Live from LegalWeek 2026, we corner Laura Milstein from That Tech Pod (podcast) to share some raw thoughts closing up the event.

That Tech Pod is a major technology podcast about eDiscovery, cybersecurity, data privacy, tech innovations, with over 10,000 subscribers.

Laura Milstein LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-milstein-7bb91a13/

That Tech Pod: https://thattechpod.com/ and on all major podcast platforms.

We travel to New York City for ALM's LegalWeek, which is a major conference for the legal industry, technology vendors, and professional services.

Lawrence M. Ausubel, University of Maryland economics professor and founder of Power Auctions, explains why auction economics plays a critical role in modern markets and public policy. He takes listeners inside the design of complex, computer-based auctions used for U.S. Treasury securities, Google keyword advertising, electricity markets, and high-stakes simultaneous spectrum license auctions for agencies such as the FCC, where bidders must secure complementary licenses at efficient geographic scale.

Professor Ausubel also shares behind-the-scenes insights from record-breaking auctions, including the $81 billion U.S. spectrum auction in 2022, and discusses his work designing diamond auctions for Botswana’s government-owned Okavango Diamond Company. Along the way, he explores reserve prices, bidder defaults, dispute resolution through software audit logs, the role of game theory in market design, the disruption of 9/11 during his first auction, and how AI could fundamentally reshape sponsored search and digital advertising.

STORY

00:00 Soundcheck

00:24 Introduction

02:29 Studying the Economics of Auctions

04:54 Scale and Simultaneous Bidding

06:16 Who Bids and How Big

09:18 How Larry Got Into Auctions

11:00 Diamonds and Botswana

15:40 Auction Goals and Pricing

18:06 When Auctions Go Wrong

22:18 Career Path and Legal Side

24:41 Game Theory and Disputes

31:38 Market Design Careers

33:34 Closing

BIOGRAPHY

Lawrence M. Ausubel is Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics at the University of Maryland. Professor Ausubel is regarded as a leading expert on auction theory and market design. He has also published widely on bargaining, industrial organization, financial markets and the credit card market. He is the author of a number of highly-cited academic articles on efficient auction design, one of which proposes a format that has become known as the “Ausubel auction”. He has been awarded 23+ U.S. patents relating to auction technology and he has several other patents pending.

He has also testified before the U.S. Congress and the National Bankruptcy Review Commission as an expert on credit card and bankruptcy issues, and in court as a leading expert on the economics of the credit card market. Professor Ausubel received his A.B. in Mathematics from Princeton University, his M.S. in Mathematics from Stanford University, his M.L.S. in Legal Studies from Stanford Law School, and his Ph.D. in Economics from Stanford University.

Professor Ausubel is also founder and chairman of Power Auctions LLC, a leading international provider of software and design services for high-stakes auctions. Power Auctions was founded in 2003 as a provider of auction design, auction software, auction management services, auction strategy and intellectual property, all under one roof. It has an unparalleled track record in the design and implementation of over 250 high-stakes auctions across six continents and in advising bidders in many other high-stakes auctions.

LINKS

Website: https://ausubel.com

Jashaswi Ghosh, Counsel at Holon Law Partners, is a corporate transactional attorney in healthcare and life sciences, unpacks the distinction between life sciences (drug discovery and development through clinical trials, FDA approval, manufacturing, and distribution) and healthcare (providers, payment, platforms, and physician practices). He shares his cross-border journey from India to the U.S., insights on AI’s growing role in clinical trials and patient engagement, and practical advice for lawyers building business development and partnership pathways. The episode also explores his work with emerging biotech companies, involvement with the DC Tech & Venture Coalition, and reflections on balancing transactional practice with life in Washington, DC.

STORY

00:00 Sound Check

00:52 Meet Jash Ghosh

01:41 Life Sciences vs. Healthcare

03:14 Global & Regulatory Complexity: Sub-Practices and Cross-Border Work

05:05 E-Pharmacies & Telemedicine: How the Pandemic Accelerated Change

06:06 Holon Law Partners

09:45 AI in Healthcare: Clinical Trials, Post-Op Follow-Ups, and Reducing Burnout

13:13 The Journey from India to Stanford to Big Law in the U.S.

15:02 Early Influences: Family Medicine Roots

16:57 Practicing in India vs. the U.S.: FDA Interaction and Regulatory Differences

18:15 Big Law Culture Shift

22:45 DC Tech & Venture Coalition: Building Legal Support for Tech Startups

30:18 Work-Life Balance in Regulatory and Transactional Practice

31:39 Life in DC: Running Trails, Museums, and Weekend Routines

32:39 Final Thoughts

BIOGRAPHY

Jashaswi Ghosh is a corporate transactional attorney with a strong focus on the healthcare, life sciences and tech industries. He is currently a Limited Partner at Holon Law Partners LLP, where his practice centers on advising pharmaceutical, medical device, digital health, tech and food companies, as well as hospital systems, professional corporations, and private equity and venture capital firms, across a wide range of strategic and commercial transactions.

