The Legal Leaders Podcast

In this episode of The Legal Leaders Podcast, host David Lancelot talks with Ona Alston Dosunmu, President and CEO at NACUA (the National Association of College and University Attorneys), about running the home of higher education law, the surprising breadth of campus counsel work, and why higher ed matters more than ever to the American economy and democracy. They discuss: What NACUA is and why i...

In this episode of The Legal Leaders Podcast, host David Lancelot talks with Benjamin White, Founder of Crafty Counsel, about building one of the world's most influential in-house legal communities, creating meaningful connections for legal professionals, and why the future of legal leadership depends on trust, vulnerability, and shared learning. They discuss: How Crafty Counsel grew from solving...

In this episode of The Legal Leaders Podcast, host David Lancelot talks with Matt Pentz, Deputy Town Attorney at the Town of Cary, North Carolina, about what it actually looks like to be in-house counsel for a local government – one of the largest, least-talked-about areas of in-house legal practice in the country. They discuss: Serving as corporate counsel for a "municipal corporation" spanning 1...

In this episode of The Legal Leaders Podcast, host David Lancelot talks with Adrian Moffatt, Executive General Manager – Legal and Corporate at Ausco Modular, about how in-house lawyers can build influence, earn trust, and grow beyond the legal function. They discuss: Building a personal brand on LinkedIn The "bypass" – enabling the business instead of saying no Moving from legal expert to legal e...

In this episode of The Legal Leaders Podcast, host David Lancelot talks with Dennis Garcia, VP and General Counsel at Litera, about building a career that bridges the practice and business of law, and what decades in tech legal have taught him about staying sharp under pressure. They discuss: How Litera unifies the practice of law and the business of law under one roof Dennis's path from an IB...

In this episode of The Legal Leaders Podcast, host David Lancelot talks with Sterling Miller, CEO and Chief Counsel at Hilgers Graben and former General Counsel at Sabre and Travelocity, about how in-house lawyers can market themselves and build influence within the business. They discuss: Why in-house lawyers must actively promote their value and contributions How to build strong relationships an...

In this episode of The Legal Leaders Podcast , host David Lancelot talks with Jawwad Irshad , General Counsel and Company Secretary at Tokyo Electron Europe , about building a modern legal function from the ground up, using technology to reduce legal spend, and proving legal's value to the business through measurable outcomes. They discuss: How Jawwad built Tokyo Electron Europe's legal, complianc...

In this episode of The Legal Leaders Podcast , host David Lancelot talks with Chip Gentry, Chief Legal Officer at Quaker Windows & Doors , about his unconventional journey from longtime trial lawyer to business leader, the modernization of legal operations in manufacturing, and the role legal plays in driving organizational transformation. They discuss: How Chip transitioned from nearly 30 yea...

In this episode of The Legal Leaders Podcast, host David Lancelot talks with Sterling Miller, COO and General Counsel at Hilgers and former General Counsel at Marketo and Travelocity, about the practical use of generative AI in in-house legal teams. They discuss: How in-house legal teams can safely and effectively use generative AI Real-world use cases for AI in contract drafting, review, and prod...

In this episode of The Legal Leaders Podcast, host David Lancelot talks with Charles Jake, General Counsel, and Blake Billings, Deputy General Counsel, at Kansas State University (KSU) about what it takes to lead legal at a modern land-grant university. From supporting a statewide public mission to building a strategic and scalable legal function, Charles and Blake share how KSU's legal team n...

In this episode of The Legal Leaders Podcast, host David Lancelot talks with Danette Joslyn-Gaul, General Counsel and Vice President of Ethics, Compliance, and Legal Affairs at Georgia Tech , about building effective legal teams, navigating organizational change, and leading legal functions within complex higher education institutions. They discuss: Danette's career journey across government,...

In this episode of The Legal Leaders Podcast, host David Lancelot talks with Russ Philpott, Director, Legal Operations & Corporate Counsel at Okta, about the evolution of legal operations, the rise of knowledge management, and how AI is reshaping in-house legal teams. They discuss: Russ’s journey from commercial attorney to leading legal operations at scale Why knowledge management has become...

In this episode of The Legal Leaders Podcast, host David Lancelot talks with Robyn Diaz, EVP and Chief Legal Officer at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, about leading a purpose-driven legal function in one of the world’s most mission-focused institutions. They discuss: Building and scaling a modern legal function in a nonprofit healthcare environment Navigating complex regulatory, global, an...

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 is transforming legal departments into “AI factories” and redefining the role of the general counsel. They discuss: What the “AI factory” means for legal teams and enterprise transformation Why governance, knowledge management, and operating models ar...

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 th...

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 technolo...

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...

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 le...

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 f...

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...

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 e...

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 con...

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-...

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 (Bu...

In this episode of The Legal Leaders Podcast , host David Lancelot talks with Lisa Mather , a seasoned global legal executive and transformation leader, about her unconventional career path and the evolving expectations of modern in-house lawyers. They discuss: How a dual passion for science and law led Lisa to an “accidental” yet intentional legal career Lessons from building a global perspective...