Technologies: As platforms like Microsoft Purview evolve, there are inevitable gaps between the introduction of new services and the integration of compliance tools. Legal professionals must remain vigilant to avoid over-promising on data completeness and compliance.4. The Importance of Realistic Representations: In legal productions, it’s crucial to avoid overstating the thoroughness of data searches. Consultants play a key role in ensuring affidavits and statements accurately reflect the limitations of search terms and data access, protecting attorneys from potential pitfalls.

December 4, 2025Episode 3228 min

Democratizing Legal Tech: The Evolution of AI in Document Review and Beyond

Guest Notes:Chris Haley serves as VP of Practice Empowerment aiR at Relativity. Chris’s current focus includes helping industry leaders to understand the economics and practice of leveraging artificial intelligence to drive eDiscovery solutions and business. He consults with other leaders on practices to quickly supplement and experiment with artificial intelligence within their workflows and then expand to substitute and transform key value drivers in their business – helping them consider financial factors, talent mix/staffing, and investment approaches as our industry transforms and adopts AI. aiR is our brand for generative AI products at Relativity.Guest LinkedInChris Haley | LinkedInKey Takeaways:1. AI Integration as a Standard:Relativity’s decision to include the entire aiR suite as part of the RelativityOne subscription marks a significant shift, making advanced AI tools accessible to all users without premium barriers. This move is designed to democratize technology and empower organizations to choose the best tools for each case.2. Evolution Beyond Document Review:The legal tech industry is moving from a focus on document review to a broader analytics and enablement approach. AI is now positioned to support privacy, data security, and information governance, addressing areas historically underserved by both technology and process.3. Transformation Through Progressive Steps:The adoption of generative AI is not about wholesale replacement of existing workflows but rather an evolutionary process. Legal professionals are encouraged to learn and adapt through incremental changes, leveraging AI when appropriate to enhance their work.4. Broader Implications for the Legal Industry:Generative AI is transforming the legal sector with unprecedented speed and opportunity. Its integration is expected to dramatically change how legal professionals approach their work, driving greater efficiency and accuracy while opening new possibilities for innovation across the industry.

December 1, 2025Episode 3123 min

Future-Proofing Legal Workflows with Artificial Intelligence

Guest NotesAron Ahmadia is the Senior Director for Applied Science at Relativity where he leads the development of AI capabilities for Relativity One, including AI-Assisted Review, Analytics, and Search. His specializations include the use of AI in Legal Discovery, Model Risk Management, and Responsible AI. Dr. Ahmadia holds a Ph.D. in Applied Math from Columbia University and a B.S. in Computer Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.Guest LinkedInAron AhmadiaKey Takeaways1. Artificial intelligence has been part of the legal tech landscape for decades, but recent years have seen exponential growth and transformation, especially with the rise of generative AI.2. The adoption of AI in legal workflows is accelerating, with machines now reviewing a significant volume of documents compared to human reviewers, driving efficiency and accuracy.3. Early challenges in AI, such as costly and inaccurate transcription, have been overcome through rapid improvements in technology, making advanced solutions accessible and reliable.4. Responsible development and deployment of AI are crucial. Users are encouraged to engage with AI systems but maintain a trust-but-verify approach.5. Looking ahead, the focus is on identifying and solving future problems in legal tech, with an emphasis on understanding what challenges lie ahead in the next few years and how AI can help address them.

November 20, 2025Episode 3046 min

Modernizing Ethics, Compliance, & Legal Innovation

Guest NotesMatt Galvin is a globally recognized leader in corporate ethics, compliance, and legal risk transformation and a partner at Steptoe LLP. He is known for pioneering BrewRIGHT, a groundbreaking compliance analytics platform at AB InBev. He has co-founded multiple organizations—including Gentic Global Advisors, Transforming Legal, and Integrity Distributed—focused on integrating data, technology, and innovation into legal and governance strategies. With a career spanning high-level public service and private sector leadership, he has shaped DOJ policy, led investigations in over 30 jurisdictions, and actively advises global boards and regulators on building resilient, high-integrity organizations.Guest LinkedInMatt Galvin | LinkedinKey Takeaways1. Matt Galvin emphasizes the importance of viewing compliance not just as a legal requirement but as a driver of efficiency, transparency, and bottom-line growth for organizations.2. The concept of proportionality is crucial—compliance efforts should scale according to the size and complexity of the organization, ensuring resources are allocated effectively.3. Integrating data analytics across disciplines such as supply, logistics, and sales enables organizations to solve complex problems globally and align incentives among stakeholders.4. The compliance landscape is cyclical, with periods of low enforcement often followed by crises and increased regulation. Organizations must remain agile and prepared for these shifts to maintain resilience and competitive advantage.

