In-Person CPD Event |
Piper Alderman Offices
Level 26, Riparian Plaza,
71 Eagle Street, Brisbane
Overview (Program Summary)
A program hosted by:
ACC AustraliaDoors open at 5:00pm, with the Networking, canapes and drinks available from 6:30pm
Artificial intelligence is no longer a future consideration for in house legal teams. It is already embedded across organisations — from procurement, HR and marketing to product development and legal operations.
Join Piper Alderman and the Association of Corporate Counsel (Queensland) for a practical, panel led discussion exploring how in house counsel can support the use of AI across the business while managing risk, confidentiality and regulatory exposure.
Focusing on real world use cases rather than theory, our panel will examine where legal teams are seeing genuine value from AI, where the key risks arise, and how in house counsel can implement sensible governance and guardrails without becoming a blocker to innovation.
The discussion will cover:
• Practical approaches to AI governance and oversight
• Privacy, confidentiality and data risk considerations
• Legal issues arising from the procurement and deployment of AI tools
• The evolving regulatory landscape and what it means for in house legal teams
• Common challenges when AI is used across multiple business functions
This session is designed for in house lawyers seeking practical insights and peer perspectives to help navigate AI adoption confidently and effectively within their organisations.
Speakers
Chris Paterson, IT Director, Piper Alderman
Chris Paterson is the IT Director at Piper Alderman, where he leads the firm’s technology strategy and oversees the secure, responsible adoption of emerging technologies across the business.
With deep experience in enterprise IT, Chris works closely with legal, risk and business teams to support the practical use of artificial intelligence in professional services environments. His focus is on enabling innovation while managing key considerations such as data security, confidentiality, governance, and regulatory risk.
Chris brings a pragmatic, operational perspective to AI adoption, informed by real world implementation challenges and the need to balance efficiency, compliance, and trust. He regularly advises on the procurement, deployment, and oversight of technology solutions, including AI enabled tools, ensuring they align with organisational risk frameworks and regulatory obligations.
As a panellist, Chris will share insights into how organisations can responsibly integrate AI into day to day workflows, the risks that commonly arise in practice, and the role in house teams play in setting effective guardrails that support, rather than stifle, innovation.
Trent Smith, Co-founder, Contract Cloud
Trent Smith is an in-house lawyer and co-founder of Contract Cloud, an Australian-owned AI contract review platform built for legal teams, in house counsel and law firms.
Trent has been a lawyer for 11 years, including approximately 8 years working in house for several large organisations. He has experience advising on commercial, regulatory, governance, technology and risk matters, with a practical focus on helping businesses manage legal risk while still moving quickly.
Through Contract Cloud, Trent works at the intersection of law, technology and legal operations, helping legal teams use AI to review contracts, identify risk, extract key obligations and improve the way legal work is managed across an organisation.
Michelle Hall, General Counsel, Riveria Australia
Michelle Hall is General Counsel at Riviera, Australia’s leading luxury motor yacht manufacturer, where she leads the in house legal function supporting a complex, design led and internationally focused business.
As an experienced in house lawyer, Michelle advises across a broad range of legal, commercial, and regulatory matters, working closely with senior leadership and operational teams to manage risk while enabling business growth and innovation. Her role requires balancing legal compliance with commercial realities across manufacturing, supply chains, technology, and global operations.
Michelle brings a practical, business focused perspective to the use of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, within an operational environment. She regularly supports the responsible adoption of new tools and processes, with a focus on governance, risk management, and alignment with organisational values.
As a panellist, Michelle will share insights from the in house perspective on how legal teams can support innovation, including AI adoption, while maintaining effective oversight and protecting the organisation in real world business settings.
Paul Venus, Partner, Piper Alderman
Paul Venus is a Partner at Piper Alderman based in Brisbane, with extensive experience working alongside in‑house legal teams across complex regulatory, governance and risk issues.
Paul regularly collaborates with in‑house counsel as trusted advisers to their organisations, bringing a practical, commercial lens to legal risk management and decision‑making. He has significant experience facilitating and moderating discussions for corporate counsel, including events delivered in partnership with the Association of Corporate Counsel (Queensland).
Known for his engaging and pragmatic facilitation style, Paul focuses on drawing out real‑world insights, encouraging open discussion and ensuring conversations remain relevant to the challenges faced by in‑house legal teams. As moderator, he will guide the panel discussion to explore practical perspectives on AI, risk and governance in a way that is accessible, balanced and directly applicable to in‑house practice.
Notes
*Competitor Exclusion – ACC Australia Partner’s may request that representative/s of a competitor organisation/s registered for the event be excluded, and ACC Australia reserves the right to make the final decision as to whether a registration is rejected. As a guide, a competitor organisation could be defined as a rival organisation of similar size to the host Corporate Partner, with an established practice, product or service in the area being showcased by the Corporate Partner’s at the event. Please provide a brief statement as to why you have deemed an organisation to be a competitor, in support of any request to ACC Australia to reject a registration.
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