Studio A

By the time a firm spots a billing bottleneck, the chance to fix it has often already passed. In this episode of Studio A, Will Ayers sits down with Campbell Barrett , President and CEO of Datolite Solutions , to talk about how law firms can modernize billing and financial operations. Campbell explains why most firms use their data like a rearview mirror, where margin quietly leaks out between tim...

If you don't have your foot into AI for your legal tech yet, you need to ask yourself whether that's still a strategic move worth making. In this episode of Studio A, Will Ayers sits down with Josiah Chaves , Chief Client Officer at Aderant , to unpack what Aderant 2030 means for the AI-native law firm. Josiah breaks down the vision behind Aderant becoming the legal back office operating system, w...

Technology doesn't transform law firms. People do. In this episode of Studio A, Will Ayers sits down with Ben Starkie , President and CEO of AAC Consulting , for a conversation on what it actually takes to move law firms through transformation without breaking what works. Ben shares AAC’s consulting experience on navigating today’s technological changes in legal, why the biggest barrier to transfo...

Technology was treated as overhead for law firms for decades. Now, it is the growth lever. In this episode of Studio A, Will Ayers sits down with Aisling Fenelon , Chief Revenue Officer at Aderant , to talk about the mindset shift happening  across law firms worldwide. Aisling shares why AI conversations in law firms have shifted from curiosity to expectation to trust, and what it takes to build a...

You can't measure what you can't see. In this episode of Studio A, Will Ayers sits down with Rob Stote , Chief Product Officer at BigHand , to talk about what operational visibility really means for law firms and why the firms that can see their data clearly are the ones making better, faster, and more confident decisions. Rob breaks down the difference between applied AI and foundational models,...

In a world where every firm has access to the same AI tools, the real differentiator is still the people behind them. In this episode of Studio A, Will Ayers sits down with Nate Skinner , Chief Revenue & Marketing Officer at 8am to talk about what trust and compliance really mean for law firms handling financial transactions at scale, why the human element matters more than ever in the age of...

Will Ayers sits down with Aderant SVP of Product Management and AI, Lisa Erickson for a deep dive in what agentic AI actually means for law firm operations. Lisa breaks down the limits of Work-To-Cash and how Aderant is fixing it, what the Aderant Agent Center means for firms ready to move beyond manual or basic AI processes, and why the biggest barrier to AI adoption isn't the technology itself b...

In this episode of AI in Practice, Will Ayers sits down with Nicholas Wolter , Senior Director of Platform, Data and AI at Aderant , to break down what it actually takes to build an AI strategy that works for law firms. Nicholas shares how Stridyn evolved into a second brain for firms, why data cleanliness is the foundation on which every AI investment depends, and why the biggest win from AI isn'...

Law firms in the 80s thought it would be reasonable to opt out of the then-new technology, email. AI is facing the same moment today. In this episode of State of Innovation, Will Ayers sits down with Aderant President and CEO Chris Cartrett on what it really means for law firms to lead in the age of AI. Chris shares Aderant's vision for the AI-native law firm, why the legal back office is the foun...

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 l...

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 P...

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 ser...

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...

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 ind...

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...

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 innovat...

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 platf...

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, the...

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 th...

In this episode of Studio A, Will Ayers reconnects with Andy Hoyt , Chief Technology Officer at Aderant , for a conversation recorded live at Momentum Global 2025. Andy explains how MADDI has progressed from a rule-based engine into an Agentic AI system that continuously learns, automates complex workflows, and supports law firms with intelligent recommendations.  He outlines the distinction betwe...

In this episode of Studio A, we sit down with Robyn Brown , Co-Founder and CEO of Bold Idea , a nonprofit organization providing computer science education to underserved students in Dallas.  Robyn shares her inspirations for starting Bold Idea and the impact of mentorship on young people. And why accessible, hands-on coding opportunities are essential for the next generation of innovators. We als...

In this episode of Studio A, Will Ayers sits down with Norm Mullock , Global Head of Corporate Development and Alliances at Harbor , for a clear look at how law firms can approach digital transformation with confidence.  Recorded at Momentum Global 2025 in Dallas, Norm walks through the core strategies Harbor uses to help law firms prepare for cloud migration and AI integration, as well as manage...

In this episode of Studio A, Will Ayers connects with Allie Tyler , Director of Financial Services at Baker Botts , to explore how one of the world’s top law firms approaches innovation with intention.  From cloud migration to AI adoption, Allie shares how her team evaluates tools, manages transitions, and builds long-standing vendor relationships to keep operations running efficiently. She discus...

In this episode of Studio A, Will Ayers is joined by Gwen Hess and Samantha Chopus of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani to talk technology, culture, and collaboration in the modern law firm industry.  Gwen shares how GRSM approaches software decisions, from embracing real-time API integration to utilizing tools that reinforce compliance with outside counsel guidelines. She reflects on the value of int...

In this episode of Studio A, Will Ayers sits down with Aderant Chief Client Officer Josiah Chaves to explore how legal tech solutions are built around real client needs.  Josiah shares his journey from sales to product leadership, which shaped his approach to trust, alignment, and user experience. The conversation touches on Aderant’s latest developments in cloud-based AR and GL, the role of AI in...