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Building Legal AI That Lawyers Can Actually Rely On (ft. Deeligence)
Manage episode 476329681 series 3611203
Episode Summary
Georgie Healy speaks with Elena Tsalanidis and Justin Hansky, co-founders of Deeligence, a legal AI startup transforming the way law firms handle M&A due diligence. Both ex-lawyers, Elena and Justin share how their deep domain expertise led them to build an AI platform that accelerates contract review with accuracy lawyers can trust, without ever compromising on confidentiality.
They reveal why generic tools like ChatGPT fall short in legal workflows, and how Deeligence combines machine learning with human oversight to safely automate one of the most tedious parts of legal practice. The duo breaks down the erosion of the billable hour, the rise of vertical AI tools, and why some partners still red-pen documents like it’s 1998.
Throughout the episode, they reflect on the cultural barriers to AI adoption in law, the importance of custom training data, and the pressures of building AI-native products for regulated, high-stakes environments. Elena and Justin also share candid takes on fundraising, global expansion, and how legal AI can empower rather than replace lawyers.
Whether you’re in law, tech, or somewhere in between, this episode offers a rare look into building AI that doesn’t just work, but works where it really matters.
Time Stamps
01:06 – Big Announcement: The First-Ever Live Show
Georgie reveals exciting news about In the Blink of AI going live at UNSW.
01:31 – Introducing Deeligence
Meet co-founders Elena and Justin, who left corporate law to build an AI platform for M&A due diligence.
02:19 – The Billable Hour: Why It’s Getting Eroded
How AI is forcing law firms to question time-based billing.
05:00 – Why ChatGPT Doesn’t Cut It in Legal
Elena explains the confidentiality nightmare and “hallucinations” that make generic LLMs risky.
09:29 – Will AI Replace Junior Lawyers?
Elena and Justin share their nuanced take on the future of entry-level legal roles.
12:50 – Supercharging, Not Replacing
Why Deeligence focuses on helping lawyers rather than automating them out of a job.
16:18 – Avoiding AI Hallucinations
Justin on how Deeligence meticulously sources evidence to ensure accurate contract summaries.
28:33 – Scaling Deeligence Globally
Why expanding into the UK and US is a natural next step—and what it takes to get there.
34:18 – Hot Takes: Vertical AI vs. Everything Else
Elena and Justin weigh in on AI agents, overhyped tools, and why deep domain expertise wins.
46:36 – The Best (and Most Real) Legal TV Show
Justin’s pick for legal TV done right—and why he loves it more than Suits.
Resources
🎤Live show announcement: In the Blink of AI is going live on Thursday, May 29 at University of New South Wales (UNSW) featuring Andrew McCarthy, Head of APAC at Notion.
💼Deeligence: The AI-powered legal tech startup transforming M&A due diligence.
🙋♀️ Elena’s Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/elena-tsalanidis/
🙋🏻♂️ Justin’s Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-hansky-70154693/
📺Fisk – Justin’s favourite legal TV show, starring Kitty Flanagan https://iview.abc.net.au/show/fisk
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