Technology

Zach Abramowitz is Legally Disrupted

This is a podcast for the people who want to understand and shape the future of the law.

Hey there, I’m Zach Abramowitz and I am Legally Disrupted! 15 years ago, my legal career was disrupted by tech.

Today, I’m advising the some of the most influential legal service providers in the world on their AI strategy and investing in some of the promising #legalAI startups. Every week, I talk to the builders, founders, operators, and decision-makers driving change in a legal ecosystem being reshaped by AI. We don’t just revel in the gloriousness of AI — we do that too! But, we also break down complex ideas and separate signal from noise. Our content focuses on what’s real, what matters, and what everyone else is missing. So what are you waiting for? Let’s get disrupted!

Latest Episodes:

E31 - Zach and Richard's Excellent Legal AI Adventure: Robin AI's Struggles and the Future of LegalTech Oct 30, 2025

Show notes

Zach and Richard delve into the recent challenges faced by Robin AI, a pioneering legal tech company that has laid off staff and is seeking a buyer due to disappointing growth. They explore the significance of this news within the broader AI and legal tech industry, discussing whether Robin AI's struggles signal larger issues in the AI market. In this episode:

Robin AI's Struggles
Personal Connections and Reflections
Speculations and Broader Implications
Comparing AI Legal Tech Companies
Legal Experts in Tech Companies
Investment in AI-Driven Legal Services
The Importance of Expertise with AI
Legal Innovators London Event Preview
The Future of AI in Law Firms

Learn More: Zach - https://www.legallydisrupted.com/ Richard - tromansconsulting.com, artificiallawyer.com Follow Along: Zach - linkedin.com/in/zachabramowitz Richard - linkedin.com/in/artificiallawyer, https://x.com/ArtificialLawya

E30 - Is AI Disrupting ALSPs? Axiom CSO Catherine Kemnitz Oct 16, 2025

Show notes

In Episode 30 of 'Legally Disrupted,' Zach engages in a thought-provoking discussion with Catherine Kemnitz, Axiom's Chief Strategy Officer. They address a LinkedIn debate on how AI will disrupt both Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) and Alternative Legal Service Providers (ALSPs). Katherine offers insights from her extensive legal industry experience, including her tenure at Axiom and Thomson Reuters, highlighting major transactions and strategic pivots influenced by technological advancements. In this episode:

Catherine Kemnitz's Career Journey
Axiom's Strategic Moves and Innovations
The Impact of AI on Legal Services
Generative AI and Legal Tech Evolution
AI Adoption in Legal Departments vs. Law Firms
Axiom's Approach to AI and Future Outlook

Learn More: Zach - https://www.legallydisrupted.com/ Catherine - https://www.axiomlaw.com/about-us/our-team Follow Along: Zach - linkedin.com/in/zachabramowitz Catherine - https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinekemnitz

E29 - Why Firms Are Buying Niche AI, Centari Founder Kevin Walker Oct 08, 2025

Show notes

Zach sits down with Centari founder Kevin Walker to unpack the opportunities and obstacles of selling AI to law firms when it isn’t a generalized assistant like ChatGPT or Harvey. Kevin makes the case for why tackling highly specialized problems, such as Deal Intelligence, delivers unique, lasting value to firms. In this episode:

Understanding Centari's Vision
Unique Market Insights and Adoption
Challenges and Opportunities in Legal Tech
Building Trust with Law Firms
Future of Legal Practices
Fried Frank Partnership
Navigating Market Noise
First Principles and Differentiation
AI Adoption in Law Firms
Reddit Thread Controversy
Building a Strong Company Culture

Learn More: Zach - https://www.legallydisrupted.com/ Kevin - https://www.centari.com/about-us Follow Along: Zach - linkedin.com/in/zachabramowitz Kevn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kpwalker1, https://x.com/_kevinwalker?lang=en

E28 - Zach and Richard's Excellent Legal AI Adventure: Inside Eudia's Groundbreaking AI-First Law Firm Sep 14, 2025

Show notes

Zach and Richard break down AI-first legal services, ALSPs, and the EUDIA announcement. Asking who really owns legal AI, whether ROI even matters, and how these new firms might rewrite the rules of the industry. In this episode:

Non-Lawyer Ownership of Law Firms
AI in Transactional Work
The Business Model of AI-First Law Firms
Measurable ROI in Legal Tech
The IKEA Catalog Scenario
AI-First Firms vs. Incumbents
Market Saturation and Future Predictions

References:

https://www.artificiallawyer.com/2025/09/03/eudia-opens-ai-augmented-law-firm-for-ma/

E27 - Zach and Richard's Legal AI Adventure: Big Deals and AI Revolution Aug 19, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of 'Legally Disrupted,' host Zach Abramowitz introduces a new recurring segment called 'Zach and Richard's Legal AI Adventure' with Richard Tromans from Artificial Lawyer. They discuss the rapid evolution in the legal tech sphere, particularly focusing on big deals and announcements from legal AI companies like Harvey and Legora. The duo debates the impact of generative AI productivity platforms on the legal market, the notion of a 'land grab' as firms race to adopt AI, and the potential for AI to become universally adopted in legal workflows. They also touch on the pricing dynamics of legal tech and the challenges faced by legacy companies in incorporating AI. In this episode:

