As AI and digital transformation reshape the legal profession, General Counsel and senior legal leaders face a pivotal question: how should the role evolve and what will distinguish those who lead confidently through change from those who fall behind?

Join us for a strategic discussion on the evolving role of the GC in an era defined by technological acceleration and rising business complexity. This will be a candid, free-flowing conversation centered on how AI is changing the legal landscape, what digital transformation demands of modern legal leadership, and why the most future-ready GCs are those who embrace change rather than fear it while still grounding their influence in enduring human qualities that technology can’t replace.

The session will be moderated by Max Gelernter, Managing Director at BarkerGilmore. He will guide a conversation featuring Ed Nekritz, Strategic Advisor and Executive Coach at BarkerGilmore and former Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of Prologis, Inc., who brings decades of global legal, real estate, and board-governance experience. Joining him is Bjarne Tellmann, Strategic Advisor and Executive Coach at BarkerGilmore and former GC and CLO for major multinational companies, recognized for his international experience in building high-performing, business-aligned legal functions. Together, they will share perspectives on the evolving expectations of modern legal leadership and what it takes for today’s GCs to thrive amid technological disruption and shifting corporate priorities.

Themes we’ll discuss include:

• The impact of AI on the practice of law and the leadership expectations placed on today’s GCs
• Digital transformation and the GC’s role in leading through change, including how legal leaders can help organizations articulate risk clearly while enabling progress
• Enduring qualities of high-impact legal leaders, including evolving GC archetypes and why trust, judgment, and human insight remain essential
• Human relationships as a strategic advantage, including strengthening the CEO partnership and becoming a trusted voice with boards
• Examples and observations drawn from decades of legal leadership, including moments of disruption, transformation, and organizational change

Max Gelernter
Managing Director — BarkerGilmore

Ed Nekritz
Strategic Advisor & Executive Coach — BarkerGilmore
Former Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel — Prologis, Inc.
Former Attorney — Mayer Brown

Bjarne Tellmann
Strategic Advisor & Executive Coach — BarkerGilmore
Former Founding General Counsel & Executive Committee Member — Haleon plc
Former Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel — Pearson plc