Ashley Williams, Partner and Head of Technology at Mishcon de Reya, sits at the intersection of global AI regulation, cross-border tech transactions, and the future of legal services. Leading both the firm's Technology Group and its AI sector practice, Ashley brings a rare "helicopter view" of how AI is reshaping industries, from autonomous vehicles to drug discovery, and what it means for the lawyers advising them.
A self-described "nerdy kid who built computers with his uncle," Ashley's path took him from Addleshaw Goddard to serving the likes of Google and Apple at a U.S. firm, before landing at Mishcon where he found the boutique tech mindset paired with full international capability.
Today, he's helping multinational corporations and high-growth startups navigate the regulatory and commercial complexity of operating across multiple jurisdictions.
In this episode of Matters, Ashley speaks with Jack Newton about:
- AI in the innovation economy: Which industries are being most profoundly transformed and why data quality, not just quantity, is the real competitive moat.
- Navigating global AI regulation: What the EU AI Act got right and wrong, and what truly pro-innovation regulation should look like.
- The future of legal services: Why Ashley wants to abolish the billable hour, how AI is enabling dynamic team capacity, and why legal is having its "spreadsheet moment."
What is Matters: A podcast from Clio?
In the practice of law, small changes can have a big impact. In ‘Matters’, each episode focuses on one discipline, learning, or lesson for law firms looking to break free of the status quo and transform the practice of law, for good. With actionable advice from practicing attorneys, law firm leaders, and subject matter experts from the worlds of law and business, Matters helps lawyers and legal professionals alike put new strategies and tactics into place that will dramatically impact their law firms.
Matters is a monthly podcast presented by Clio, the world’s leading cloud-based legal technology provider.