K&L Gates Appoints Jake Bernstein As Global AI And Innovation Partner

Global law firm K&L Gates LLP has appointed Jake Bernstein as Global AI and Innovation Partner, a newly created role that centralizes responsibility for artificial intelligence strategy, governance, and implementation under a practicing partner. The appointment takes effect immediately, the firm said in a statement on May 4.

Bernstein will oversee AI platform selection, workflow development, and data and knowledge management, working alongside the firm’s technology and security teams. He will also serve as co-chair of the firm’s AI Solutions Group with Shiau Yen Chin-Dennis and Guillermo Christensen, who oversee AI-led revenue coordination and global policy and cybersecurity considerations.

Stacy Ackermann, Global Managing Partner at K&L Gates, said the firm is placing AI leadership directly within its legal practice. “Jake’s appointment reflects a deliberate choice about how this firm leads in AI: with a practicing partner, accountable for outcomes, working in close partnership with our technology and security functions,” Ackermann said in the statement.

The move comes as law firms expand AI use beyond pilot programs into daily operations. A recent report found that while most legal teams are exploring AI for contract review, only a small share are operationally ready to deploy it at scale.

Firmwide Deployment And Governance Structure

The firm has already deployed a firmwide AI stack that includes Legora as its primary platform, alongside Vincent, Westlaw Advance, Relativity Analytics, CoCounsel, and Microsoft 365 Copilot, according to the company statement.

The firm also received ISO/IEC 42001:2023 certification in March, a standard for AI management systems, placing it among early adopters of formal AI governance frameworks in the legal sector.

Its internal AI Forward℠ framework requires lawyers to use AI tools in their daily work within established governance controls. This approach reflects a broader shift toward embedding AI into routine legal workflows, including research, drafting, and document review, rather than limiting usage to specialized teams.

Bernstein, a partner in the firm’s Technology Transactions and Data Protection, Privacy, and Security practices, advises on AI governance, cybersecurity compliance, and SaaS agreements. His role includes aligning AI deployment with regulatory requirements across jurisdictions where the firm operates.

Focus Shifts Toward Agentic AI Workflows

The firm is also preparing for the adoption of agentic AI systems that can execute multi-step legal workflows. “What’s coming next, agents that can plan and execute multi-step workflows on a matter, makes supervision the central partner-level question of the next 18 months,” Bernstein said in the statement.

Agentic systems are already being introduced into legal workflows, where they can analyze large datasets and carry out sequential tasks with limited human intervention.

This shift increases the need for governance and oversight at the partner level, particularly as firms handle sensitive client data and regulatory obligations. AI systems in legal environments must comply with confidentiality requirements and jurisdiction-specific data rules, adding operational complexity to deployment.

K&L Gates operates with approximately 1,800 lawyers across offices in the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, making centralized AI governance a firmwide operational decision.

The firm said the new role is designed to align AI deployment with client needs while maintaining oversight as capabilities expand.