Legal AI in 2026: From Chatbots to AI Agents in Law Practice

Danielle Benecke, Founder & Global Head, Machine Learning Practice | Baker McKenzie

Danielle Benecke leads Baker McKenzie’s Applied AI practice, an award-winning team of lawyers and technologists delivering AI-enabled solutions for complex, high-stakes business and regulatory challenges. Her team partners directly with global clients to design and deploy intelligent, defensible workflows across major transactions, incident response, compliance programs, and operational matters. A technology lawyer by background, Danielle has spent her career advising global tech leaders on AI development, commercialization, and responsible use. She focuses on unlocking new legal capabilities that were not previously achievable, using frontier AI to build bespoke workflows embedded into live mandates. Danielle is recognized in Chambers Global, Lawdragon Global 100, and Forbes Top Lawyers, and has received industry honors including Law.com Innovator of the Year and Financial Times Changemaker of the Year. She holds a Masters from Stanford and serves as a venture coach with Stanford Law School’s CodeX.

• Education & Credentials

Danielle holds a Master of Laws, Science, and Technology from Stanford University.

• Recognition & Leadership

Fortune 500 clients have described her work as “nothing short of spectacular.” She has served on Baker McKenzie’s Global Digital Media and Copyright Steering Committee and on its North America IP and Technology leadership team.

• Professional Involvement

At Stanford, Danielle was a member of the Graduate School of Business’ Venture Studio and a Fellow of the Legal Design Lab, and she has served as a venture coach in CodeX’s AI and Law program.

• Experience

Danielle founded and leads Baker McKenzie’s Machine Learning Practice globally, building on her prior practice as a senior IP and technology lawyer with the firm.

Adam G. Gutbezahl, Esq., Shareholder | Ruberto, Israel & Weiner, P.C.

Adam G. Gutbezahl is a Shareholder at Ruberto, Israel & Weiner, P.C. and a member of the firm’s Litigation Department and Commercial Real Estate, Construction Law, and Employment Law Groups. He represents individuals and businesses in a wide range of matters, including complex commercial, employment, land use, and real estate disputes. With jury and bench trial experience in both state and federal courts, he combines courtroom advocacy with practical counseling to help clients mitigate risk and avoid litigation. Adam is also widely recognized as a thought leader on the legal implications of Generative Artificial Intelligence, advising businesses on AI governance, workplace compliance, and emerging legal issues.

• Education & Credentials

Adam Gutbezahl earned his J.D., cum laude, from The George Washington University Law School in 2013, where he served on the Moot Court Board and as an Executive Editor of The George Washington Law Review. He received his B.A., cum laude, from The George Washington University in 2006. He is admitted to practice in Massachusetts, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

• Recognition & Leadership

Adam is recognized as a leading voice on the legal implications of Generative Artificial Intelligence and serves on multiple AI steering committees and task forces. He publishes ChatAdamG, a monthly newsletter examining AI’s impact on the workplace, employment law, and business operations. His honors include Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Excellence in Law – Up and Coming Lawyer (2025), Massachusetts Super Lawyers Rising Star – Real Estate (2024, 2025), Boston Magazine Top Lawyer (2024, 2025), Ones to Watch – Rising Stars by the New England Real Estate Journal (2024), selection to the Boston Future Leaders Program by Harvard Business School and the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce (2024), the Outstanding Faculty Award from the National Business Institute (2023), and Emerging Leader of the Year from the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce (2022).

• Professional Involvement

Adam is actively involved in numerous legal and community organizations. He serves on the Boston Bar Association’s Privacy, Security & Digital Law Group Steering Committee and Curriculum Advisory Committee, is a member of the American Bar Association’s Artificial Intelligence & Robotics Group, the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Business Law Artificial Intelligence Practice Group, and the Massachusetts Real Estate Bar Association’s Artificial Intelligence Task Force. He also serves on the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce’s Future Tech Leadership Council, the Performing Arts Center of Metrowest Board of Directors, the Wayland Trust Fund Commission, and the Wayland Youth Soccer Board of Directors, and is a member of ProVisors, MetroWest HRMA, and the Society for Human Resource Management. He is a frequent speaker and author on Generative AI and its legal and practical implications for employers.

• Experience

Adam represents clients in complex commercial, employment, land use, and real estate litigation in Massachusetts state and federal courts. In 2024, he successfully served as first-chair trial counsel in two separate cases, achieving favorable outcomes in both. In addition to handling high-stakes litigation, he counsels businesses on developing best practices to reduce legal risk, with a particular focus on the implementation and governance of Generative AI in the workplace.

SESSION 1 – AI in Legal Practice in 2026: From Tools to Agents | 1:00pm – 2:00pm

This session gives practicing attorneys a clear, practical picture of where AI actually stands in 2026 and how it is being used in real legal work today – what is real, what is emerging, and what is overclaimed. Rather than a compliance or ethics briefing, it focuses on the technology and its application: how AI has moved from chat-based tools to multi-step agents, and what that means for everyday practice. Through concrete case studies across transactions, disputes and investigations, and recurring work, attendees will see how lawyers are actually deploying AI while keeping legal judgment central. Professional responsibility considerations are noted where they arise, but the session is designed for general credit rather than as a formal ethics program.

BREAK | 2:00pm – 2:10pm

SESSION 2 – Using GPT-5.5, Claude 5, and Gemini 3.5 in Litigation, Investigations, and DocumentIntensive Practice | 2:10pm – 3:10pm

Large language models have become valuable tools for litigation teams, investigations, and complex document review, but selecting the right model—and using it in a defensible manner—requires understanding their respective strengths and limitations. This session examines how GPT-5.5, Claude 5, and Gemini 3.5 fit into modern litigation workflows, including factual analysis, chronology development, document summarization, deposition preparation, and discovery strategy. Attendees will learn practical approaches for incorporating AI into high-volume legal work while preserving attorney oversight, protecting confidential information, and maintaining work product that can withstand scrutiny.