Microsoft Copilot for Legal Practice: Boosting Productivity While Staying Ethically Compliant (2026 Edition)

Anthony J. Diana, Partner, Emerging Technologies Group | Reed Smith

Anthony J. Diana is a nationally recognized authority at the intersection of artificial intelligence, emerging technology, and legal practice. As a partner in Reed Smith’s Emerging Technologies Group and co-head of its Global FinTech and Data practice, Anthony advises organizations navigating the legal, regulatory, and strategic complexities of AI implementation — bringing decades of hands-on experience to one of the most rapidly evolving areas in law.

• Education & Credentials

Anthony earned his J.D. from Columbia Law School in 1993, where he served as Senior Editor of the Columbia Law Review. He holds a B.A./B.S. from the University of Pennsylvania, graduating cum laude in 1990. He is admitted to practice in New York, the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

• Recognition & Leadership

Anthony has been ranked by Chambers USA for Nationwide E-Discovery & Information Governance continuously since 2014, and by Chambers Global for USA E-Discovery & Information Governance since 2017 — recognition he has maintained through 2025. He was named a Fastcase 50 honoree in 2023, an award recognizing the most innovative and influential voices in law and legal technology. He has served as Honorary Chair of the Master’s Conference and has been a contributing editor of the Electronic Discovery Deskbook, published by PLI, since its original publication in 2009.

• Professional Involvement

Anthony is a prolific speaker and thought leader on AI and technology in legal practice. His recent speaking engagements include programs on AI ethics and compliance, generative AI in e-discovery, enterprise AI implementation challenges, and AI use in data management for legal departments. He regularly presents at PLI, industry conferences, and firm-hosted CLE programs, and has published extensively on AI, e-discovery, and information governance topics. He also contributes to Reed Smith’s Tech Law Talks podcast series, with recent episodes focused on how generative AI is reshaping litigation strategy and document review.

• Experience

Anthony’s practice centers on advising clients on the responsible and compliant implementation of AI and technology, with a particular focus on highly regulated industries including financial institutions, broker-dealers, investment advisors, private equity firms, pharmaceutical companies, and medical device manufacturers. He counsels clients on ensuring AI deployments meet applicable regulatory and legal requirements — from design through deployment. His broader practice encompasses e-discovery and information governance, data privacy and security, technology-related internal investigations, and complex litigation. He has represented clients before federal regulators including FINRA, the SEC, the Federal Reserve, and the PCAOB, and has defended electronic discovery and information governance practices in federal courts. With decades of experience at the forefront of legal technology, Anthony brings a uniquely practical perspective to the challenges attorneys and law firms face as AI becomes central to legal practice.

Therese Craparo, Partner, Emerging Technologies Group | Reed Smith

Therese Craparo is a nationally recognized partner at the forefront of enterprise data risk management, artificial intelligence governance, and information security in legal practice. As a member of Reed Smith’s Emerging Technologies and Records & E-Discovery Groups, Therese helps organizations across highly regulated industries navigate the complex legal landscape created by rapidly evolving AI and data technologies — combining deep technical fluency with practical, compliance-driven counsel.

• Education & Credentials

Therese earned her J.D. from New York University School of Law in 2002 and her B.A. from Georgetown University in 1997. She is admitted to practice in New York and before the U.S. District Courts for the Southern, Eastern, and Northern Districts of New York, as well as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

• Recognition & Leadership

Therese has been consistently ranked by Chambers USA for Nationwide E-Discovery & Information Governance since 2021 and by Chambers Global for USA E-Discovery & Information Governance since 2022 — recognition she has maintained through 2025. Her Chambers rankings reflect her standing as one of the country’s leading practitioners at the intersection of technology, data, and the law.

• Professional Involvement

Therese is an active speaker and thought leader on AI, data governance, and emerging technology in legal practice. Her recent speaking engagements include programs on AI implementation challenges for enterprises, AI use in data management for legal departments, generative AI in e-discovery, and data privacy and minimization strategies. She contributes to Reed Smith’s Tech Law Talks podcast series, with recent episodes addressing how generative AI is transforming e-discovery document review and how TAR and GenAI are automating privilege review. She has also been featured in the Wall Street Journal on the topic of managing data risks in mergers and acquisitions.

• Experience

Therese’s practice is built around the intersection of AI, data risk, and legal compliance. She counsels large financial services institutions, technology companies, pharmaceutical companies, industrial companies, and food products companies on the full spectrum of data risk management — from AI technology implementation and governance to cybersecurity, data breaches, cross-border data transfers, data migrations, and legacy data remediation. A significant focus of her practice involves helping clients integrate AI and data analytics tools into their e-discovery and compliance workflows while ensuring those implementations meet regulatory and legal requirements. She has represented clients in proactive and reactive negotiations before federal and state regulators including the SEC, FINRA, CFPB, Federal Reserve, and the New York Attorney General, as well as before U.S. state and federal courts on data privacy, cross-border transfer, and cybersecurity matters. With a practice that sits squarely at the convergence of AI adoption and legal risk, Therese brings attorneys a grounded, real-world perspective on what responsible technology governance looks like in practice.

