In this episode of Beacon Voices, Akshay Verma (COO at SpotDraft) sits down with Shana Simmons, Chief Legal Officer at Zendesk, and Catherine Choe, Chief of Staff to the CLO, to explore what it takes to build a high-performing legal organization in the age of AI.

Drawing on their experience leading legal teams at scale, Shana and Catherine discuss the unique partnership between a Chief Legal Officer and Chief of Staff, why legal teams should measure success by business impact rather than activity, and how Legal Ops creates the foundation for operational excellence. They also share practical advice on implementing legal technology, avoiding common transformation pitfalls, and adopting AI in a way that empowers people instead of simply automating work.

Whether you're a General Counsel, Legal Ops professional, or in-house lawyer, this episode offers actionable insights on scaling legal teams, driving organizational change, and preparing the legal function for an AI-enabled future.   

Topics
Introduction: 00:00
How a Chief Legal Officer and Chief of Staff Build a High-Trust Partnership: 02:07
Leading Legal Teams with Trust, Vision, and Shared Values: 05:09
Why Modern Legal Departments Must Prioritize Business Impact Over Busyness: 09:52
Creating High-Impact Legal Teams Through Mission, Performance, and Accountability: 15:57
Balancing Growth, Risk, and Stakeholder Expectations: 18:39
Building Systems That Scale Instead of Solving Every Problem Manually: 23:29
Culture vs. Mission: What Actually Drives High-Performing Legal Teams: 25:14
Unlocking Team Potential Through Purpose and Operational Excellence: 27:55
Common Mistakes in Legal Operations and Technology Implementation: 33:16
Why Legal Ops Should Focus on Business Outcomes, Not Just Software: 35:55
The Future of Legal Technology in the AI Era: 41:57
AI in Legal Departments: Tool or Game Changer?: 45:31
How Legal Teams Should Adopt AI Without Losing Focus on Business Impact: 47:15
The Skills Lawyers Need to Thrive in the Age of AI: 49:54   

Connect with us:
Shana Simmons - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shana-simmons/
Catherine Choe - https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetcatherinechoe/
Akshay Verma - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshay-verma-esq/
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft   

SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

EP 16: How Great Legal Teams Scale with AI, Legal Ops and Trust

In this episode of Beacon Voices, Akshay Verma (COO at SpotDraft) sits down with Sumeet Chugani, Legal Director at SpaceXAI (ex-Cloaked) to discuss his journey from litigation and financial services to leading legal at a fast-growing startup.  

Sumeet shares why he left law firm life, what it takes to become a true business partner, and how his experience in banking, product counseling, and Coinbase shaped his approach to legal leadership. The conversation also explores how AI is changing legal work, why young lawyers still need strong fundamentals, and how startups can scale without losing speed.  

Whether you're an aspiring in-house lawyer, legal leader, or founder, this episode offers practical insights on navigating career transitions, embracing AI, and building legal teams that enable business growth.  

Topics
Introduction: 00:00
Why Sumeet Chose Law School and His Early Career Aspirations: 01:25
Practicing Law During the Financial Crisis: 03:30
Why Legal Apprenticeship Still Matters: 10:36
Will AI Change How New Lawyers Learn Their Craft?: 14:40
Moving In-House: From Litigation to Business Strategy: 24:20
Building Consumer Banking Products and Becoming Product Counsel: 31:29
How Litigation Prepared Him for Product and Business Decisions: 38:19
Joining Coinbase and Building Products in Crypto: 40:24
Legal Operations, Process, and Scaling Without Slowing Down: 44:44
AI, Privacy, Security, and the Future of Legal Teams: 50:11
Advice for Young Lawyers and Taking Career Risks: 55:25  

Connect with us:
Sumeet Chugani - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sumeet-chugani/
Akshay Verma - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshay-verma-esq/
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft

SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues.  Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

EP 15: How AI Is Reshaping Legal Careers—Without Replacing Lawyers

In this episode of Beacon Voices, Akshay Verma (COO at SpotDraft) speaks with David Tudor, Group General Counsel at Prosus and Naspers, about what it takes to lead legal teams at scale in today’s fast-moving, tech-driven environment.  

David reflects on his career path from private practice in South Africa to overseeing legal strategy for a global technology powerhouse. He shares candid perspectives on how legal teams can prioritize better, move beyond routine work, and align more closely with business goals.  

The conversation also dives into the growing influence of AI on legal workflows and decision-making and what it means for the future of both in-house teams and law firms. This episode is packed with actionable ideas for legal professionals looking to elevate their impact and stay ahead in a rapidly changing landscape.

