In the Counsel's Chair

Sabrina Narain and Amy Maclear met as defense counsel for a shared client and quickly became friends. Within months of deciding to start a firm together, they launched Narain Maclear LLP. On this episode of In the Counsel's Chair, they join host Jack Needham to talk about building a firm around technology and process. They explain how analytics from a high-volume consumer warranty docket shape litigation strategy and why corporate clients now expect outside counsel to use AI. They also discuss why they put first- and second-year lawyers in front of juries, how judges are pushing firms to let junior attorneys argue, and why courtroom advocacy is one skill AI can't replace.Episode chapters00:00 — Introductions00:26 — From friends to co-founders02:00 — Their practice backgrounds03:00 — Designing a firm around innovation04:12 — Hiring for strengths, not job titles06:05 — What they look for in a remote team07:46 — Launching at scale09:16 — Are they an AI-native firm?09:50 — Turning litigation data into strategy12:11 — Why clients expect AI from outside counsel13:14 — Judges giving junior lawyers the floor16:32 — Why firms hold young talent back17:54 — Training first-year trial lawyers21:13 — Advocacy skills AI can't teach22:39 — Why trial lawyers will last23:35 — Remote hearings and remote work26:15 — Will they ever try a case together?

On this episode of In the Counsel's Chair, host Jack Needham talks with Buchalter partners Philip Nulud and Jonathan B. Wilson about how AI is reshaping M&A. They cover the questions buyers and their counsel should now ask in due diligence, including whether AI was used to develop code or other IP, who owns the training data, and whether the target has an AI governance policy. They also discuss how reps and warranties are evolving to address AI risk, the confidentiality pitfalls of public-facing AI tools, and the unsettled questions around protecting AI-generated IP. Guests on this episode: Philip Nulud is a partner in Buchalter's Los Angeles office, where he chairs the firm's Luxury Brand Industry Practice and co-chairs its Internet Law, E-Commerce & Social Media Industry Practice. For nearly two decades, he has helped clients protect and monetize their trademarks and other intellectual property, focusing on the fashion, apparel, retail and consumer products space. His clients include apparel brands, couture fashion houses, streetwear brands, footwear manufacturers, licensing agencies, retailers, celebrities, athletes, influencers, and beauty and wellness companies. He has handled thousands of domestic and international trademarks and advises on patents, copyrights, licensing, marketing and advertising, social media influencers and domain names. Jonathan B. Wilson is a partner in Buchalter's Atlanta office and a member of the firm's corporate practice group. In more than 34 years of practice, he has represented startups and Fortune 100 companies in corporate finance and governance, securities, mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances, product distribution, intellectual property, computer software and litigation management. His IP licensing work includes trademark, patent and software licensing, OEM and white-label agreements, and IP-related joint ventures. He has served as general counsel or chief legal officer of two publicly traded companies. He was the founding chair of the American Bar Association Public Utility Section's Internet Industry Committee, which he led for more than a decade, and later founded the section's Renewable Energy Committee. He is the author of "The Corporate Transparency Act Compliance Guide" (Matthew Bender, 2023) and "FinCEN Reporting for Residential Real Estate" (2025).

