CLI 2026 APAC Summit: Future of Law. Built Now.
Description
The only way to predict the future is to create it together. Join in to be part of the solution.
The evidence shows where the profession is now. The CLI 2026 APAC Summit brings the profession together to decide what to build next.
A shared conversation across the profession
The CLI APAC Summit 2026: Future of Law. Built Now, is a one-day gathering for people who want to shape what comes next, not just react to it.
And it’s built differently:
· No sponsors buying the agenda.
· No vendors on stage.
· No competing sessions forcing you to pick one and miss three others.
Just one shared path through the day, from the big-picture state of the profession to the individuals who make it work, to reimagining what comes next.
Program
- 8:00 am
REGISTRATION
WELCOME & OPENING
Join the CLI Advisory Board Co-Chairs as they open the Summit, welcome delegates and set the scene for the day ahead. They will frame the forces reshaping legal work, the choices facing the profession and the Summit’s invitation to move beyond observing the future - to actively build it now. Co-MC: Caryn Sandler, Partner and Chief Knowledge & Innovation Officer, Gilbert + Tobin; Co-Chair CLI Advisory Board Co-MC: Warrick McLean, Non-Executive Director; Co-Chair CLI Advisory Board
WILL YOU THRIVE, SURVIVE, OR STOP IN THE NEW WORLD OF WORK?
As AI reshapes how work gets done, the real question is not what AI can do, but where people create value. Kellie Tomney explores the human capabilities that become more valuable in an AI-driven world and introduces her Future FITT™ Framework for building lasting professional relevance and impact. Keynote: Kellie Tomney, Author, Developing Future FITT™ Organisations
MORE HUMAN, NOT LESS
Technology can do more than improve efficiency. It can help restore trust between a client and professional. Drawing on his experiences as a lawyer, doctor and person with a spinal cord injury, Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM explores how technology can strengthen human connection and put people back at the centre of professional practice. Keynote: Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM, Lawyer, Author, 2021 QLD Australian of the Year
LOOKING BEYOND LEGAL
Learn how other high-trust sectors have embraced change, managed risk and adopted technology while preserving the judgement, accountability and trust that matter most.
STATE OF THE PROFESSION
Be among the first to hear abou the 8 themes shaping the future of law and insights from CLI’s 2026 Report. Discover what the latest evidence reveals about the profession’s readiness for change, the skills and capabilities that matter most, and where attention should focus next. Speaker: Alison Laird, Director, Centre for Legal Innovation; Director - Consulting, Elevate
FROM WORKSHOP TO WHAT'S NEXT
Hear what emerged from the Pre-Summit Workshop. This showcase shares the solutions, challenges and insights developed as participants worked through future-focused legal challenges.
WIRED FOR CHANGE
Discover how your behavioural style shapes the way you respond, adapt and connect through change with Regan Barker. Speaker: Regan Barker, CRO & Co-Founder, Ricavi
PRACTICE-READY, FOR WHAT?
A student, an educator and a legal employer walk into a room… to confront what modern legal capability really requires, and who must build it as the profession reshapes the pathway from classroom to practice. Panelist: Anastasia Stepanovic, Vice President, Australian Law Librarians Association and Manager - Legal Library & Records, Sladen Legal Panelist: Emily McCarthy, Executive Director, College of Law, Queensland Panelist: Amy Alexander, final year JD candidate
FIND THE FLOOR
We call it resistance. A skills gap. A generational problem. What if we're all wrong? In this impact intervention session, your assumptions will be challenged by Sam Shosanya. Speaker: Sam Shosanya, General Manager, FrontTier
AI GOVERNANCE IN THE WILD - "IT DID EXACTLY WHAT WE TOLD IT TO”
Written AI principles do nothing during an incident. This session puts the room inside a AI failure and asks what you'd actually do - and you'll leave with your own list of the gaps you didn't know you had. Speaker: James Blakely, Head of Government Relations, Atmos Speaker: Will Stenmark, Senior Manager, Cyber Advisory, Atmos
THE GREAT DEBATE: LESS LAW FIRM, MORE LAW?
In this lively, old-school debate, opposing teams will test the motion: “This house believes clients will need law firms less, not more, in the AI-enabled future.
THE FUTURE IS LISTENING
Hear directly from the next generation about what they expect from legal education, being a lawyer, and the leaders shaping their future. A candid conversation about the profession they hope to enter, inherit, build and sustain and a call to action to act now. Speaker: Jett Potter, Senior Consultant and Lawyer, MinterEllisons Consulting Speaker: Brianne Perera, Solicitor, Herbert Smith Freehills Krammer Speaker: Liberty Jacob, Final-year Law and Business Student
BUILT TOGETHER - FROM INSIGHT TO ACTION. WHAT'S NEXT?