Topics
Introduction: 00:00
Why David Tudor Chose Law and Studied Business Science: 01:06
Life at the University of Edinburgh and Studying European Law: 04:18
Starting a Legal Career and Working on South Africa's First Mobile Network: 06:43
The In-House Experience That Changed His Career Path: 10:27
From Law Firm Lawyer to Business Partner: 14:41
Law Firm Life, Work-Life Balance, and Career Choices: 20:48
How the Role of the In-House Lawyer Has Evolved: 23:50
What Modern Legal Teams Should Stop Spending Time On: 29:51
Why Lawyers Need to Become Product Builders in the AI Era: 32:26
How AI Is Transforming Legal Departments and Law Firms: 34:50
Trusting AI: Risk, Regulation, and the Future of Legal Work: 39:06
Building High-Impact Legal Teams That Understand the Business: 50:00


Connect with us:
David Tudor - https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-tudor-4211a510/
Akshay Verma - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshay-verma-esq/
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft


SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

EP 14: Building High-Impact Legal Teams in the Age of AI | David Tudor

In this episode of Beacon Voices, Akshay Verma (COO at SpotDraft) sits down with Reese Arrowsmith to explore the evolution of legal operations over the last 25+ years.  

Reese shares his unconventional journey from environmental science to becoming one of the earliest leaders in legal operations, and reflects on how legal departments have transformed through the dot-com era, the 2008 financial crisis, and the rise of AI.  

The conversation dives into change management, legal tech adoption, outside counsel management, enterprise legal strategy, and why empowered legal operations teams are becoming critical in the AI era. Reese also discusses the future of legal engineering and knowledge management, and the importance of documenting the history of legal operations in the upcoming documentary Smooth Operator.  

If you're interested in legal operations, legal innovation, AI in legal, or the future of in-house legal teams, this episode is packed with practical insights and industry perspective.  



Topics
Introduction: 00:00
Reese Arrowsmith’s career journey from environmental science to legal operations: 00:57
Discovering legal operations through litigation support and problem-solving: 04:07
Early legal tech implementations and the evolution of data-driven legal operations: 06:23
Why change management is the biggest challenge in legal ops projects: 09:27
Building successful legal ops rollouts through stakeholder buy-in and communication: 11:02
Moving in-house: consulting, AIG, and learning legal department leadership during the financial crisis: 13:25
How the dot-com era, financial crisis, and COVID transformed legal operations: 17:00
The rise of legal operations communities, networking groups, and the ACC Legal Ops movement: 22:16
Evolution of the legal operations role from admins to enterprise strategy leaders: 24:46
The empowerment gap: why many legal ops teams still struggle to influence legal departments: 30:44
The future of legal operations and AI-driven transformation in legal departments: 32:50
Rethinking outside counsel relationships and the rise of legal engineering: 34:42
AI adoption challenges, legal department pilots, and the future of knowledge management: 38:30
“Smooth Operator”: documenting the history and future of legal operations: 41:41

Connect with us:
Reese Arrowsmith -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/reesearrowsmith/
Akshay Verma - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshay-verma-esq/
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft



SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

EP 13: Why Legal Operations Is Critical in the AI Era

In this episode of Beacon Voices, Akshay Verma speaks with Susan Packal, Head of Global Legal Operations and Chief of Staff at Avalara, about the creation of a first-of-its-kind documentary on the history and evolution of legal operations.  


Susan shares the inspiration behind the project, the three-year journey to bring it to life, and the stories of the pioneers who helped shape the profession. Together, they explore how the documentary came together, what it reveals about the growth of legal operations, and why preserving these stories matters for future generations of legal professionals.  


The conversation also touches on the challenges of producing a film while leading global teams, the role of leadership and creativity in driving meaningful change, the importance of taking career risks, and how legal operations continues to evolve in the age of AI.  


Topics:
Introduction: Susan Packal on the Legal Operations Documentary: 00:00
Susan’s winding career path into legal ops and watching the community evolve: 01:56
Why Documentary Filmmaking Was the Perfect Medium: 04:56
Capturing Authentic, Unscripted Stories from Legal Ops Leaders: 07:59
The Origin Story: How the Documentary Idea Was Born: 10:02
Taking Risks, Career Transitions, and Building Something New: 12:45
The Risks Participants Took to Share Their Stories: 14:39
Inside the Four-Part Legal Operations Documentary: 17:25
Why Susan Hired a Documentary Coach and Filmmaking Team: 18:21
The Biggest Challenges of Producing the Film While Leading Legal Ops Teams: 22:49
The Creative Process Behind the Documentary: 27:51
What the Film Means for the Future of Legal Operations and Legal Leadership: 30:19
Final Reflections and Launching the Documentary to the Community: 32:49


Connect with us:
Susan Packal  -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanpackal/
Akshay Verma - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshay-verma-esq/
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft

SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

EP 12:  Behind the First Legal Operations Documentary: Susan Packal’s Journey

In this episode of SpotDraft’s Beacon Voices podcast, Akshay Verma sits down with Ron Bell to discuss the evolution of legal operations and the future of legal teams in the AI era.  

