ILTACON 2026: what legal tech leaders told us about AI, data and the business of law

People in Legal hosts David Woolstencroft and Tim Kenney spent ILTACON 2026 on the floor in conversation with legal tech CEOs, law firm operators and knowledge leaders. Across eleven interviews, the same themes kept coming up: AI only works on good data, firms are moving from experiments to practical decisions, and the market is consolidating fast.

Three themes from the floor

Data before AI. From BigHand to NetDocuments to Manatt, guests made the same point in different ways: firms already sit on huge amounts of data and knowledge, and the value comes from making it usable at the moment a decision is made.

Effective, not just efficient. Several leaders pushed back on simply bolting AI onto old processes. The goal is better outcomes for firms and clients, and that sometimes means fewer tools, not more.

Build, buy and consolidate. Firms are becoming more deliberate about what they own and what they buy, while vendors are combining under fewer banners.

Who we spoke to

Sam Toulson, CEO, BigHand

You can't automate chaos. Sam argued that firms already have plenty of data on pricing, resourcing and profitability. The challenge is turning it into something useful at the moment decisions are actually made. Watch the interview.

Greg Blackman, CEO, Opus 2

The next step isn't simply adding AI to existing workflows. Greg's view is that technology should make firms more effective, not just more efficient. Watch the interview.

Charlie Harrel, COO, Opus 2 International

What happens to matter knowledge when it only lives in people's heads? Charlie talked about matter intelligence in disputes and where AI genuinely adds value. Watch the interview.

Helen Fan, Chief AI Officer, MagStone Law

Build or buy? For most firms, Helen said, the answer is both. The real question is which capabilities a firm should own and where it makes sense to work with vendors. Watch the interview.

Early Stephens, CEO, Actionstep

Mid-sized firms don't have BigLaw's tech teams, but they still need strong systems across billing, workflow and practice management. With hundreds of new tools appearing, the answer isn't necessarily more software. Watch the interview.

Brandall Nelson, Director, Legal AI Solutions, NetDocuments

One of the biggest challenges behind AI is making a firm's existing knowledge usable. Better data makes for better legal AI. Watch the interview.

Sara Elevons, Director of Knowledge Management, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips

What does AI readiness really look like inside a law firm? Sara focused on getting the knowledge foundations right first. Watch the interview.

Adam Cain, COO, Hooper Law Office

Are firms using AI because they need it, or because they feel they should? Adam made the case for grounded leadership decisions over chasing trends. Watch the interview.

Avi Solomon, CIO, Rumberger | Kirk

Avi brought an attorney and a client to ILTACON so they could look at technology together. For him it comes down to collaboration and transparency. Watch the interview.

Rick Hellers, CEO & Co-Founder, Scan-Logic

AI may be new, but garbage in, garbage out isn't. Rick drew on nearly four decades in legal technology. Watch the interview.

Joe Rayment, Founder & CEO, Cicero

The specialist legal AI category has been validated, and Joe expects more consolidation and the arrival of the biggest AI companies in legal within a year. Watch the interview.

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