Legal teams aren’t just tracking data—they’re driving business decisions with it. Today, I sit down with Dave Bernstein, Executive Director, Analytics at Wells Fargo, to unpack the rise of Legal Data Intelligence (LDI) and why it’s changing everything.
Dave shares his unconventional path from 18 years in shipping to legal analytics, how he built a data-driven legal department alongside leaders like Kim Wolf, Edward L., and Tim Davenport, and why AI tools like Microsoft Copilot are set to revolutionize legal work.
💡 One Big Idea: The best legal ops teams don’t just analyze what happened—they predict what’s next.
🎯 What You’ll Learn in this episode:
✅ How Wells Fargo built a high-impact legal data intelligence team
✅ The must-have skills for legal ops professionals (from meta-skills research by Julia Hasenzahl & Brian Meegan at ProSearch)
✅ Why AI won’t replace legal teams—but will replace the ones who don’t adapt (Microsoft Copilot is a game-changer)
✅ The truth about talent transformation—who thrives, who doesn’t, and why (Farrah Pepper & Adam Rouse are leading the way)
✅ The future of legal ops roles (Chief Legal Data Intelligence Officers are on the rise)
📚 Books Mentioned
📖 Be Data Analytical – Jordan Morrow
📖 Be Data Literate – Jordan Morrow
🚀 What’s Next? Meet Dave in Person
Join Dave Bernstein at SOLID Atlanta (Nov 4, 2025) alongside Kim Wolf, Farrah Pepper, and other legal ops leaders as they shape the future of LDI.
🔗 Register for SOLID Atlanta → https://solid.legal/solid-atlanta-2025/
🎧 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Share this episode and take your career from now to next!
💡To learn more about the future of legal innovation, visit https://cowengroup.com/