November 18, 2025Episode 2942 min

From Hollywood to Legal: Unlocking Purpose in Law

Guest Notes:Nick Abrahams is the Global Leader of Technology & Innovation for Norton Rose Fulbright. NRF has more than 4,000 lawyers in 50+ offices around the world. Nick is the founder of successful online legal site, LawPath (90,000+ users) and he created the world's first AI-enabled privacy chatbot, Parker. He also has a thriving career as a keynote speaker on future trends and innovation.. He is the author of the best-selling Kindle books "Big Data, Big Responsibilities" and "Digital Disruption in Australia". He is on the boards of: ASX-listed software company Integrated Research ($500M); the global genomics research leader, the Garvan Foundation; the Vodafone Foundation; and the Sydney Film Festival.Guest LinkedInNick Abrahams | LinkedInPodcast Takeaways:1. Purpose Fuels Impact: Nick’s career illustrates that finding your “why”—whether it’s helping others or driving innovation—leads to greater satisfaction and success in the legal profession.2. Creativity and Collaboration Matter: Skills from creative fields, like comedy and film, can enhance legal practice by fostering teamwork, effective communication, and innovative problem-solving.3. Innovation Solves Real Problems: Initiatives like LawPath and Parker were born from identifying gaps in access to legal support and leveraging technology to democratize legal services.4. AI Augments, Not Replaces, Lawyers: Contrary to popular belief, AI presents opportunities for lawyers to expand their roles, handle complexity, and serve more clients, rather than eliminating jobs.5. Empowering Legal Teams Drives Success: Granting autonomy and decision-making authority to legal professionals boosts morale, efficiency, and client satisfaction, helping lawyers move from “grinders” to “thrivers.”

November 11, 2025Episode 2852 min

Cutting Through the Noise: Building Value in Legal Operations

Guest NotesTom Pfennig is a global leader in digital transformation, renowned for his pioneering work in digitalizing Legal, Compliance, and Data Privacy services worldwide. Licensed as an attorney in both Germany and New York, Tom brings over 20 years of professional experience and has cultivated a global network of General Counsels, Chief Compliance Officers, Senior Partners, Executives, and Regulators, all united by a commitment to innovation and excellence. As the former head of Bayer’s legal, compliance, and data privacy digital transformation—a program recognized by the Financial Times as “Most Innovative in Europe”—he led a diverse team of 150 professionals from more than 25 countries. Now the CEO and Founder of Transforming.Legal, one of the world’s most dynamic legal transformation boutiques, Tom is a passionate advocate for legal tech and generative AI, focusing on streamlining workflows and empowering legal teams. A graduate of IMD Lausanne’s Digital Transformation Programs, he is also a sought-after speaker, panelist, and lecturer on business ethics and digital transformation at leading European universities. Inspired by Bob Marley’s philosophy, Tom is a devoted husband and father of three, dedicated to shaping the future of law and compliance through data-driven, client-centric innovation.Guest LinkedInTom Pfennig | LinkedinKey Takeaways1. Active listening is fundamental to successful legal transformation, enabling leaders to authentically reflect the evolving needs of their teams and clients.2. Legal technology should be deployed to solve real problems identified through systematic portfolio mapping and pruning, rather than searching for issues to justify tech adoption.3. The legal function can become more agile and value-adding by adopting process-driven, continuous improvement strategies similar to those in finance and procurement.4. Building trust and driving measurable value in legal operations requires ongoing engagement, listening, and matching technology solutions to genuine pain points.

November 5, 2025Episode 2747 min

Beyond the Buzzwords: Evolving Legal Skillsets

Guest Intro:Bjarne Tellmann is CEO of FjordStream Advisors, a consultancy dedicated to empowering legal leaders and organizations to navigate disruption, embrace change, and achieve transformative impact. With decades of award-winning global experience as General Counsel and a key member of executive teams at several large public companies, Bjarne is a recognized expert in organizational excellence, digital transformation, and talent development. He leverages his extensive leadership background to deliver strategic insights and innovative solutions tailored to legal organizations and executives.Guest LinkedIn:Bjarne Philip Tellmann | LinkedInKey Takeaways1. Transformation Requires Teams: Legal change succeeds when diverse teams work together, not just through individual expertise.2. Skillsets Must Evolve: Legal professionals need both deep expertise and broad, multidisciplinary skills—especially as AI reshapes the field.3. Culture Is Critical: Breaking down silos and fostering curiosity and collaboration are essential for real transformation.4. Continuous Learning Is Vital: Staying curious and adaptable is key in a rapidly changing legal landscape.5. Education Needs an Overhaul: Law schools must teach emotional intelligence, technology, and business—not just legal analysis.6. Human Skills Still Matter: AI will automate tasks, but interpersonal and leadership skills remain crucial.7. Clients Drive Change: As companies transform digitally, legal departments and law firms must keep pace.8. Ask Better Questions: Success depends on asking insightful questions and leveraging new tools for deeper understanding.

October 28, 2025Episode 2648 min

Special Reunion Episode: AI, Human Intelligence, and the Future of Legal Operations

Guest’s Notes: Featured on this special reunion episode are multiple guests from the past few seasons of BDO’s Legal Tech Talk.Key Takeaways:1. AI Enhances, Not Replaces, Human Judgment: Generative AI is a powerful tool that accelerates legal workflows and analysis, but it cannot substitute for the nuanced decision-making and expertise of legal professionals.2. Transparency and Ethics Are Crucial for AI Adoption: Successful integration of AI in legal practice depends on clear, transparent processes and strong ethical guardrails to ensure accuracy, address bias, and maintain professional responsibility.3. Human Empathy and Discretion Remain Essential: While technology can automate routine tasks, qualities like empathy, ethical reasoning, and discretion are uniquely human and vital for effective client service and leadership.4. Legal Operations and Billing Models Are Evolving: AI is driving change in legal operations, making processes more efficient and potentially shifting the industry away from traditional billable hours toward fixed-fee and value-based pricing.5. Collaboration and Adaptability Are Key: The rapid pace of technological change requires legal professionals to collaborate across disciplines and continually adapt, ensuring they stay relevant and deliver greater value to clients.