In this episode of In the Counsel's Chair, discover how Joshua White, CEO and founder of Laurel Employment Law, is challenging traditional law firm practices by emphasizing company culture, technological adoption, and a business-oriented mindset. This episode explores the potential for law firms to operate more like innovative startups, emphasizing fun, optimism, and data-driven strategies.Main topics:Transition from traditional law firms to a culture-driven, entrepreneurial approach The importance of defining company values rooted in optimism and authenticity Incorporating AI and data to optimize legal workflows and improve efficiency Building a law firm that attracts talent by fostering a positive environment Lessons from the tech industry on running a competitive, innovative business The value of cross-industry experience in transforming legal practiceTimestamps: 00:00 - Introduction to Josh White's background and law career 01:30 - Transition from litigation to corporate strategy at Bamco 02:55 - How Bamco became a leading brand in promotional products 04:04 - Key legal challenges during rapid company growth 05:09 - Motivation for starting Laurel Employment Law 06:14 - Critique of traditional law firm models and industry issues 07:21 - Why legal departments aren't typically run like innovative companies 08:02 - The competitive advantage of running law firms like businesses 09:28 - Addressing law firm culture and lawyer happiness 10:34 - Creating an environment of fun, authenticity, and radical optimism 11:25 - Practical steps to embed a positive culture from day one 12:21 - Leading with enthusiasm and managing serious work with a light touch 13:23 - Embracing failure and learning through experimentation 14:29 - Hiring for optimism and authentic cultural fit 15:58 - The importance of personal transformation and moldability 17:02 - Reversing the cultural shame around mistakes 17:44 - Examples of fostering a serious yet fun work environment 19:20 - The role of data and AI in modern legal practice 20:34 - Building a tech-first, data-driven law firm 22:43 - The future of AI and continuous innovation 24:07 - Differences between law firms and tech companies 26:38 - The influence of successful tech industry practices on legal services 28:22 - Is a startup mentality essential for law firm success? 29:26 - The value of experience outside traditional legal environments 30:46 - Customizing law firm culture to match personal values 31:43 - Practical advice for building unique, authentic legal businessesFor more content, visit www.dailyjournal.com/network Submit comments/feedback to [email protected]

In this episode of In the Counsel's Chair, host Jack Needham sits down with Adam Silver, chair of the Fair Political Practices Commission, California's campaign finance and ethics watchdog. Appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2024, Silver traces the agency's roots to Proposition 9, the post-Watergate ballot measure that created the FPPC and some of the strictest campaign finance and ethics rules in the country -- rules his office is now charged with enforcing in the age of AI.The conversation ranges from AB 2355, the surviving bill from a package of three targeting deepfakes and AI-generated campaign ads, to how the commission is exploring technology to flag potential campaign money laundering and warn public officials of conflicts before they happen. Along the way, Silver explains why the agency's priority is transparency before an election rather than penalties after it, and why the appearance of impropriety can damage public trust as much as the real thing.Highlights:• The FPPC's post-Watergate origins and its role as the state's campaign finance and ethics watchdog• AB 2355 and enforcing disclaimer rules for AI-generated or AI-modified campaign ads• Using AI to flag patterns of possible campaign money laundering• A tool to warn officials of potential conflicts between their financial disclosures and upcoming agenda items• Why transparency before the election takes priority• The legislation Silver's office sponsored to ban campaign contributions inside state buildings

In this episode of In the Counsel's Chair, host Jack Needham sits down with Joshua Robbins, a partner in the Orange County office of Crowell & Moring, to talk about a different way of thinking about trial advocacy. A former federal prosecutor who began his career in international arbitration, Robbins explains how working in systems with limited discovery taught him to prepare for trial from day one, make more with less, and build cases around contemporaneous documents — witnesses that "don't forget and don't lie and don't have motives." The conversation ranges from the Tom Goldstein tax trial and what it reveals about juror skepticism toward polished performers, to the document-heavy Musk v. Altman verdict, to Robbins' experience teaching trial advocacy at UC Irvine School of Law. Along the way, he makes the case that the craft is less about courtroom theatrics than about narrative discipline: distilling business disputes into moral concepts jurors intuitively grasp, and knowing which evidence to leave out. Highlights: Why early exposure to international arbitration and criminal prosecution shaped an evidence-first approach to civil litigation The Tom Goldstein trial: how jurors' built-in skepticism punishes testimony that reads as a performance Building cases on documents and letting witnesses narrate them — not the other way around The Miles Davis quote he cites: five or six key documents matter more than hundreds of exhibits The hardest skill to teach young lawyers: listening and reacting in real time instead of clinging to the script