NYC, here we come! Legalweek 2025 starts today with a full day of sessions! Here are the Monday Legalweek 2025 sessions to check out!

Legalweek 2025 will be conducted today through Thursday. As always, it will be held at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York City. Here’s the detailed agenda for the conference. I also published a word cloud based on the agenda yesterday to give you a sense of the topics in this year’s conference.

You can still register for Legalweek 2025 here and the pricing is here. Each day, I’ll cover what’s going on at the conference in terms of sessions related to eDiscovery, information governance, cybersecurity, data privacy and artificial intelligence – so much so, I’d have to clone myself to catch them all!

Sessions

With that in mind, here’s a list of the Monday Legalweek 2025 sessions of note you may want to check out, along with the location (all times ET):

9:30 AM – 10:30 AM

The State of AI in the Legal Industry (Mercury Ballroom)

The opening presentation and panel provide a comprehensive update on the current state of AI adoption and use within the legal sector. Experts from law firms, corporate legal departments, and technology providers will discuss the progress made in AI applications over the past few years, key trends driving change, and the challenges that remain. The panel will offer insights into the areas where AI has proven transformative and where it has fallen short, highlighting issues such as operational hurdles, vendor fatigue, and the growing importance of data governance and client expectations.  Throughout the day, this session will set the stage for a deeper exploration of AI’s role and potential in legal practice. Discussion topics include:

• Key milestones in AI adoption across the legal industry and lessons learned over the past two years
• Emerging trends in AI technology for legal practice, including advancements in automation, predictive analytics, and document management
• Persistent challenges in operationalizing AI, including aligning AI solutions with client demands, data privacy concerns, and selecting sustainable vendor partnerships

Speakers:

• Danielle Benecke, Founder & Director, Baker Machine Learning Practice, Founder/Director, Baker McKenzie Applied AI
• Jeff Reihl, Chief Technology Officer, LexisNexis
• Ilona Logvinova, Director of Practice Innovation, Cleary Gottlieb
• Marina Kaganovich, Office of the CISO, AMERS FSI Executive Trust Lead, Google Cloud
• Ryan Phelan, US Patent Attorney and Partner, Marshall Gerstein & Borun LLP

11:30 AM – 1:00 PM

Operation Safe Spaces: Fostering Inclusive and Respectful Professional Environments (Rendezvous Trianon)

Join us for an engaging and interactive session inspired by the mission and initiatives of Operation Safe Spaces, a task force committed to fostering safety and mutual respect across the global legal and legal technology industries. We will explore key strategies and frameworks designed to drive lasting cultural change in professional environments.

Participants will gain valuable insights into effective methods and innovative solutions to overcome systemic challenges, including educational programs, advocacy efforts, training initiatives, and guidance for ensuring safe events and workplaces. Through collaborative discussions and interactive activities, you’ll leave with practical, actionable steps to promote safety, respect, and inclusivity within your organization.

Your voice matters! Share your ideas, contribute your experiences, and be a part of shaping a brighter, safer future for our industry.

Speakers:

• Lea Bays, Partner, Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP
• Emily Miles, Executive Director, New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault
• Monica Harris, Exhibit Representative, mmData
• Dionne Penager, Director – Global HRBP Team, Relativity

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM

Benefits, Boundaries, and Best Practices for Partnering With Your Business Units (Trianon Ballroom)

As legal departments take on more strategic roles, GCs are expected to act as integral business partners. This session explores how GCs can be deeply involved in guiding business decisions while remaining vigilant to potential risks. Participants will explore real-life scenarios of GCs who have navigated the complexities of strategic partnerships. A facilitated discussion will focus on boundaries, benefits, and lessons learned. Discussion topics include:

• Practical approaches for balancing legal oversight with business-driven goals
• How to Identify and manage risks of close partnerships, especially in high-stakes scenarios
• Lessons from seasoned GCs on avoiding common pitfalls in strategic business alignment

Speakers:

• Alysia Dagadu, General Counsel, Relias LLC
• Marla Crawford, General Counsel, Cimplifi
• Dan Ruderman, Strategic Partnership Director, LexisNexis
• Heather Nevitt, Editor-in-Chief, Corporate Coverage, ALM, ALM

Reviewing Your Review Process: Getting Meaningful and Actionable Feedback (Beekman)

Today the ability to receive and provide effective feedback is more critical than ever. But how can you ensure that the feedback you give—and receive—leads to improvement? In this session, we will dive into the nuances of refining your review process to make feedback more meaningful, actionable, and aligned with your goals.

