Legal Leader | Melissa LaFlair – Head of Law, Compliance + Government Relations Strategy and Operations Manager , Manulife
Update: 2025-06-24
Description
In this episode of ADB Insights – The Legal Innovation Forum Podcast, Andrew Bowyer, Founder & CEO of The Legal Innovation Forum, speaks with Melissa LaFlair, Global Head of Law, Compliance, and Government Relations Strategy and Operations at Manulife.
Melissa shares her unconventional career journey—a self-described “patchwork quilt”—and how it led to her current role helping Manulife build an integrated operational foundation across legal, compliance, and government relations. She reflects on pivotal “aha” moments that shaped her thinking about the value of legal work, prompting a shift in focus from output to process and client experience.
From navigating today’s “risk-on” environment to managing the evolving impact of AI, Melissa offers a clear-eyed view of how legal functions can better deliver value, make data-driven decisions, and operate more efficiently. She also weighs in on the shifting law firm-client dynamic and how AI is challenging the traditional billable hour model—encouraging firms to rethink how they price, deliver, and build long-term trust.
The conversation closes with a candid discussion on the human equation in the AI era—balancing flexibility, engagement, and development in hybrid workplaces, while recognizing the irreplaceable role of human connection, judgment, and leadership in legal organizations.
Melissa shares her unconventional career journey—a self-described “patchwork quilt”—and how it led to her current role helping Manulife build an integrated operational foundation across legal, compliance, and government relations. She reflects on pivotal “aha” moments that shaped her thinking about the value of legal work, prompting a shift in focus from output to process and client experience.
From navigating today’s “risk-on” environment to managing the evolving impact of AI, Melissa offers a clear-eyed view of how legal functions can better deliver value, make data-driven decisions, and operate more efficiently. She also weighs in on the shifting law firm-client dynamic and how AI is challenging the traditional billable hour model—encouraging firms to rethink how they price, deliver, and build long-term trust.
The conversation closes with a candid discussion on the human equation in the AI era—balancing flexibility, engagement, and development in hybrid workplaces, while recognizing the irreplaceable role of human connection, judgment, and leadership in legal organizations.
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