February 2026 – Zaven Newsletter
Hello legal innovators! This month, we’re diving into: Rock & Roll Interview: Virgin Atlantic’s Julian Homerstone on why the new age isn’t about AI – it’s about people, purpose, and heart. GC Survival Guide: Zentiva’s Tereza Ber on navigating 30+ markets, regulation as existential threat, and why legal now shapes investment decisions. The Billable Hour’s Death: Why AI […]
The Legal Tech Land Grab: Why Consolidation Should Worry Law Firms
Source: Bloomberg Clio’s billion-dollar acquisition of vLex late last year signalled what many suspected: legal tech consolidation has begun in earnest. Power players are now pitching end-to-end super-platforms – AI-enabled research, case management, document generation, workflows, and more – all in one place. It’s a potent proposition. But Keith Porcaro, writing from Duke Law School, […]
The Golden Bricks Problem: Why Law Firms Must Move Beyond Inputs
Source: Adam Smith Esq. A professor would have little truck with a student complaining their grade should be higher because they worked really hard. The point, of course, is that input is irrelevant. It’s the output that matters. Clients are no different. They want outcomes, not effort. Yet the legal profession remains stubbornly built on […]
AI Is Killing the Billable Hour. What Comes Next?
Source: Above the Law There’s growing consensus across legal that AI may finally end the billable hour. When intelligent systems complete tasks faster, more consistently, and at lower cost, time stops working as a credible proxy for value. For in-house teams, this should feel overdue. The billable hour has long ignored outcomes, rewarded inefficiency, and […]
The GC Role Is Changing – And Pharma Is Feeling It First
Source: CMS Europe’s pharmaceutical sector is navigating regulatory overhaul, supply chain volatility, and mounting environmental mandates – all simultaneously. For general counsel, that means the job description has fundamentally shifted. Tereza Ber, General Counsel at Zentiva, one of Europe’s leading generic medicine manufacturers, describes the change plainly: legal is no longer brought in to validate […]
In-House Legal Teams Are Testing AI for Work That Used to Go to Law Firms
Source: Financial Times Corporate legal departments aren’t just experimenting with AI anymore they’re actively using it to bring work back in-house that previously went to external counsel. According to the Financial Times’ latest report on innovative in-house legal teams, early adopters are moving beyond incremental improvements and starting to reshape the boundaries between what gets […]
BigLaw’s M&A Party Hit $4.6 Trillion
Source: Above the Law M&A went wild last year, and 2026 looks even better. A new report confirms what M&A associates already knew in their bones: the mergers and acquisitions market wasn’t just hot last year, it was record-setting. According to data released this week by the London Stock Exchange Group, 2025 featured the most-ever […]
From “Department of No” to Engine of Yes: Why Legal Teams Must Move from Risk Aversion to Risk Calibration
Source: Above the Law Olga V. Mack’s recent conversation with Senne Mennes co-founder of ClauseBase and former DLA Piper lawyer wasn’t just another founder story. It was a masterclass in why the traditional legal mindset is killing innovation. The insight that landed hardest? “As lawyers, we’re trained to turn over every stone. That works if […]
The Three Critical Challenges Facing General Counsel in 2026
Source: Lawyers Weekly As 2026 unfolds, general counsel find themselves at a pivotal crossroads. The role has evolved beyond traditional legal oversight into something far more strategic and far more demanding. Three key challenges are defining what it means to lead a legal function in the year ahead. AI: No Longer Optional The conversation around […]
October 2025 – Zaven Newsletter
Hello legal innovators! This month, we’re diving into: Now, let’s jump right in! The Modern GC Reality: From Legal Gatekeeper to Strategic Everything The general counsel role has exploded beyond recognition. Once confined to compliance checks, today’s GC needs enough skills to fill a wardrobe – from strategic planner to tech expert to crisis manager. […]