By Mukundan Sivaraj · AIM Media House
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.
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