The Legal Helm

TLH Ep.51 Rethinking Time in Professional Services: How AI Is Transforming Knowledge Work with Kourosh Zamani

Hello, Legal Helm listeners. Today’s episode features a conversation at the intersection of artificial intelligence, professional services, and the future of knowledge work. For this episode, we’re pleased to welcome Kourosh “KZ” Zamani, co-founder of Laurel, an AI platform helping professional services firms rethink one of the most fundamental aspects of their business: time itself. Laurel applies AI to automatically capture and understand work activity across devices and applications, helping firms improve profitability, client delivery, and operational insight. Prior to founding Laurel, Kourosh worked in investment management and strategic business development, where he developed a strong focus on operational efficiency, business growth, and the evolving dynamics of professional services. In this episode, we explore how AI is reshaping knowledge work, from how work gets done to how it is measured, valued, and monetized, and what these changes mean for the future of professional services organizations. Stay tuned for a thoughtful and insightful conversation on innovation, AI adoption, and the evolving relationship between technology and professional work.

TLH Ep. 50 Building Legal Teams for Growth: Lessons from Nextdoor’s CLO

Hello, Legal Helm listeners. Today’s episode marks a special milestone as we celebrate the 50th episode of The Legal Helm, where we explore the evolving intersection of law and technology. For this milestone conversation, we’re pleased to welcome Sophia Contreras Schwartz, Chief Legal Officer at Nextdoor. Sophia oversees Nextdoor’s legal function across product, regulatory compliance, commercial operations, intellectual property, litigation, employment, and corporate matters. Prior to joining Nextdoor, Sophia was a partner at Donahue Fitzgerald, where she focused on corporate transactions and intellectual property law. In this episode, we explore the evolving role of legal leadership inside technology-driven organizations and how legal teams support innovation while navigating regulatory and operational complexity. Stay tuned for a thoughtful and insightful conversation as we mark this milestone episode of The Legal Helm. Your host Bim Dave is Helm360’s CEO. With 20+ years in the legal industry, his keen understanding of how law firms and lawyers use technology has propelled Helm360 to the industry’s forefront. A technical expert with a penchant for developing solutions that improve business systems and user experience, Bim has a knack for bringing high quality IT architects and developers together to create innovative, useable solutions to the legal arena. Our Guest Sophia Contreras Schwartz is Nextdoor’s Chief Legal Officer and oversees the legal function, including product, regulatory compliance, commercial operations, intellectual property, litigation, employment, and corporate matters. Prior to Nextdoor, Sophia was a partner at Donahue Fitzgerald LLP, focusing on corporate transactions and intellectual property law. Sophia holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Juris Doctor from UC Law San Francisco (fka UC Hastings). Sophia is from Sebastopol, California, and lives in the Bay Area.

TLH Ep.49 Elite CEO Mark Dorman on The Strategy Behind Modern Legal Transformation

Today on The Legal Helm, we’re joined by Mark Dorman, CEO of Elite. Mark’s career has been shaped by leading large-scale transformation across global organizations—helping businesses navigate complex market change while scaling SaaS platforms and driving innovation through technology. At Elite, he is currently leading one of the most important evolutions in legal technology, guiding the company through a cloud-first transformation and helping law firms rethink how they approach financial management, operational efficiency, and data-driven decision making within a modern legal ecosystem. In this conversation, we’ll explore the changing expectations of law firms, the realities of cloud adoption at scale, and how technology leaders like Elite are shaping the next generation of legal operations and financial systems. Mark, welcome to The Legal Helm. It’s great to have you with us.

TLH Ep. 48 AI Is Rewriting the Rules of Law Firms. Are You Ready?

Hello, Legal Helm listeners! Today’s episode explores one of the most transformative forces shaping the legal industry today—artificial intelligence. AI is no longer a distant concept or industry buzzword; it is actively redefining how law firms hire, train, structure their teams, and deliver value to clients. We’re pleased to welcome Michael McCready, Managing Partner of McCready Law, a nationally recognized personal injury firm with over 30 years of service. Michael has long been ahead of the curve when it comes to legal technology adoption and is widely regarded as a thought leader on AI integration within law firms. In this episode, we’ll discuss what practical AI adoption really looks like, how firms can move beyond experimentation into implementation, and what leaders must consider as technology reshapes the business and practice of law. Stay tuned for an insightful and forward-looking conversation.

TLH Ep.47 Hamid Kohan on The New Blueprint for Law Firm Growth

Hello, Legal Helm listeners! Today, we’re excited to welcome Hamid Kohan, President and CEO of Legal Soft, a company helping law firms scale through virtual staffing, automation, and modern operational support. With a background in software engineering and extensive experience in Silicon Valley, Hamid brings a unique perspective to legal industry transformation. Since founding Legal Soft, he has focused on equipping law firms with the people, processes, and technology they need to grow efficiently, while enabling attorneys to spend more time serving their clients. Under his leadership, Legal Soft has become a trusted partner for firms seeking to modernize their operations. In this episode, we’ll explore how technology and operational innovation are reshaping legal services, the future of scalable law firm models, and what it takes to drive meaningful change in a traditionally complex industry. Join us for an insightful conversation on building smarter, more efficient legal organizations. Stay tuned!