Speakers

From Generate to Govern: Building a Defensible AI Framework in the Age of Agentic Legal Practice

The question is no longer whether firms adopt AI, but whether they can govern it responsibly as it shifts from a tool that drafts to one that decides and acts. Generative AI gave lawyers a research assistant; agentic AI puts an autonomous agent in the workflow. This shift demands governance architecture, not just policy. This panel examines what defensible AI governance looks like for Australian firms: data classification, human oversight, and practical frameworks that create an auditable record of responsible use.

3 Key Learnings

1. Agentic AI demands a governance redesign, not a policy update. Organisations that don't understand this distinction are exposed in ways they may not yet recognise. 
2. Australian legal practitioners have concrete obligations under the Privacy Act, legal professional privilege, and duties of confidentiality that apply to AI use right now, not at some future regulatory inflection point. 
3. A defensible AI governance position is achievable in 30 days and is fast becoming a client trust signal, however organisations that act now are building competitive advantage, not just managing risk.

About Madeline

Based in Sydney, Madeleine Porter is Legal Industry Expert (APAC) for iManage, a cloud-enabled, secure knowledge work platform. A trained solicitor, Madeleine has over 12 years of legal experience specialising in risk management, compliance and advising lawyers on how to meet their professional obligations. In her current role as Legal Industry Expert at iManage APAC, she is responsible for bridging the gap between legal professionals and technologists, with a focus on how Gen AI can drive change in legal practice while

upholding ethical standards and professional integrity. Prior to iManage, Madeleine served as the Manager of Conflicts, Ethics, and Commercial Advisory at Ashurst, Australia. Here, she led the APAC Conflicts & Ethics team in championing compliance, safeguarding data security, and resolving high-level conflicts and compliance issues with precision and expertise. Her topics of expertise include: Technology (specifically AI) and legal innovation, risk management, compliance, ethics, and safeguarding data security, to name a few. She is passionate about supporting and empowering women in legal and tech, as well as encouraging positive mental health and wellbeing across the industry.