The Summit closes by bringing together the ideas, challenges and possibilities explored throughout the day - from leadership in uncertainty and responsible AI to future capability, changing models of legal value and the voices of emerging professionals. Speaker: Alison Laird, Director, Centre for Legal Innovation; Director - Consulting, Elevate
- 5:00 pm
NETWORKING DRINKS
Keynote Speakers
Kellie Tomney
Kellie Tomney is a Future FITT™ Leadership Strategist, Keynote Speaker and creator of BE IRREPLACEABLE™. She helps leaders and organisations navigate rapid change, elevate human value and actively build what’s next - creating greater value, growth and impact today and tomorrow.
Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM
Dinesh has finished medical and law school. But, he is less interested in titles, and more about trying to be a better person every day. He was born in Sri Lanka, then grew up in Australia. He experienced depression while studying law. Dinesh had a car accident which caused a spinal cord injury while studying medicine. Both of these experiences were big turning points in his life. Dinesh has an affinity for chocolate and music. He celebrates his mother, Chithrani, who fought hard to support him during the hardest times. He lives in Gold Coast, Australia.
MCs
Caryn Sandler
Caryn Sandler is a Partner and Chief Knowledge and Innovation Officer at Gilbert + Tobin. She established G+T Innovate, the firm’s award-winning transformation and advisory capability comprising more than 60 specialists across legal transformation, technology including AI, data, knowledge and legal project management. This team provides specialised services to support G+T's legal service delivery and innovates to deliver new tools and services benefiting G+T’s practice and clients. Caryn also works closely with in‑house legal teams, including several leading ASX‑listed companies, to deliver transformation programs focused on capability uplift, governance, process improvement and the future of legal service delivery in a rapidly evolving AI‑enabled landscape. Caryn is a sought-after speaker and adviser to executive and board-level audiences, recognised by the Financial Times as a Top 20 Intrapreneur in 2025 and ranked Band 1 by Chambers.
Warrick McLean
With over 25 years’ experience of leading, transforming and growing professional service firms within the accounting, medical and legal sectors, Warrick's high-level interpersonal skills allow him to genuinely engage with stakeholders at all levels. A visionary leader, Warrick enjoys engaging in thought leadership, challenging the status quo and networking with industry and community peers. Warrick has demonstrated skills in exploring and implementing technology as an enabler, improving client experience and lifting the financial performance and ongoing sustainability of the firms he has led. Warrick is a regular MC at legal industry events in Australia and New Zealand and a Past President and Life Member of the Australasian Legal Practice Management Association (ALPMA). Warrick is currently Non-Executive Director, NSW Business Chamber; appointed Community Representative, City of Parramatta Local Planning Panel; Co-Chair, Centre for Legal Innovation (CLI) Advisory Board and Member, Parramatta Powerhouse Community Reference Group.
Speakers
Regan Barker
Regan Barker is Co-Founder & CRO of Ricavi, where she builds predictable revenue engines. She led the sales transformation at Grant Thornton Australia, after roles at Westpac, Allens, King & Wood Mallesons and Gilbert + Tobin. LinkedIn Top Voice 2026, One to Watch 2024 & 2025.
James Blakely
James is the Head of Government Relations at Atmos, and plays a pivotal role in fostering strong relationships between State and Commonwealth Government Agencies to assist companies respond to large scale cyber incidents. His strategic vision and leadership have been instrumental in driving key cyber and identity projects and initiatives that enhance identity resilience nationally. Prior to his role at Atmos, James was instrumental in establishing ID Support NSW, a dedicated NSW Government service to support individuals restore their stolen or misused identity documents. ID Support NSW provides critical support to victims of identity theft and data breaches, offering personalised guidance and resources to protect against identity misuse. Whilst leading ID Support NSW, James introduced innovative interactive tools and resources to assist individuals and organisations improve their privacy and cyber security resilience including publishing online learning modules and the development of digital tools such as the NSW Government Password Strength Tester and Personal Information Risk Assessment Tool. In addition to his work with ID Support NSW, James has been actively involved in national identity initiatives. He contributed to the development of the National Strategy for Identity Resilience, which aims to create resilient identities that are hard to steal and easy to restore if compromised. This strategy, developed in collaboration with Commonwealth, state, and territory agencies, outlines a cohesive national approach to identity security and includes initiatives such as the Credential Protection Register and identity resilience education.
