by Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Pioneers and Pathfinders is a podcast about the people driving change in the legal industry. Interviews will focus on how their unique journeys inform their thinking about the profession, the business of law, the solutions they create, and where the industry is going next. The podcast will feature guests with multiple backgrounds and perspectives drawn from a number of areas including talent, technology, diversity and inclusion, social justice, education, training, and the business of law. The host of Pioneers and Pathfinders is J. Stephen Poor, chair emeritus of Seyfarth Shaw. During his 15 year tenure as chair and managing partner, the firm pioneered the application of Lean Six Sigma in legal service delivery. Today, he co-leads Seyfarth Labs, the firm’s technology research and development team and continues to serve as an advisor to firm leadership and as executive sponsor of strategic initiatives focused on innovation and growth. Steve brings his own experience as a legal industry pioneer to these conversations, resulting in insights that are both fascinating and instructive.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
3/12/2021
Email Addresses
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April 23, 2025
Our guest this week is Christina Wojcik, Head of Innovation & Partnerships at Pierson Ferdinand LLP—and a true pioneer in legal tech and professional services. Christina's career started on the business side of law, where she built high-performing teams and supported major transactions and reviews. As technology began reshaping the legal landscape, she leaned in, becoming one of the early leaders in AI-powered document analysis and helping to find a new era of legal service delivery. Now, at Pierson Ferdinand, an incredibly new and fast-growing law firm, Christina leads strategy around innovation and partnerships, working to deliver smarter, more efficient solutions for clients. She is also the founder of the Tampa Legal Network, a group that brings in-house legal professionals together across roles—lawyers and allied professionals alike—with an emphasis on inclusion and collaboration. In our conversation, Christina reflects on what we learned from the shift from paper to electronic communications, how she stays ahead in a fast-moving tech environment, the exciting work she is doing at Pierson Ferdinand, and her advice for anyone looking to build a career in legal tech. It was a great conversation with one of the field's most forward-thinking voices. Read the full transcript of today's episode here: https://www.seyfarth.com/dir_docs/podcast_transcripts/Pioneers_ChristinaWojcik.pdf
April 16, 2025
We’re joined this week by Melissa Lauderdale, the Executive Director for Regulatory & Compliance at NextEra Energy Services, and someone who is a true force in legal innovation. Melissa has spent her career transforming how legal teams operate, driving efficiency and building inclusive, high-performing teams in the fast-paced world of energy and corporate law. From her work modernizing legal operations at Exelon to securing industry-first regulatory approvals at Constellation, she has been at the forefront of reshaping compliance and legal processes through technology and smart strategy. Now, at NextEra, Melissa continues to lead change, designing risk mitigation strategies, automating compliance systems, and helping her organizations stay both agile and accountable. She has also earned honors for her work in DEI, like the 2023 DEI Champion Award and 2020 ACC Value Champions. Additionally, she frequently shares her insights in legal ops leadership with top-industry forums. In today's episode, Melissa shares her journey into the energy sector, how she inspires legal teams to embrace technology, her approach to building inclusive workplaces, and the principles that have guided her leadership along the way. It was a conversation full of practical insights and inspirations. Read the full transcript of today's episode here: https://www.seyfarth.com/dir_docs/publications/Pioneers_MelissaLauderdale.pdf
March 31, 2025
As lawyers ascend to leadership roles within their firms and organizations, they often face difficult challenges such as the need for guidance and coping with feelings of isolation. Our guest this week, Rudhir Krishtel, is dedicated to supporting legal professionals in navigating these issues. As an advisor, Rudhir provides spaces for lawyers, law firms, legal departments, and companies to have meaningful dialogue and growth around well-being, collective engagement, leadership, and business. He and his team use mindfulness-based practices to work with teams and individuals on identifying their particular challenges and finding solutions. Rudhir practiced law for 15 years, being a law firm partner with a patent litigation practice, and then worked as in-house counsel of IP transactions at Apple. He ultimately transitioned to advisory work, drawing on his prior professional experience and business principles he learned, in order to assist clients with overcoming their obstacles. In our wide-ranging conversation, Rudhir discusses his mindfulness-based approach to advising clients, how organizations can initiate cultural innovation, the aspects of practice that are often missed in lawyer training, and his advice for lawyer well-being in day-to-day work. Read the full transcript of today's episode here: https://www.seyfarth.com/dir_docs/podcast_transcripts/pioneers_RudhirKrishtel.pdf
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