Ron shares how his experience at Apple and Yahoo shaped his thinking around collaboration, systems, and legal strategy, and reflects on the early days of legal ops alongside pioneers like Connie Brenton. The conversation explores how AI is changing the role of lawyers, why legal teams must think beyond legal advice, and how legal ops professionals can drive smarter, more scalable business processes.  

They also discuss the need for law schools to evolve, the importance of systems thinking, and the story behind the upcoming documentary on the rise of legal operations.  

Topics 

Introduction and Ron Bell’s journey in legal operations: 00:00
Early legal career and the growing need for collaboration in legal teams: 01:40
How paralegals shaped operational thinking in legal teams: 04:54
The origins of legal operations: Connie Brenton, Yahoo, and building the first legal ops community: 08:34
Advice for legal ops professionals on getting leadership buy-in: 13:22
Rethinking legal education, AI, and the future role of lawyers in business and legal operations: 15:07
Apprenticeship, hands-on learning, and preparing future lawyers: 18:58
Comparing the impact of AI to the rise of email: 21:30
Using AI to automate procurement and legal intake workflows: 24:40
Why people and process must come before technology in legal ops: 26:34
How AI will reshape legal careers, legal teams, and legal operations: 30:24
The story behind the legal operations documentary and the future of the profession: 42:27  

Connect with us:
Ron Bell - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronsbell/
Akshay Verma - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshay-verma-esq/
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft   

SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

EP 11: From Yahoo to AI: Ron Bell on Reinventing Legal Operations

In this episode of Beacon Voices, Akshay Verma (COO at SpotDraft) sits down with Kunoor Chopra, Co-founder and Vice President at Elevate, to explore the evolution of legal operations and why it has become central to the modern legal function.

Kunoor shares her journey from traditional law firm practice to building one of the earliest legal process outsourcing (LPO) companies, and how that experience exposed the inefficiencies in legal services. She reflects on the early days of legal ops, before it had a name, and how a growing community helped turn it into a global movement.  

The conversation also dives into AI, legal education, talent gaps, and the future of legal teams. Kunoor explains why AI is accelerating transformation, not replacing lawyers and why aligning people, process, technology, and data is key to turning legal from a cost center into a strategic business partner.  



Topics
Introduction: 00:00
Kunoor Chopra’s background, upbringing, and decision to pursue law: 02:20
Law school experience, community, and personal growth: 04:06
Early legal career: law firm journey and exploring different paths: 04:56
Realizing inefficiencies in law firms and questioning the traditional model: 06:37
Entrepreneurial leap: starting an LPO in India and early challenges: 09:06
Building and scaling a legal outsourcing business (services, clients, operations): 13:48
Learning business fundamentals: SLAs, processes, and global delivery: 15:05
From selling the company to co-founding Elevate: 17:17
The emergence of legal operations and early community-building (pre-Corporate Legal Operations Consortium era): 19:34
Growth and impact of legal ops as a function: 21:25
Future of legal operations: people, process, technology, and data: 26:49
Talent gaps, legal education, and preparing the next generation: 30:34
AI in legal and key takeaways on the future of the profession: 35:20  

Connect with us:
Kunoor Chopra - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kunoorc/
Akshay Verma - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshay-verma-esq/
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft  

SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

EP 10:  AI in Legal Ops: Hype vs Reality with Kunoor Chopra

What does it take to turn legal into a strategic business driver?

In this episode, Oyango Snell, President & CEO of CLOC, shares his journey from law firms and public policy to leading the legal ops movement. He explains how discovering legal operations changed his approach—helping legal teams move from a “department of no” to a function that drives efficiency, alignment, and business impact.

The conversation covers the growing role of legal ops, gaps in legal education, and how AI is reshaping the profession—along with what legal teams must do to stay relevant.