Will Stenmark
Will is a Senior Manager within the Cyber Readiness Team at Atmos. Will's expertise lies in supporting his clients to develop, test and advance organisational cyber resilience. He has a proven track record as a trusted advisor to Executives and Boards, especially in relation to effective decision making in a cyber crisis. Will leverages his extensive experience managing large-scale cyber incidents and supporting clients through the recovery process which feeds directly into his tailored approach to proactive client service. He holds a diverse portfolio of clients, including ASX-listed multinationals, government agencies, and global conglomerates, whom he works closely with to mitigate risks associated with privacy breaches and cyber threats.
Melissa Lyon
Melissa Lyon is an Executive Director & Experience Designer at Hive Legal, a progressive firm that has spent more than a decade challenging how legal services are delivered. From pioneering value-based pricing to embedding legal design thinking and genuinely flexible ways of working, Hive has helped reshape expectations across the legal ecosystem. An innovation specialist, Melissa works at the intersection of strategy, design, experience and delivery, helping firms and in house teams think creatively about how they create value for clients and provide better experiences for their people. She is a strong advocate for the critical role multidisciplinary teams have in shaping the future of legal services and driving better outcomes. She is a member of the Centre for Legal Innovation's Advisory Board and a two-time Australian Law Awards winner, recognised as Business Development Professional of the Year (2017) and Innovator of the Year (2020).
Sam Shosanya
Sam Shosanya is a four time CEO, executive coach and consultant with leadership experience across New Zealand, Australia and the UK. He helps leaders and organisations strengthen strategy, performance, resilience and culture, combining commercial rigour with a deep belief in human potential.
Alison Laird
Alison Laird is Director of the Centre for Legal Innovation, Head of AI Enablement at the College of Law, and a Director of Consulting at Elevate. She works with legal teams globally to apply innovation, transformation and emerging technology to deliver practical change in legal services.
Panelists
Michael Griffith
Michael Griffith is Deputy General Counsel at Telstra, where he leads legal AI strategy and transformation. His work focuses on what legal work becomes after AI: how it is delivered, where judgement and accountability sit, and the roles of in-house teams, law firms and technology partners.
Anastasia Stepanovic
Part law librarian, part legal information wrangler, Anastasia has spent 14 years helping people find, understand, and apply legal knowledge. As Vice President of the Australian Law Librarians' Association, she is passionate about legal education, professional growth, and preparing the profession for what's over the horizon. Her career includes time at the University of Melbourne, where she helped law students build the confidence and practical skills needed to navigate clerkship and graduate recruitment and transition into practice-ready professionals.
Amanda Fajerman
Amanda Fajerman is Head of AI Acceleration, Australia and Asia, at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer. With over 20 years' experience across law, consulting and technology, her expertise lies in translating emerging technologies into practical business value and leading large-scale transformation initiatives in professional services environments.
Emily McCarthy
Emily McCarthy is Executive Director, Queensland at the College of Law. A people & culture leader, legal innovator and former lawyer, she is passionate about building high-performing teams, shaping positive workplace cultures and preparing the legal profession for the future.
Amy Alexander
Amy Alexander is a final-year Juris Doctor candidate at Melbourne Law School and legal technologist at Josef Legal. She brings experience across class actions, research and medical administration, with a Bachelor of Science from Monash University.
Jett Potter
Jett Potter is a Senior Consultant and lawyer at MinterEllison, specialising in AI advisory and legal transformation. With a background spanning law, marketing and technology, he advises organisations and legal functions on AI strategy, governance, adoption and new ways of working.
Liberty Jacob
Liberty Jacob is a final-year Law and Business student building at the intersection of law, technology and entrepreneurship. Her experience spans venture capital, founding a medtech venture and paralegal work, with a keen interest in how legal tech can improve access and execution.
Brianne Perera
Brianne Perera is a Solicitor at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, specialising in corporate governance and ESG. Her practice involves advising ASX-listed companies on a wide range of governance and regulatory matters, including sustainability reporting. Brianne is interested in the impact of AI on the ESG landscape and the opportunities and challenges that emerging technologies present for businesses, regulators and the legal profession.
FAQs
- Delegate Accommodation Offer
Delegates of the CLI 2026 APAC Summit can access an exclusive 10% discount on accommodation at Hilton Sydney when booking their stay.
Accommodation discount code: GEVENT
- Filming and Photography Notice
Please be aware that this event, organised by the Centre for Legal Innovation, may be recorded for use on our websites, marketing materials and publications. By attending and participating in the Centre for Legal Innovation Pre-Summit Workshop and the 2026 APAC Summit: Future of Law. Built Now., you consent to the Centre for Legal Innovation photographing or recording your image, likeness and/or voice for these purposes.
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