Dennis Garcia
Assistant General Counsel, Microsoft
The AI Dividend: Transforming Legal Work with Microsoft Copilot
How is generative AI reshaping the legal profession? Dennis Garcia, Assistant General Counsel at Microsoft, shares lessons from Microsoft’s journey as “Customer Zero” for Copilot. Discover how AI tools are boosting productivity, saving time, and unlocking opportunities for lawyers to focus on strategic work, deepen client relationships, and even invest in personal wellness. Learn practical use cases, career implications, and how to make the most of your “AI dividend.”
Tiffani Huynh
Director – Legal Innovation, Technology, and Analytics, DHL Supply Chain
The Core Skills Every Leader Needs to Foster Innovation
The Challenge: Innovation isn’t just about technology—it’s about people. But how do you cultivate an innovation mindset across your team?
The Reality: Leadership isn’t about waiting for the perfect opportunity—it’s about raising your hand and driving change.
The Solution: Tiffani breaks down:
- The core skills every legal ops leader needs to foster innovation
- How to identify and fill gaps in your team and organization
- Why stepping up—before you’re “ready”—is the key to career growth
Why Attend? If you’re looking to build influence, drive innovation, and take your career to the next level, don’t miss this session.
Dave Baffa
Partner, Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Client Delighters: How Tools and Tech Drive Premium Relationships
The Challenge: In a world where everyone claims excellence—and expects it from their service providers—how else can law firms drive and justify rates?
The Reality: Clients don’t just want fast service—they want sticky, practical solutions that make their lives easier and build long-term trust. So the answer lies in going beyond delivery to design: using tools and tech to shape standout client experiences.
The Solution: Seyfarth Shaw has invested in “client delighters”—smart, low-cost or no-cost self-service tools that create value upfront, foster deeper engagement, and reinforce premium advice with a premium experience.
David Baffa will share:
- Examples of how tech and knowledge management can deepen client relationships and drive loyalty—not just streamline work.
- Lessons learned from client collaboration and feedback.
- How legal ops and law firms can align around real business impact and client value.
Why Attend? This TED-style talk isn’t about selling tech—it’s about a mindset shift: using knowledge, tools, and design thinking to differentiate relationships, elevate the client experience, and ultimately justify pricing in a crowded market.
Timothy J. Fraser
VP, Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary
Toshiba America, Inc.
Beyond Legal Advice: Building a Future-Ready Legal Department
In this session, Tim shares his vision for the future of in-house legal teams, inspired by his experience leading Toshiba’s legal transformation. With a focus on aligning operations, risk, and strategy to maximize value creation by and for the company, he’ll outline practical steps for moving beyond reactive legal services to becoming a proactive business partner. Tim’s leadership philosophy offers a blueprint for creating a legal function that drives business objectives while navigating the ever-accelerating pace of change. Discover how to future-proof your legal team and maximize its organizational impact.
Laura Osach
Director, PwC
Meet your new colleague – An AI agent
Imagine walking into your office and being greeted by an AI agent capable of drafting legal documents and analyzing case law in seconds. As these agents become integral to the legal field, they promise to transform how we serve clients, practice law and operate law firms and legal departments. But how do we embrace this technology while upholding our core values of professional responsibility and ethics? Join us, as we explore the exciting potential and challenges of integrating AI into the legal world and discover how this digital revolution can coexist with the timeless principles of our profession.
Zach Posner
Co-Founder & Managing Director, The LegalTech Fund
Legal’s iPhone Moment: How AI and Investment Are Redefining the Industry
The Challenge: AI isn’t just a feature—it’s a business model shift. But most legal teams are stuck thinking about tools instead of transformation.
The Reality: Just like the iPhone revolutionized mobile tech, AI is fundamentally changing the economics of legal services. The leverage model is under pressure, non-lawyer-owned firms are rising, and automation is turning $30K legal services into $2K solutions.
The Solution: Zach Posner breaks down:
- Why legal tech investment has skyrocketed—and what that signals for the next decade
- The rise of fully tech-enabled legal services and how they’ll reshape the market
- The biggest misconception about AI in legal (hint: it’s not just about speed—it’s about scale)
Why Attend? If you think you understand AI’s impact on legal, think again. This session will challenge everything you thought you knew—and show you where the real disruption is happening.
Scott Milner
Global Head and Practice Group Leader of eData Practice Group, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
From Imposter Syndrome to Empowered Leadership
The Challenge: Stepping into a leadership role after a powerhouse predecessor can feel overwhelming—how do you lead without simply replicating what came before?
The Reality: Leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about empowering your team, making space for new ideas, and building a structure where others can thrive.
The Solution: Scott Milner shares real-world insights on:
- Overcoming imposter syndrome and leading with confidence
- Shifting from command-and-control leadership to distributed leadership
- Creating clear career paths to retain and grow top talent
Why Attend? If you’re stepping into a leadership role—or looking to develop the next generation of leaders—this session will give you the mindset and playbook to succeed.
Julie Richer
Senior Director Chief of Staff, Legal Operations, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
Reimagining Legal: How to Build a High-Impact, Future-Ready Law Department
The Challenge: Most legal teams want a seat at the table, but few transform their role in a way that fundamentally changes the business.
The Reality: True transformation requires more than process improvements—it demands a cultural shift, a new mission, and investment in people.
The Solution: Julie Richer shares a first-hand playbook on:
- Centralizing legal ops and redefining its role in business decision-making
- Partnering with a visionary GC to redesign the department for long-term impact
- Why legal must move from “risk management” to “business acceleration”
Why Attend? If you want to build a future-proof, high-value legal department—not just an efficient one—this is the session you need.