Jashaswi brings a distinctly business-oriented mindset to his legal practice and is deeply engaged in ecosystem building and business development. He serves as a Senior Executive Board Member of the DC Tech & Venture Coalition (DCTAV), a platform focused on strengthening the innovation economy at the intersection of technology, capital, and regulated industries, where he helps shape partnerships, programs, and cross-border collaboration initiatives. He also has a particular interest in U.S.–India business development, leveraging his network and experience to support collaborations between companies, investors, and law firms across both markets.

In addition, Jashaswi maintains strong ties to the startup and innovation ecosystem, including through Stanford University and the Graduate School of Business, and he actively advises early-stage companies. He also serves as an external advisor to leading innovation ecosystems at major healthcare systems, including Mayo Clinic, working at the intersection of healthcare delivery, technology, and venture innovation.

LINKS

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jashaswi-ghosh-187777216/

Holon Law: https://holonlaw.com/attorneys/jashaswi-ghosh/

Email: jghosh@holonlaw.com

DC Tech and Venture Coalition: https://www.dctav.co

We meet with Jacqueline Schafer, Founder and CEO of Clearbrief.ai, who shares insight about her award-winning platform for legal writing.

Clearbrief is an AI-powered legal technology plugin for Microsoft Word that helps lawyers instantly find, verify, and cite evidence while drafting documents. It streamlines litigation by automatically creating hyperlinks to exhibits, generating, timelines, and summarizing documents. It is used by law firms, courts, and in-house legal teams to check for factual accuracy and uncover weak points in opposing counsel's arguments.

Website: https://clearbrief.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackieschafer/

André Noël Chaker, Founder and CEO of Rhetorich.ai, sits down with us at LegalWeek 2026 to discuss a new platform to help advocates with oral presentation, cross-examination, and public speaking.

Summary

Today, as AI accelerates thinking, drafting, and analysis, voice becomes the ultimate differentiator. Judgment. Credibility. Authority. Trust. None of these are automated.Rhetorich AI was built at the intersection of rhetoric, behavioral science, and artificial intelligence. Its purpose is not to make people sound like machines but to help them sound more human, more precise, and more persuasive.

Rhetorich AI: https://myspeaker.fi/en/myspeaker-rhetorich/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andr%C3%A9-no%C3%ABl-chaker-b50a883/

Zahid Omarzai, Executive Director of the Afghanistan Center for Dispute Resolution, is an Afghan attorney who relocated to the U.S. in 2023 to pursue an LLM at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. He shares his background that led him to leave Afghanistan and describes his work in enhancing Afghanistan's arbitration system. He shares his experiences competing in moot court competitions, working with various legal and consulting firms in the U.S., and his reflections on cultural differences in dispute resolution. Zahid emphasizes the importance of understanding Afghan culture and encourages listeners to learn more about Afghanistan. The discussion also touches on the significance of taking care of one's soul and the personal growth Zahid experienced through his journey.

STORY

00:00 Soundcheck

00:50 Greetings

01:41 Zahid's Journey to the US

02:05 Moot Court Competition

02:40 Legal Background and Education

03:43 Challenges and Opportunities in Afghanistan

05:55 Establishing Arbitration in Afghanistan

12:26 Professional Life in the US

13:29 Cultural Perspectives on Dispute Resolution

24:13 Personal Interests and Hobbies

28:35 Final Thoughts

BIOGRAPHY

Zahid Omarzai is the Executive Director of the Afghanistan Center for Commercial Dispute Resolution (ACDR) and a licensed attorney dedicated to strengthening arbitration and alternative dispute resolution in Afghanistan. With a background in corporate and commercial law, he brings extensive experience in financial transactions, legal reform, and practical dispute-resolution strategies. A passionate advocate for legal education, Zahid has published on arbitration in Afghanistan, represented his country in the prestigious Vis Moot, and continues to mentor future practitioners as Afghanistan’s Vis Moot Country Manager.

LINKS

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zahid-omarzai-aa80a03a/

Interview from Kakar Advocates: https://kakaradvocates.com/content/Spotlights/interview-with-zahid-omarzai-executive-director-of-the-afghanistan-center-for-dispute-resolution

Anna D. Aviles-Alfaro discusses her career journey which started as a mom right out of high school finding herself working as a legal secretary for a world-renowned international arbitration arbitrator. The support of those around her encouraged her to get her college degree and pursue a rewarding career as a paralegal first starting at the World Bank's ICSID institution and later in the private sector. Anna also shares her tips on work-life balance and how legal teams can work best with each other.

*Anna was working at Dechert LLP at the time of this recording.

HIGHLIGHTS:

00:30 Introduction and Background

01:50 Early Career at Pan Am

03:59 Starting as a Legal Secretary

05:23 Transition to Larger Law Firms

07:44 Back to a Path towards Higher Education

10:11 Balancing Work and Education

21:55 Working at ICSID at The World Bank

31:16 Career Advice for Aspiring Legal Professionals

36:28 Managing Stress and Work-Life Balance

40:58 Advice for New Paralegals

BIOGRAPHY:

Anna D. Aviles-Alfaro, Lead Arbitration Paralegal at Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP

Anna started as a legal secretary and found herself into the world of International Arbitration. She later transitioned as a paralegal at the World Bank's International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) which is an institution for International Investment Arbitration Disputes. After a few years, she transitioned to the private sector where she is currently a leader in the paralegal sector for international disputes.

LINKS:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaavilesalfaro/