Can lawyers become more commercially capable without losing sight of ethics, service and professional responsibility?

In this episode, Chantal McNaught speaks with Alistair Marshall about the balance between law as a profession and law as a business.

They explore why modern lawyers need to understand clients, build relationships and develop sustainable practices, without allowing commercial pressure to override professional responsibility or client care.

They also discuss the role of AI in legal work and business development, including the importance of quality control, confidentiality, supervision and using time saved by technology to improve the human side of legal service.

💡 Key takeaways:

→ Commercial awareness and ethical practice can work together
→ Legal work should never become purely transactional
→ AI adoption still requires judgement, supervision and accountability
→ Time saved through technology can be reinvested into better client service
→ “Great service” is only a differentiator if clients can actually see and validate it

A thoughtful conversation about building stronger legal practices without losing sight of what the profession is there to do.

“Software today is about connection.”

Tim Kenney recently sat down with Steven Wang, CEO of Matteroom, for a conversation about what makes legal technology genuinely useful.

AI may be moving quickly, but Steven believes the fundamentals still matter:

Good data.
Open systems.
Reliable integrations.
Technology that works with the tools firms already use.

Because even the most advanced AI won’t deliver meaningful results if the underlying data is poor or the systems can’t communicate.

Steven also shared how his engineering background influences the way he approaches innovation—from building scalable technology to creating a culture where his team regularly explores new ideas.

A thoughtful conversation about AI, integration and why strong engineering still matters in legal tech.

#PeopleInLegal #LegalTech #ILTACON #LegalInnovation #ArtificialIntelligence #LegalAI #LegalTechnology #FutureOfLaw #LawFirms

𝗙𝗶𝘅 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺.

David Woolstencroft had a great conversation with Makayla Gills, Founder of SBP Solutions, about what really happens behind the scenes of running and growing a law firm.

From trust accounts and practice management to automation, systems and growth, Makayla’s work is about helping firms step back from the immediate issue and look at the bigger picture.

What’s causing the bottleneck, and what can be improved so the firm runs more smoothly moving forward?

💡 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀:

→ Strong systems create a better foundation for growth.

→ The visible issue is often connected to a broader workflow or process.

→ AI is moving quickly, but firms still need to think carefully about confidentiality, risk and how people actually use the tools.

→ Technology can remove repetitive work, but human judgement and communication still matter.

→ As firms grow, maintaining trust and client service becomes even more important.
A very practical conversation about systems, growth, AI and building stronger law firm operations.

#PeopleInLegal #LegalTech #LegalInnovation #LawFirms #LegalOperations #PracticeManagement #LegalAI #FutureOfLaw #LegalIndustry

💡 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱.

David Woolstencroft had a great conversation with Carl Olson about how AI is changing far more than legal productivity.

It’s reshaping client expectations, service delivery, pricing, legal talent and ultimately what law firms are actually selling.

💡 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀:

→ Clients increasingly expect advice to be faster, more contextual and more fit for purpose.

→ AI may allow smaller and mid-market firms to take on work that previously sat outside their economic reach.

→ Firms that help clients do more themselves may actually strengthen long-term relationships rather than simply lose billable work.

→ The legal AI market is becoming crowded fast, making tool selection, cost and integration increasingly important.

One thing is clear:

𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

#PeopleInLegal #LegalTech #LegalInnovation #LegalAI #FutureOfLaw #LawFirms #ClientValue #ArtificialIntelligence #LegalIndustry

𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗦𝗼 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁?

At Legaltech Hub 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗦𝘆𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘆, David Woolstencroft caught up with Allegra Spender, 𝗙𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗪𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵, for a conversation about Australia's place in the AI era.

From Australia's competitive advantages to the risks of deepfakes, privacy and workforce disruption, Allegra shared her perspective on balancing innovation with the right guardrails.

💡 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀:

→ Australia has an opportunity to embrace AI, but adoption needs to be accompanied by appropriate safeguards.

→ Government can help build the environment for innovation through skills, infrastructure, procurement and access to capital.

→ AI could improve public services, including potentially 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲.

→ Education needs stronger connections between universities, professions and real-world experience.

→ The question isn't whether Australia adopts AI, but 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱.

A fascinating conversation about what it could take for Australia to stay competitive while navigating one of the biggest technological shifts of our time.

#PeopleInLegal #LegaltechHub #LegalTech #ArtificialIntelligence #LegalAI #Innovation #FutureOfLaw #AccessToJustice #FutureOfWork

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵?

At LegalTechTalk, Redmond Lee caught up with Michael Culver, Founder of Culver Law Ltd, to hear the perspective of a smaller law firm navigating an increasingly crowded technology landscape.

For Michael, the priority is simple: 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲.

His clients often come to the firm during some of the most difficult moments in their lives. Technology can help lawyers respond faster, communicate better and remove unnecessary admin, but it can't replace the empathy those clients need.

💡 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀:

→ Start with the problem you want technology to solve.

→ Efficiency should ultimately translate into better client service.

→ For smaller firms, the answer may be a suite of solutions, not one silver bullet.

→ AI can support the lawyer, but human empathy still matters.

As Michael put it, when choosing technology:

"𝗔𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗲."

#LegalTechTalk #PeopleInLegal #LegalTech #LegalInnovation #LegalAI #LawFirms #ClientExperience #FutureOfLaw #LegalTechnology

𝗜𝗳 𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗮𝘄𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸, 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻?

At Legaltech Hub 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗦𝘆𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘆, Chantal McNaught caught up with three brilliant minds working across legal learning and innovation:

Terri Mottershead, Director & Owner at 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴

Kate Booth, Head of Learning & Development at MinterEllison

Carolyn Austin, Regional Practice Innovation Counsel at K&L Gates

Fresh from their session on rethinking legal learning in the AI era, they continued the conversation with People in Legal.

Their message? AI literacy isn't simply about teaching lawyers how to use another tool.

It's about 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 into the way legal work is actually done.

💡 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀:

→ Create safe spaces for people to experiment and make mistakes.

→ Normalise AI as part of everyday legal work.

→ Focus on team and client outcomes, not simply individual AI usage.

→ Lifelong learning, unlearning and relearning will become increasingly important.

→ AI is also creating entirely new career paths within legal.

And perhaps the best advice for anyone feeling overwhelmed by the pace of change: 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿!

#PeopleInLegal #LegaltechHub #LegalTech #LegalInnovation #LegalAI #FutureOfLaw #LearningAndDevelopment #FutureSkills #ArtificialIntelligence

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗹𝗮𝘄𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗲𝗿𝗮?

At Legaltech Hub 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗦𝘆𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘆, our host Chantal McNaught caught up with Raymond Sun, Founder of LegalQuants, to talk about the skills defining the next generation of lawyers.

Raymond's philosophy? "𝙎𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙯𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙚."

It's not about having the most sophisticated technology. It's about knowing how to get the most from the tools you have and using them to solve real client problems.

💡 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀:

→ AI fluency is about more than technical ability.

→ The strongest lawyers will combine technology with client service, communication and commercial thinking.

→ Tools will come and go. Solving the client's problem remains the North Star.

→ Sometimes the best solution doesn't need fancy technology at all.

A great conversation about lawyers who aren't just discussing the future of law.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆'𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁.

#PeopleInLegal #LegaltechHub #LegalTech #LegalInnovation #LegalAI #FutureOfLaw #ArtificialIntelligence #FutureSkills #LegalQuants