Shane Valdez
Founder, CEO, SuperFile
The Encryption Illusion—Why Our Data Isn’t Safe (And What to Do About It), Unleak the Leak
The Challenge: You think your files are protected—stored in the cloud, locked with encryption, and shared securely. But cybercriminals don’t hack encryption; they bypass it.
The Reality: 50% of breaches happen inside “secure” cloud environments. The second a file is opened, encryption is useless. Even the most “secure” systems are exposed to External, internal and non-human threats.
The Solution: This session breaks down:
- The top security myths that put businesses at risk
- The future of cybersecurity: files that protect themselves
- Trackable, unhackable, and takebackable files on any device, anywhere, even after download.
Why Attend? If your team shares, stores, or downloads sensitive files, you need an security strategy that actually works. Learn how to stay ahead of hackers—before they make you their next target.
Bradley Johnston
Former Legal Chief of Staff and Director of Operations, SunPower Corporation
How to Get the Most Out of SOLID
SOLID isn’t just another conference—it’s a fast-moving think tank designed for action. Whether you’re a first-timer or a veteran, this session will give you the blueprint to maximize your time, make meaningful connections, and leave with real takeaways. Learn how to engage, contribute, and walk away smarter, more connected, and ready to turn insights into impact.
Managing Data Volume and Variety: Turning Overload into Strategic Insight
- Utilizing real-time data analytics to predict legal outcomes and risks
- Leveraging AI to sift through vast amounts of legal data efficiently
How to Upskill and Reskill Legal Teams
- Identify skill gaps and future needs
- Leverage tailored learning programs
- Create a continuous learning culture
Breaking Down Silos: Rethinking Relationship Across the Legal Ecosystem
- How is the traditional relationship between in-house, external counsel, and legal tech providers changing the broader legal ecosystem?
- How can in-house teams make the best use of tight budgets while delivering excellent performance?
- How do you cultivate and maintain an accord that delivers value on both sides?
Legal Data Intelligence: From Reactive to Proactive Insights
- How legal departments are using data analytics to predict risks, trends, and opportunities.
- Implementing data-driven decision-making: Tools, technologies, and challenges for in-house teams.
- The future of legal analytics: Moving beyond data collection to actionable intelligence that drives business impact.
Harnessing Generative AI for Legal Transformation
- Case studies on successful GAI integration in law departments, focusing on efficiency, cost reduction, and enhanced decision-making.
- Legal AI ethics: Addressing risks, challenges, and governance in the evolving AI-driven legal landscape.
Real-World Impact of Copilot on Legal Teams: Efficiency, Accuracy, and Collaboration
- Explore specific examples of how legal teams have integrated Copilot into their operations.
- Discover the measurable improvements in efficiency, accuracy, and collaboration.
- Lessons learned from successful implementations and best practices for maximizing Copilot’s potential.
The Future of Law Department Leadership: Driving Innovation and Growth
- The evolving role of legal leadership: NextGEN technology, automation, and digital transformation.
- Strategies to foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and talent development within law departments.
- Metrics that matter: KPIs for measuring success in innovation and talent flow in law firms.
Sandboxing and Implementation of New Legal Technologies
- How is sandboxing playing a role in the implementation of new legal technologies?
- What benefits come from creating controlled environments for testing and experimentation?
Creating Value—or Not!—with Gen AI and Legal Tech
- How are legal leaders advising their businesses on when and how to use generative AI tools?
- How is this creating value for the business—or is the technology not yet ready for prime time?
- How are they working with vendors to lessen the pain of adoption and implementation?
Best Practices for Technology Adoption by Legal Departments
- What are the best practices for technology adoption within legal departments, from initial assessment to full-scale implementation?
- What case studies highlight successful adoptions, common pitfalls, and strategies for gaining buy-in from key stakeholders?
- How can legal teams confidently embrace innovation?
Change Management Success Stories in Legal Tech
- What are the most inspiring change management success stories in legal technology?
- How have legal teams overcome resistance, fostered a culture of innovation, and achieved remarkable transformations?
- What practical insights and strategies can be applied to lead your own change initiatives effectively?
Your Career is Jungle Gym and Not a Ladder - Emerging and Evolving Roles
- How are non-traditional career paths reshaping the future of legal professionals, offering more dynamic opportunities for growth?
- What new, high-impact roles are emerging that allow you to pivot, innovate, and gain a competitive edge in the legal industry?
- How can legal professionals strategically navigate these evolving roles to accelerate career growth and lead transformative change within their organizations?
Global Talent Dynamics: Redefining Roles and Skillsets in Legal Space
- The rise of new legal roles: Legal COO, Innovation Officers, and Data Chiefs.
- Bridging the gap: How to upskill and reskill legal teams to meet the demands of a tech-driven world.
- Global talent trends: Remote work, flexible teams, and sourcing top-tier talent across borders.
Agenda
- Opening Remarks by David Cowen
- Welcoming Remarks by Chicago Managing Partner
- How to Get the Most Out of SOLID
- The Core Skills Every Leader Needs to Foster Innovation
- Legal’s iPhone Moment: How AI and Investment Are Redefining the Industry
- Morning Break
- From Imposter Syndrome to Empowered Leadership
- Beyond Legal Advice: Building a Future-Ready Legal Department
- The Encryption Illusion—Why Our Data Isn’t Safe (And What to Do About It), Unleak the LeakSpeakers:
- Gourmet Lunch
- The AI Dividend: Transforming Legal Work with Microsoft Copilot
- Meet your new colleague – An AI agentSpeakers:
- Break
- Emerging and Evolving Roles in the Legal Space
- Town Hall & Wrap Up
- Cocktails
Residence Inn Chicago Downtown/Loop