Participants will learn how to:

• Identify common pitfalls in feedback processes that prevent actionable insights.
• Develop strategies for soliciting feedback that is specific, constructive, and relevant.
• Create a feedback culture that encourages open communication and continuous improvement.
• Refine your review framework to focus on results-oriented feedback that drives growth and development.

Whether you’re a manager, team leader, or individual contributor, this session will equip you with the tools to ensure that your feedback is not only heard but put into action, leading to more effective collaboration and better outcomes for your team and organization.

Speakers:

• Debbie Foster, CEO, Affinity Consulting Group
• Tiana Van Dyk, Managing Director, Epiq
• Beth Thompson, VP Market Growth, Mid-Market, Actionstep

1:31 PM – 3:00 PM

Evolving Jurisprudence: Key Court Rulings Shaping the Use of E-Discovery Technology (Sutton Center)

This session will explore the significant impact of recent court rulings on the technological tools used in eDiscovery. As legal teams increasingly rely on technology-assisted review (TAR), predictive coding, and AI technology to manage large-scale data, courts are establishing precedents that determine the admissibility and reliability of these tools. This session will highlight how courts are interpreting these advancements, setting the stage for new standards in eDiscovery. Attendees will also gain practical insights into how these rulings affect day-to-day discovery practices and strategies.

Speakers:

• Ruth Hauswirth, Special Counsel, Head of Litigation & eDiscovery and Information Retention Counseling, Cooley LLP
• Dawson Horn, President, BUiLT
• Jeremiah Wikler, Partner, Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P.
• Phil Favro, Special Master, Mediator, Expert Witness, Innovative Driven
• Hon. Andrew Peck (Ret.), Senior Counsel, DLA Piper
• Sherry Levin Wallach, Deputy Executive Director, The Legal Aid Society of Westchester County

2:45 PM – 3:45 PM

Compliance, Privacy and Information Management: Reducing Risk Through Collaboration and Integration (Nassau)

In today’s complex regulatory environment, poor practices in information management and privacy can significantly elevate compliance risks. When these critical areas operate in silos, the potential for lapses and vulnerabilities increases exponentially. This one-hour presentation will explore the interconnections between information management, privacy, and compliance, emphasizing the risks that arise when these functions are not aligned. Attendees will gain insights into the benefits of integrating these three disciplines into a cohesive team, including improved risk mitigation, enhanced data protection, and streamlined processes. Through practical examples and strategies, participants will learn how to break down silos and foster collaboration, ultimately driving stronger organizational resilience and compliance.

Speakers:

• Jacki Cheslow, Independent Consultant, OMC Consulting Services LLC
• Susan Gleason, Head of Information Governance, Withers Worldwide
• Kathryn Rattigan, Partner, Robinson & Cole LLP

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

AI Governance and Information Governance (Nassau)

As organizations increasingly embrace artificial intelligence (AI) to drive innovation and efficiency, a crucial question emerges: how do we ensure it’s used for good? How can we ensure AI tools are fair and unbiased?

AI Governance will steer us towards a future where AI’s benefits are maximized and its risks minimized. AI Governance is critical for mitigating risks like bias, privacy violations, and non-compliance, ultimately leading to more reliable, trustworthy, and responsible AI applications.

In this session we will discuss:

• What is AI Governance and Why do we need AI Governance (Nassau)
• AI Governance Best Practices
• Role of Information Governance professionals in supporting AI Governance

Speaker:

• Priya Keshav, Founder and CEO, Meru Data LLC

In addition to these Monday Legalweek 2025 sessions, there’s the Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Awards Cocktail Reception and Dinner (by invitation only). And, of course, the happy hours and events are gearing up as well. It’s a Legalweek tradition!

So, what do you think of the Monday Legalweek 2025 sessions?  Are you attending Legalweek 2025 this week? If so and if you see me, say hi!  And please share any comments you might have or if you’d like to know more about a particular topic.

Disclaimer: The views represented herein are exclusively the views of the authors and speakers themselves, and do not necessarily represent the views held by my employer, my partners or my clients. eDiscovery Today is made available solely for educational purposes to provide general information about general eDiscovery principles and not to provide specific legal advice applicable to any particular circumstance. eDiscovery Today should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a lawyer you have retained and who has agreed to represent you.