Summer Surge in Legal AI Deals
Generative AI Platforms for Lawyers
Market Share and Productivity Tools
Global Legal Market and Pricing Strategies
Emerging Competitors and Market Dynamics
The Battle for Legal AI Dominance
The Future of Legal Tech Giants: Mergers and Acquisitions
The Role of Investors in Legal Tech
The Importance of Specialization in Legal Tech
The Future of AI in Legal Tech: Assistants vs. Automators

E26 - Exploring Legal Tech Investments in the Post-ChatGPT World with Chris Fisher and Jonathan Levy Aug 15, 2025

Show notes

In episode 26 of 'Legally Disrupted,' host Zach Abramowitz brings us a live conversation from the Legal Innovators California Conference in San Francisco. The discussion features Chris Fisher of Myriad Ventures and Jonathan Levy of Y Combinator, two prominent investors in the legal tech space. They delve into the shifts in legal tech investments from the pre-ChatGPT era to the post-ChatGPT world, the impact of AI on legal services, and the emerging talent in the field. The investors also share insights on their investment strategies, the importance of domain expertise, and their vision for the future of legal tech. In this episode:

Investing in Legal Tech: Pre and Post ChatGPT
The Talent Surge in Legal Tech
AI's Impact on Legal Practices
Future of AI in Legal: Opportunities and Challenges
AI in Legal Apprenticeship
AI as a Junior Associate
Investment Strategies in Legal Tech
Specialized Legal Tech Solutions
VC Model and AI Startups
Evaluating Legal Tech Startups
Productizing Legal Services

Learn More: Chris - https://www.myriadventures.com/profile/chris-fisher Jonathan - https://www.ycombinator.com/people Zach - https://www.legallydisrupted.com/ Follow Along: Chris - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-fisher-111a9025 Jonathan - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-levy-b98986b3 Zach - linkedin.com/in/zachabramowitz

E25 - Are Lawyers Adopting AI? With David Wong and Raghu Ramanathan Aug 09, 2025

Show notes

E25 - Are Lawyers Adopting AI? With David Wong and Raghu Ramanathan In episode 25 of 'Legally Disrupted,' host Zach Abramowitz sits down with David Wong, Chief Product Officer at Thomson Reuters and Ragunath (Raghu) Ramanathan, President of Legal Professionals and Government at Thomson Reuters, to discuss the 2025 Future of Professionals Report. The conversation explores AI's increasing adoption and its impact on the legal industry. In this episode:

Discussing the Future of Professionals Report
AI Adoption and Productivity Insights
Comparing In-House Legal Departments and Law Firms
AI Strategy and Leadership in Law Firms
Understanding the ROI in Law Firms
Time Savings and Efficiency Gains
Quality Improvements and Creative Benefits
Adoption Strategies in Small vs. Large Firms
Thomson Reuters' AI Strategy and Market Position
Domain-Specific AI vs. General AI

References: 2025 Future of Professionals Report - https://www.thomsonreuters.com/content/dam/ewp-m/documents/thomsonreuters/en/pdf/reports/future-of-professionals-report-2025.pdf Learn More: David - https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en/about-us/executive-team Raghu - https://www.trust.org/people/ragunath-ramanathan/ Zach - https://www.legallydisrupted.com/ Follow Along: David - https://ca.linkedin.com/in/dfwong Raghu - https://www.linkedin.com/in/raghunathr Zach - linkedin.com/in/zachabramowitz

E24 - A Deep Dive into Harvey's Rapid Ascent with Tara Waters, TLW Consulting Jul 02, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Zach interviews Tara Waters, founder of TLW Consulting and former Chief Digital Officer at Ashurst, who led the firm’s rollout of Harvey. They discuss Harvey’s meteoric rise in legal AI, Tara’s firsthand experiences adopting Harvey within a global firm, and how legal teams evaluate AI tools. The conversation explores why lawyers initially gasped at Harvey’s capabilities, how expectations have matured, and what true digital transformation in law might require. Tara emphasizes that law firms should rethink their entire business model and workflows rather than just choosing a tool.

In this episode:

Early Days of Harvey
Adoption and Impact of AI in Law Firms
Challenges and Realities of AI Integration
Future of AI in Legal Industry
Law Firm Transformation and AI

Links Mentioned in this episode:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCEmiRjPEtQ https://www.legallydisrupted.com/p/has-harvey-already-won Follow Tara: Website - https://www.tlw-consulting.com/ Content: https://www.innovationesq.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tlwaters/ Follow Zach: Website -https://www.legallydisrupted.com/ Linkedin - linkedin.com/in/zachabramowitz

E23 - Investment Hype vs. Reality in Legal AI, Eli Amsellem, Ridge Ventures Jun 10, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Zach Abramowitz is joined by Eli Amsellem, an investor at Ridge Ventures, to delve into the hot topic of investment in legal AI. They discuss the hype around billion-dollar valuations and the reality behind customer adoption and revenue sustainability. Eli shares insights from his hands-on approach, including talking to actual buyers and hosting GC therapy dinners. They debate the future of legal AI, whether horizontal AI assistants or vertical workflow automation will prevail, and examine companies like Harvey, Legora, New Code, OpenPolicy, and Legalmation. This episode offers a nuanced view on the challenges and opportunities in the legal AI space. Discover: