From Garage to Global: AI, Crisis Counsel and the Future of Corporate Law

In this episode of Corporate Law Lab, host Neil Taylor and Corporate Law Fellow Greta Propp are joined by Foley & Lardner LLP partners Louis Lehot and André Thiollier for a wide-ranging conversation about international careers, emerging companies and the evolving practice of corporate law.Lehot and Thiollier share how their experiences in Europe, Brazil and the United States shaped their approaches to cross-border transactions and client service. They discuss counseling companies from their earliest stages through financing, expansion and exit; preparing businesses and boards to respond to unexpected crises; and building the trust and relationships that distinguish great lawyers from merely technically proficient ones.The conversation also explores how artificial intelligence is changing legal research, due diligence, law-firm economics and the development of young associates. As technology eliminates more traditional “grunt work,” lawyers will need to master new tools while continuing to develop the legal expertise, business judgment and interpersonal skills clients rely upon.The guests also reflect on the endurance of the billable hour, alternative fee arrangements, memorable transactions and why they remain optimistic about the future of the legal profession.