Deals don’t stall because people are lazy; they stall because the right people can’t see the right risks at the right time. We sit down with Rick van Esch, CEO and co‑founder of Emma Legal (https://www.emma.legal), to unpack how AI-driven playbooks, structured data rooms, and permissioned collaboration can turn due diligence from a slog into a strategic advantage.

Rick traces his path from capital markets to enterprise AI, then to building an AI legal due diligence platform that connects directly to leading data room providers. We break down how Emma structures messy uploads against due diligence request lists to reveal gaps early, and how its red flag engine highlights the clauses that matter—change of control, renewals, reserve matters, drag-along and tag-along rights—color-coded for fast triage. Instead of static PDFs, firms can export classic reports or share interactive dashboards that pair AI highlights with attorney commentary, letting clients and counterparties engage without compromising work product.

We also explore vendor due diligence on the sell side, where prepping the “asset” before market speeds timelines and builds trust. Rick’s car-sensor analogy lands: keep constant indicators on contracts and corporate housekeeping, then share that clarity with buyers. The same insights power post-close integration, acting as a single source of truth for renewal calendars, consents, and obligations—where real deal value is made or lost. Along the way, we talk network effects from inviting PE counsel and bankers into permissioned views, and why this kind of collaboration reduces friction while preserving security.

For founders, Rick shares unvarnished advice: legal sales cycles demand perseverance, credibility matters, and fundraising can be a strategic signal when selling to enterprise buyers. Product–market–founder fit keeps you moving when timelines slip.

If you care about legal technology, M&A due diligence, and building tools lawyers actually use, this conversation offers clear takeaways and practical detail you can put to work on your next deal.

Subscribe, share with a colleague who lives in data rooms, and leave a review with the one feature that would save your team the most time.

Charlie Uniman, your podcast host, and Pat Utz, CEO and co-founder of Abstract (https://www.abstract.us/), explore how Abstract turns legislative and regulatory noise into real-time, client-specific strategy, and why deterministic workflows beat agentic dreams for now. Pat shares candid lessons on funding, traction, hiring, and building a product that actually moves the needle.

• origins in AI research and mission to make government transparent
• proactive monitoring of bills, regulations, executive orders, and local agendas
• real-time enrichment with client context to flag risks and opportunities
• strategy layer and workflows that move from alert to outreach
• planned expansion into judicial opinions to shape case law awareness
• enterprise focus with long-term goal of a consumer version
• founder advice on VC vs bootstrapping, traction before funding, and hiring fit

If you're interested in legal tech startups and enjoyed this podcast, please consider joining the free Legal Tech Startup Focus community by going to www.legaltech startupfocus.com and signing up

What if your legal stack worked like a true operating system—one place for documents, deadlines, tasks, client messages, and billing—and then used that context to power AI that actually helps? We sit down with Michael Anderson, Chief Product Officer at Filevine (https://www.filevine.com), to explore how “owning” matter operations unlocks real gains in speed, accuracy, and collaboration without sacrificing control.

Michael pulls back the curtain on Filevine’s “operating intelligence” approach: capture the full lifecycle of a matter inside a single pane of glass, then use context engineering to ground AI in the right facts, timelines, and permissions. We dig into the practical wins of “chat with your matter,” where lawyers ask questions in plain language and get reliable answers drawn from the file itself—everything from quick retrievals to strategy brainstorming, all without bouncing between apps. We also dive deep into a game-changing feature for litigators: live deposition intelligence that streams the transcript to an LLM, flags inconsistencies in real time, tracks stated goals, and suggests follow-up questions. Because it sees the entire case file, it can cross-check testimony against exhibits and prior statements, then deliver a certified transcript and artifacts back into the matter record.

Beyond the courtroom, we talk collaboration: client portals, guest access for outside counsel, and matter-centric messaging that reduces email and keeps context intact. The bigger vision is clear. Lawyers want a GPT-like experience across their own work product, not just the open web. The keys are permissioning that respects ethical walls and human-centered design that elevates expert judgment. When the legal OS becomes the intelligence layer, teams can move faster, make better decisions, and spend more time at the top of their license.

If you’re ready to see how context-rich, permissioned AI can transform your practice—from depositions to daily workflows—hit play. And if you enjoy the show, subscribe, share it with a colleague, and leave a quick review to help others find us.