The PERSUIT Podcast

Most legal AI conversations happen in the abstract. Not for Justine Campbell, Chief Legal Officer at National Grid. National Grid runs the electricity and gas transmission networks across the UK and the US, and literally keeps the lights on. In this episode, Justine joins PERSUIT COO Michelle Landy to talk about what AI adoption actually looks like when your industry is heavily regulated, your cus...

What does it take to stand out, stay human, and lead with authenticity in legal marketing? 💡 In this episode of The PERSUIT Podcast, host Alex Bullington sits down with Rachael Shilling, Director of Marketing & Client Services at Liskow, for an honest, energizing conversation about: 🚀 Standing Out in a Crowded Market How a 90-year-old regional firm competes with global giants by doubling dow...

It's a special crossover episode of the PERSUIT Podcast this week as we re-play Jim Delkousis' recent interview with Mary O'Carroll on the Pearls On Gloves Off podcast . The two cover a lot of ground, including: Leading legal like a business The AI reckoning of the billable hour The hot topic of reverse auctions Big thank yous to Mary and her team for letting us share this episode. You can subscri...

From re-thinking the billable hour with Effective Fee Arrangements to building trust through transparency, Chris shares how clients and law firms can work smarter—not harder. Discover why the right people, the right data, and the right conversations are key to driving change in the legal industry. The world's top in-house teams aren't just managing their firms — they're mobilizing value. PERSUIT ....

In this episode, Chris Perry, VP of Sales at Apperio, joins the PERSUIT Podcast to unpack why accruals are such a persistent challenge in legal ops—and how to fix them. From inaccurate estimates to strained client–firm communication, accruals impact far more than just finance. Key takeaways: Why hourly billing makes accruals inherently messy The pitfalls of relying on law firm estimates How Apperi...

In this episode of the PERSUIT podcast, host Chris Albrecht speaks with Maui Guevero, Senior Manager for the Legal Advisory Team at PERSUIT. They discuss the evolving landscape of client-firm relationships, the intricacies of law firm pricing strategies, and the critical role of communication in legal services. The conversation also delves into the impact of AI on legal work and how it is reshapin...

Jordan Weinstein , VP of Data & Growth at PERSUIT, shares insights around legal pricing trends for FinServ clients and AFAs, including: Do FinServ clients pay less? Why have some key cost-driving activities in AFAs plateaued in recent years? How can clients and firms take advantage of this research? The PERSUIT Podcast delivers deep discussions around the innovations happening in the legal spa...

Dr. Sebastian Lochen, the General Counsel and Head of Compliance at Thyssenkrupp, shares his professional journey within the company, where he began his career in the compliance department in 2011 and rose to lead the legal function in 2021. Throughout the discussion, Dr. Lochen emphasizes the significance of embedding the legal team within the business units to ensure proactive support and early...

In this episode, Cynthia Lareine interviews Samallie Kiyingi, the global General Counsel for Corporate Investment Banking at Standard Chartered Bank. The two talk about Samallie's impressive career journey, emphasizing her transitions across prestigious organizations like Afreximbank, Clifford Chance, Deutsche Bank, and Standard Chartered Bank. Despite initially focusing on international law and h...

In this episode, Jim Delkousis, CEO of PERSUIT, sits down with Tia Sherringham, General Counsel at DoorDash , to explore how legal can be a true business partner rather than just the department of “no.” Tia shares her journey from being the second lawyer at DoorDash to leading a global legal team of 150 , navigating the company through hypergrowth, the pandemic pivot , and its IPO . She also dives...

In this episode of the Innovative Legal Leadership Podcast, Jim Delkousis sits down with Lynn Charytan, the Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Comcast Cable. Lynn traces her career journey, starting from her early days at the Washington Post, moving on to a 17-year tenure at WilmerHale as a partner, and finally transitioning to Comcast in 2010. She describes the challenges she faced i...

Angelique Strong Marks , Chief Legal Officer, Corporate Secretary, and Chief Compliance Officer at Cars.com , joins us to discuss what it truly means to win as in-house counsel.  She emphasizes the importance of understanding a company’s business goals and aligning legal strategies accordingly.  Angelique also explores how AI is transforming the legal field, allowing lawyers to focus on more strat...