Topics  
Introduction 00:00
Early life, upbringing in Chicago, and inspiration to pursue law: 00:56
Law school journey: rejections, persistence, and transfer to Ohio State University 06:00
Law school experience and focus on securing a job early: 08:09
Entering law firm life: expectations vs reality and early learning curve: 10:37
Transition to in-house and building legal ops function: 14:22
Journey to CLOC and leadership motivation: 18:50
Why legal operations matters: bridging law and business impact: 21:10
Gaps in legal education and the need for tech + AI integration: 23:59
AI in legal: ethical considerations, risks, and governance: 28:09
Future of Legal Operations & the Profession: 33:30
Standardization & Challenges in Legal Ops: 37:55
Evolution of Legal Ops Talent & Skill Gaps: 41:41
Legal Ops Documentary & Industry Storytelling: 45:24

Connect with us:  
Oyango Snell - https://www.linkedin.com/in/oyango-a-snell-esq-cae/  
Akshay Verma - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshay-verma-esq/  
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft

SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

EP 09: Legal Is Broken. Here’s How Legal Ops Fixes It

What does it take to turn legal from a bottleneck into a business enabler?  

Sean Rayani, Global Head of Legal Operations at Twilio, shares his unconventional journey from aspiring prosecutor to legal ops leader. He unpacks how early exposure to inefficiencies shaped his mindset, how Twilio’s rapid growth influenced his career. From manually handling contracts to building scalable systems at a high-growth company, he breaks down how legal teams can operate smarter, faster, and with real business impact.  

The conversation covers practical frameworks for legal ops, the right way to think about tools and AI, and why the future of legal isn’t about perfection, it’s about progress.    

Topics
Introduction: 00:00
Early life, family expectations, and ambition to become a prosecutor: 02:14
Motivation to pursue law and desire to create impact through justice: 06:35
Rethinking law school and exploring alternative career paths: 10:06
First role at OpenTable and discovering inefficiencies in legal processes: 13:32
Joining Twilio: early responsibilities, scaling, and IPO experience: 18:15
Building confidence through international experience (Dublin): 23:16
Learning to make decisions with imperfect information: 26:59
Transition into legal operations and expanding scope: 30:52
Building scalable contracting systems and reducing friction: 35:37
Legal ops framework: people, process, data, technology, and AI: 37:30
AI in legal: mindset shift from perfection to assistance: 48:11
Advice for legal ops professionals: intake, problem-solving, and focus: 54:25
Career lessons and long-term vision (COO, public office): 59:29    

Connect with us:
Sean Rayani - https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanrayani/
Akshay Verma - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshay-verma-esq/
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft   

SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

EP 08: The Real Role of AI in Legal Teams

What does it take to succeed as a lawyer in a world shaped by AI, speed, and constant change?  

Natalie Kim, VP of Legal at Omnidian, breaks down how modern in-house lawyers must go beyond legal expertise to think like operators. She shares her journey from Big Law to in-house, the shift toward building legal as a product, and the biggest inefficiencies holding legal teams back today.  

The conversation also dives into AI’s growing impact on legal work—from automation and productivity gains to leadership challenges and trust in AI systems—along with practical advice on building a future-ready legal career.   

Topics
Introduction: 00:00
Early interest in law, public policy, and problem-solving mindset: 01:41Law school expectations vs reality and desire for practical work: 03:53
Experiential learning through clinics and internships: 06:19
Big Law decision: training, constraints, and early career expectations: 09:40
Reality of Big Law: skill-building, pressure, and volume-driven learning: 12:21
Transition to in-house: timing, trade-offs, and unlearning law firm habits: 14:32
First in-house role at Cisco and becoming a generalist lawyer: 20:04
Building legal as a product: process, scalability, and long-term thinking: 25:44
The biggest problem in legal: inefficiency, context switching, and reactive work: 28:13
Why legal work becomes suboptimal: volume, accessibility, and manual processes: 31:39
AI and productivity: doing more vs doing better work: 36:56
AI adoption strategy: leadership, governance, and building the right foundation: 42:16
Will AI replace lawyers? Workstream shifts and new roles emerging: 45:29
Advice for law students and future career outlook in an AI-driven world: 53:13   

Connect with us:
Natalie Kim - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nekim1/
Akshay Verma - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshay-verma-esq/
SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft   

SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

EP 07:  The Real Problem with In-House Legal Teams

Akshay Verma - COO at SpotDraft and Host of the podcast "Beacon Voices"

Beacon Voices is SpotDraft’s podcast spotlighting the people shaping how legal really works today. Hosted by Akshay Verma, it features candid conversations on leadership, legal ops, and the real-world impact of AI in legal teams.