Ann E. Rock, Practice Innovation Manager | Reed Smith

Ann Rock is a Practice Innovation Manager at Reed Smith LLP, where she brings nearly thirteen years of dedicated service to the firm’s practice innovation and knowledge management functions. An experienced project manager and innovation technologist, Ann drives efficiency and improvement through collaboration and teamwork, with deep expertise in Microsoft applications, business analysis, planning, remote working software, and training. Her work bridges the gap between technology and end-users at one of the world’s largest law firms, translating complex functionalities into accessible and actionable knowledge for legal professionals and support staff.

• Education & Credentials

Ann earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Colorado State University, where she studied from 1990 to 1995 and developed foundational skills in leadership and teamwork.

• Recognition & Leadership

Ann has demonstrated leadership throughout her career at Reed Smith, most notably serving as lead Project Manager for the redesign of the firm’s Global Intranet — a firm-wide initiative that established standardized branding across both intranet and extranet platforms. She has played a central role in advocating for the adoption of templatized sites and page layouts across the firm, and has been recognized within her teams for engineering bespoke tracking solutions that enhanced client collaboration. Ann is endorsed on LinkedIn for skills including SharePoint, customer service, leadership, and teamwork, and maintains a network of 125 professional connections along with 128 followers.

• Professional Involvement

Ann is an active member of the Legal Innovation and Technology community on LinkedIn, reflecting her engagement with peers across the legal technology field. Within Reed Smith, she contributes to the firm’s broader practice innovation and knowledge management community by collaborating closely with departmental teams, legal professionals, and stakeholders across the organization, and by conducting firm-wide training sessions that promote adoption of SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, and custom applications. Earlier in her career, she served as a primary liaison between Keystone Municipal Collections Group and external stakeholders — including business owners, tax preparers, and major third-party tax entities — facilitating industry-wide adoption of streamlined electronic filing processes.

• Experience

Ann has spent her entire tenure at Reed Smith LLP — twelve years and eleven months — advancing through roles of increasing responsibility within the firm’s practice innovation function. Since April 2023, she has served as Practice Innovation Manager, where she proactively manages mid-to-large scale projects centered around Microsoft Teams, SharePoint Online, and the M365 suite of applications, ensuring seamless integration and optimal functionality within the legal framework. In this role, she conducts thorough analyses of business needs to determine the most fitting applications, expertly plans and tracks tasks throughout project lifecycles, and designs focused training sessions tailored to the unique requirements of legal and support staff. She collaborates closely with stakeholders to adapt training programs to evolving challenges and opportunities within the legal landscape, contributing to the establishment of a tech-savvy and empowered workforce.

From June 2013 to March 2023, Ann served as KM Practice Innovation Senior Coordinator at Reed Smith, where she spearheaded the redesign of the firm’s Global Intranet as lead Project Manager and orchestrated the seamless execution of mid-sized projects in collaboration with departmental teams and legal professionals. She established and enforced standardized branding across intranet and extranet platforms, engineered bespoke tracking solutions that significantly enhanced efficiency and client collaboration, and advocated for the adoption of templatized sites and page layouts to streamline processes. She also authored comprehensive guidance and training materials and conducted firm-wide training sessions on SharePoint and custom applications.

Prior to joining Reed Smith, Ann served as Compliance Coordinator / Business Portal at Keystone Municipal Collections Group in Irwin, Pennsylvania, from December 2011 to July 2013. In that role, she functioned as the primary point of contact for business owners, tax preparers, and major third-party tax entities, specializing in local tax filings. She conducted comprehensive training sessions on compliance laws, regulations, and filing procedures; analyzed and resolved intricate technical issues; recruited businesses to transition to electronic filing through a unified collector; and designed informative, user-friendly training and instructional materials.

SESSION 1 – Copilot In Context: Understanding Microsoft’s AI Advantage for Lawyers | 2:00pm – 2:20pm

Discover what sets Copilot apart from public AI tools like ChatGPT, how its Microsoft 365 integration benefits law firms, and what attorneys should realistically expect — and watch for — in every output.

SESSION 2 – Copilot Across Microsoft 365: Use Cases | 2:20pm – 2:40pm

An application-by-application walkthrough of Copilot in the tools attorneys use every day. Participants will understand how Copilot integrates into Word, Outlook, Teams, Teams AV, Excel, and PowerPoint. The session emphasizes practical knowledge over theory: how to effectively leverage Copilot to improve efficiencies.

SESSION 3 – Ethics and Professional Responsibility When Using Copilot | 2:40pm – 3:00pm

Apply ABA Formal Opinion 512 directly to Copilot use cases — covering confidentiality, privilege, client data, billing, litigation disclosure, and staff supervision — concluding with a practical checklist attorneys can implement immediately in their practice.

BREAK | 3:00pm – 3:10pm

SESSION 4 – Deploying Copilot Firm-Wide: Governance, Rollout, and Sustainable Adoption | 3:10pm – 3:40pm

Build a firm-wide Copilot policy, train attorneys and staff, and establish oversight mechanisms that align AI use with professional obligations — from selecting pilot practice groups through scalable, compliance-focused firm-wide adoption.