Change Management: Steps to Successfully Adopting AI, RPA, and Emerging Technologies in Your Law Firm

Edward Rios is a Partner with Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP (BAL) and is responsible for leading the firm’s Innovation & Strategy Group. Based in the northeast, Edward manages BAL’s Boston office and oversees client engagement and development initiatives for the firm’s Boston and New York offices. His practice focuses on global immigration strategies and technology implementation for companies ranging from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies in technology, financial services, insurance, manufacturing, and life sciences.

As head of Innovation & Strategy, Edward leads the firm’s exploration of and investment in emerging technologies, oversees change-management structures, and helps prepare the legal teams in adapting to new tools. As a tech-forward legal thinker, he blends extensive tech and legal knowledge to find the best suited, cutting-edge tools for BAL’s legal teams, and inspires innovation from every corner of the firm. Edward also leads implementation of tech tools for clients, including coordinating the implementation and expansion of Cobalt?, BAL’s proprietary innovative case management system, for all global immigration casework handled by the BAL-Deloitte alliance, covering over 135 countries.

Edward is a frequent speaker at legal and tech industry events, including Legalweek and IAweek, and is often invited to comment about intelligent automation, artificial intelligence, robotic process automation and other innovative uses of technology in the practice of law.

Edward has been ranked by the prestigious Chambers and Partners USA Guide 2021, and honored as one of the Best Lawyers? in America every year since 2010.

Vince is the CTO and Operations Leader at BAL LLP. In this role, he leads a team of technologists who reimagine global mobility and deliver new ways of providing global immigration services. His team applies current and emerging technologies to deliver market-leading digital products and drive long-term transformations.

Prior to joining BAL, Vince was a Managing Director at PwC in NYC. During his 13 years at PwC, Vince led internal and client-facing teams to innovate in heavily regulated industries. Vince created and led PwC's e-discovery program, developing and deploying technology and process across the firm.

Vince is an avid runner and a proud father of two. Outside work, he's dedicated to Smart City programs and STEM education.

Vince has an MS in Technology Management from Columbia University, an MS in Data Analytics from NYU Stern, and a BS in Applied Technology from Kent State University. He is a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), IBM Certified Application Developer, and Microsoft Certified Professional Developer.