AI AND OUTSIDE COUNSEL GUIDELINES ROUNDTABLE
• Rates, Fees & Increases • AI Opportunities and Risks
• Engagement Letters • Conflict Waivers
• Law Firm General Counsel Role
• Data Privacy, Cybersecurity
• Training, Engagement, Judgement
October 8, 2026
8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. CT
McDermott Will & Schulte
444 West Lake Street
Chicago
Our panelists will share their collective wisdom about AI and OCGs and engagement letters. OCGs are more complicated than ever, but also more important than ever. Firms want to reap the benefits of AI. However, guardrails are necessary to protect against mistakes and missteps.
What are the best ways to organize your responses, ensure compliance, and keep the client informed? What are the best operational mechanisms for complying with OCGs, E-billing and collections? Who should handle requests for exceptions, variances, or alternate methods for compliance? Role of firm General Counsel.
Client Relationships; Use of AI in Practice; AI Tools: Evaluating Capabilities
Using AI continues to move ahead at a faster pace than ever was thought. This puts AI in OCGs in the limelight; helpful to building and cementing client relationships; but important for firms to process and manage efficiently. How can firms work with clients to collaborate on AI solutions?
Benefits and Risks of AI: Opportunities and Challenges
Firms are using AI in all kinds of ways; for research, RFPs, briefs, reports, etc. However, many firms are refining processes and technology to more easily process and manage OCGs. Professional responsibility requirements
What are the next steps? Firms need to understand client needs for AI solutions in order to collaborate with them. Legal and ethical risks are priority issues.
Role of General Counsel at Firms; Understanding Engagement Letters and How They Differ from OCGs
Many firms receive engagement letters from clients. How firms differentiate OCGs in engagement letters will be a topic of discussion? How do clients handle OCGs? When clients change the rules without fully informing the law firm involved, what do you do?
Experienced & Knowledgeable Faculty Includes:
Murray Coffey, Chief of Staff and Senior Strategic Advisor, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, Chicago
Charlie Connor, Director, Client Technology Solutions, Reed Smith Legal Solutions, Chicago
Linda M. Doyle, General Counsel and Partner, McDermott Will & Schulte, Chicago
John Elbasan, Chief Digital and Information Officer, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, New York
John Hamill, Partner, DLA Piper US, Chicago
Gilbert S. Keteltas, Partner, BakerHostetler, Washington, D.C.
Daniel I. Konieczny, Partner, Tabet, DiVito & Rothstein, Chicago
Daniel W. Linna Jr., Northwestern Pritzker School of Law & McCormick School of Engineering, Senior Lecturer & Director of Law and Technology Initiatives, CodeX – The Stanford Center for Legal Informatics, Affiliated Faculty, Chicago (Moderator)
Silvia LeBlanc, Senior Director, Legal Technology and Innovation, Mayer Brown, New York
Cristina Messerschmidt, Partner, Baker & McKenzie LLP, Chicago
M. Sean Radcliffe, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, R1 RCM, Denver
Cristina Messerschmidt, Partner, Baker McKenzie, Chicago
Kyle D. Rettberg, Partner & General Counsel, Litigation & Disputes, Neal Gerber Eisenberg, Chicago
Alex Schnepf, Head of Legal Engineering, Product Specialists, Harvey, Chicago
Evan Shenkman, Chief Knowledge and Innovation Officer, Formerly Fisher & Phillips LLP, Murray Hill, NJ
John R. Storino, Partner, Jenner & Block, Chicago
Joel A. Wirchin, Senior Director, Legal Strategy, Williams Lea, New York
Topics for Discussion: 8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. CT
Panel 1: AI and Outside Counsel Guidelines, Engagement Letters, Role of General Counsel
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Law firm views and perspectives in light of current economic and geo-political trends. How are OCGs broadening in scope to encompass AI?
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Role of the General Counsels Office
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How to handle AI updates to guidelines
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How do firms review and comply with hundreds of different outside counsel guidelines using AI?
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Role of firm General Counsel; staying on top of OCGs
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Engagement letters vary from firm to firm
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How to resolve conflicts and handle waivers
Panel 2: Using and Adopting AI Solutions Strategy: Negotiating with and solving client needs
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Change management techniques. Adoption of AI technology for OCGs and engagement letters; firm policies vs reality
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Ethics, risk avoidance and model rules applying to data solutions and AI
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Implementing AI: Pricing increases, rate structures, variable rate models
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AI and analytics including measurement, monitoring and metrics
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E-billing, interpreting time entries: special problem of “blocked” time
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Time management and cost savings
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Use of tokens
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Optimizing client satisfaction: using third party resources and AI
Panel 3: AI Uses and Fees
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Operational issues
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Staffing and outsourcing
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Working with third party vendors
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E-billing, managing compliance
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Dealing with various types of fee arrangements including discounting, alternative fees, success fees
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Implementing process refinements, reengineering, technology
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Investments in technology and AI; budgeting
Panel 4: Managing AI Risks
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Fee arrangements, rates, alternative fee arrangements
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Requirements by clients--more data, subjects, policies, AI
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Reporting, security and compliance (including alternative methods).
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Keeping clients informed
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Handling exceptions, variances, waivers
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Best practices
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Partner cooperation regarding timeliness, specificity, firm guidelines, penalties
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E-billing accuracy. Does e-billing help to strengthen the process? Meeting client demands for billing enforcement, disputes
Who Should Attend?
Law Firm Leaders including Partners, Practice Group Leaders, General Counsel of Firms,
Business Services Leaders including COOs, CFOs, CEOs, Chief of Staff, C-Level Executives
CLE credit has been applied for.
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About the Organizer:
Sandpiper Partners is dedicated to helping law firms, companies and non-profits achieve greater success in their endeavors including expanding existing activities and entering new lines of business. For 17 years Sandpiper has led the way in innovative business management solutions and education in the postgraduate legal field including running as many as 40 events a year for clients on various aspects of the business of law and substantive law topics. Its clients are located throughout the United States and Europe, and it has completed projects in more than a dozen U.S. cities, London, and continental Europe.
www.sandpiperpartners.com
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About the Premier Sponsor:
Williams Lea is the global provider of skilled business-critical support services to financial, legal and professional services firms. We connect people, processes and technology to manage documents and streamline key operational functions. From our humble beginnings as a financial printer in London, to our position today as a global outsourcing leader, our business is built on a strong heritage, great relationships and a talented team. Our 6,000 worldwide employees work onsite at clients and onshore/offshore at Williams Lea operations providing unrivalled support and helping clients transform their support operations.
With revenues of over €400 million, Williams Lea is backed by Advent International, one of the largest global private equity investors.
www.williamslea.com
