The legal profession has embraced AI chatbots and assistants, but a new frontier is emerging: agentic AI systems that can autonomously plan, execute tasks, and make decisions within defined parameters. Join us at Cleary Gottlieb for an evening exploring how these self-directed AI agents are poised to transform the practice and business of law.
We’ll begin with a 10-minute primer from an AI expert to demystify agentic AI and establish a common vocabulary. Then, our distinguished panel of legal technologists, practitioners, and innovators will dive deep into the practical implications: What tasks can these systems handle today? What are the ethical and regulatory considerations? How might autonomous AI reshape the delivery of legal services? This isn’t about hype—it’s about understanding the real capabilities, limitations, and opportunities of AI systems that can act independently to support legal work. Whether you’re a tech-curious attorney, legal operations professional, or innovation leader, you’ll leave with actionable insights about this next wave of legal technology.
Event Timeline
- 6:30 p.m. – Networking over food and drink
- 7:15 p.m. – Introductory remarks and community intros
- 7:25 p.m. – Primer on the basics of agentic AI
- 7:35 p.m. – “Beyond Chatbots: Understanding Agentic AI in Legal” panel (see below)
- 8:30 p.m. – Continued networking
Special thanks to our event host and sponsor:
Panelists & Presenters
Max Junestrand
CEO and Cofounder, Legora
Max is the CEO and co-founder of Legora, their AI-first legal workspace is live at over 250 firms and the company has early backing from investors like Benchmark and Redpoint.
Gary Kalbaugh
Deputy General Counsel and Director, ING
Gary E. Kalbaugh is deputy general counsel and director at ING Financial Holdings Corp. and special professor of law at the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University teaching derivatives law and banking law. He is co-chair of the CFTC’s Artificial Intelligence workstream and a member of the Future of Finance Subcommittee. He is also the author of Derivatives Law and Regulation (3rd ed. 2021) and editor-in-chief of the Futures and Derivatives Law Report. A past chair of the New York City Bar Association’s committee on the regulation of futures and derivatives, Kalbaugh is a frequent speaker, writer, and commentator on derivatives and banking law topics. His work and interests include use and development of large language models and natural language processing for legal industry applications. He is a proficient coder and application developer in Python and other languages. Previously, he was a lecturer-in-law at Columbia Law School and served as executive director, counsel, and chief U.S. data protection officer at WestLB, chairing the global Dodd-Frank and underwriting committees.
Ilona Logvinova
Director of Practice Innovation, Cleary Gottlieb
Ilona Logvinova is the Director of Practice Innovation at Cleary, where she architects, initiates and implements legal innovation and transformation initiatives (including adoption of legal technologies) to augment and accelerate client service delivery. Ilona was formerly the global Head of Innovation for McKinsey Legal, where she identified, lead and implemented cross-cutting and impactful innovation initiatives. At McKinsey Ilona was also a senior technology lawyer and team lead within McKinsey Digital, specializing in AI development and delivery. Prior to joining McKinsey, Ilona was Senior Counsel at Mastercard, where she worked on ground-up technology builds and tech transactions to leverage the company’s core assets and explore broader partnership opportunities. Prior to Mastercard, Ilona was an Associate at Fried Frank, where she specialized in leveraged finance. Ilona has a BA from Columbia University with a joint major in Economics and Philosophy and her JD from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.
Rob Saccone
CTO, Lega
Rob Saccone is Chief Technology Officer at Lega, where he leads product strategy and R&D. A seasoned entrepreneur and technologist, Rob has spent over two decades at the intersection of law, technology, and business transformation, helping many of the world’s largest law firms and legal service providers innovate and grow. He founded and led XMLAW, an Inc. 5000 company acquired by Thomson Reuters, and served as CEO of SeyfarthLean Consulting, a subsidiary of Seyfarth Shaw. Rob is also a principal at Nexlaw Partners, advising startups, private equity firms, and global legal businesses on strategy and innovation. He is a Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management and a frequent speaker, writer, and contributor to the legal innovation community.
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