Nisreen Al-Shaker , Global Head of Legal Operations and Strategy — Legal and Compliance at Nokia , didn’t passionately pursue legal ops. Instead, her diverse experiences in multiple international legal departments naturally pushed her into the dynamic field. Nisreen believes an expansive skillset is essential to understanding the challenges that come with today’s lightning-fast change in the legal...

Damien Atkins , CLO and GC at Aura , a provider of online security solutions, has learned a lot about leadership during his extensive career spanning companies like AOL, Panasonic, and Hershey’s. His reputation has garnered him recognition in multiple publications, including recently being named as one of the most influential executives in Corporate America by Savoy Magazine. Yet he’s always chasi...

From Zimbabwe to Nairobi, Otilia Phiri has solidified her reputation as a leader in the African legal tech space. As Principal Corporate Counsel for the Africa Regional Cluster at Microsoft , she’s committed to transforming how legal departments support business objectives, promoting diverse perspectives and innovative approaches to in-house projects. Otilia gives us an exclusive peek into how Mic...

How does one begin to measure the social impact of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives in legal? And how can you get others to buy in? When Porter Merriman , VP & Assistant GC at AutoDesk , helped spearhead her department’s new DEIB program, she knew she couldn’t force people to be fully invested. But she could acknowledge and reward those who were. In this episode of our n...

Ulrike Schwarz-Runer , Managing Director and Senior Partner, GC and CLO at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), has long been a champion for DEI and psychological safety in the workplace. While she’s overseeing BCG’s global legal operations, she’s also leveraging her position to empower her people to feel safe and heard while participating in international forums on inclusivity. Ulrike shares how BCG is...

It takes everyone, from corporate leadership to interns, to drive successful DEI initiatives through an in-house legal department. So, when Forbes recognized NiSource as one of the top employers for diversity in the energy field in 2023, André Wright and his team knew their efforts had paid off. The VP & Deputy GC for NiSource joined us to talk about how they implemented their DEI strategy and...

Creating a positive culture is hard — especially in the legal space. Old institutions and ways of doing things are difficult to unseat, and modern corporate legal departments need to lean heavily into building culture that works for both the company and its people equally. Kailee Goold , VP of Litigation and Legal Operations at Cardinal Health , sits down with PERSUIT’s own Michelle Landy to discu...

As the Director of Legal Operations, Employment Law, and Litigation at Trend Micro , Brent Dyer is leading the transformation of legal operations within the multinational cybersecurity giant.  His journey from aspiring opera singer to legal innovator is not just a fascinating career transition but a testament to the dynamism and versatility required in the legal ops landscape. Brent joins us to un...

Most of our guests started their legal journeys in private law firms before pivoting to corporate in-house legal departments. In this insightful episode, the shoe is on the other foot. Veronica Gromada spent nearly 20 years with Walmart’s in-house legal department, leading teams of attorneys, paralegals, and various professionals and managing the retailer’s extensive tort litigation portfolio. Now...

The roles of chief legal officer or general counsel can mean different things in different corporate hierarchies. But if there’s one thing that Ben Adams has learned on his way to becoming CLO and Corporate Secretary at Western Union , it’s that those men and women must be true problem solvers. He’s always reminding his in-house team that a uniform legal background will only get them so far. It’s...

As AI tools continue to infiltrate the global workforce, how can legal ops teams separate relevant AI services from ill-fitting alternatives? And how can in-house teams best leverage some of these exciting new data models to make informed decisions? Sue Manik , Head of Supplier Performance at Standard Chartered Bank , believes that legal professionals must reevaluate how they think about data if t...

The role of the GC has come a long way since the days when everyone only wanted to work for big law firms. GCs have now evolved into a more strategic and important role within organizations, where lawyers are doing more of the legal work and interacting with the business.  For the role to continuously improve, lawyers must stay endlessly curious, evaluate what they’re doing and improve upon it, an...

If lawyers and the legal function are going to thrive in tomorrow’s workforce, they need to be tech-savvy, forward-thinking, and able to project manage. The legal landscape is in a constant state of evolution, and teams must embrace that change to stay ahead. They need to push alternative ways of doing things and work differently. This week, we're joined by Shane O’Connor , General Manager of Stra...