JANUARY 26, 2025 – Sam Bernstein, formerly a senior manager of legal operations at Amazon.com, has joined Davis Wright Tremaine LLP in Seattle as the firm's first senior director of AI programs.
Bernstein brings to the firm nearly two decades of experience building, innovating, and leading in legal operations, technology, and strategy across a high-growth legal department. At Amazon, he helped lead the in-house development of cutting-edge AI tools and other programs to increase performance and improve efficiency.
"DWT has long been an industry leader in the responsible use of technology to improve client service," said Brent Goff, the firm's chief information officer. "Sam brings rare depth as a legal professional who understands how AI and advanced technologies should be governed, evaluated, and operationalized inside complex legal organizations. His leadership strengthens our ability to adopt AI in ways that are disciplined, effective, and aligned with the practice of law."
Said Bernstein: "I have been working with the DWT team for almost the entirety of my 19+-year legal operations career at Amazon and I know this firm to be world-class in its approach to technology, as well as just superb colleagues. The firm is doing cutting-edge work for many of the world's most innovative companies, including Amazon. I can't imagine a better opportunity to apply my love of legal tech, at scale, to improve client service."
Alongside the addition of Bernstein, DWT is also promoting Jeff Sabado, currently the firm's director of knowledge management, to be head of the firm's internal R&D unit, De Novo. Legal tech innovator Benjamin Capps is also rejoining DWT in the role of senior AI solutions architect.
About Davis Wright Tremaine
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP is an AmLaw 100 law firm with more than 600 lawyers representing clients based throughout the United States and around the world. Learn more at dwt.com.