Summary
Hannah Steinbach, general counsel for Harness, shares her unique career journey that spans multiple countries and legal systems. Born in Germany, she initially pursued International Business Administration before discovering her passion for law through a contracts class. After studying law in Austria, she gained experience in antitrust law and worked for prestigious firms like Freshfields and Baker McKenzie. Her career took a notable turn when she joined the United Nations' World Intellectual Property Organization, which solidified her interest in international law. Eventually, she transitioned to in-house roles, spending nearly a decade at Medallia during its hyper-growth phase, IPO, and subsequent transition back to private ownership.
Steinbach discusses the evolving landscape of legal technology, particularly the integration of artificial intelligence in legal processes. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the legal implications of AI, especially in areas like privacy law and compliance. Her experience at Harness, a company focused on DevOps and AI tools, allows her to navigate the complexities of legal risks associated with AI deployment. She highlights the need for a human-in-the-loop approach to ensure accuracy and accountability in AI-generated content, while also expressing a desire for better tools to measure the ROI of legal departments.
As she evaluates legal vendors, Steinbach prioritizes value, ease of implementation, and customer success. She notes that while many legal technology tools exist, there are still gaps in the market, particularly in tracking compliance and measuring the effectiveness of legal policies. She encourages vendors to focus on building relationships and demonstrating tangible value to their clients. Looking ahead, Steinbach is involved in an upcoming event focused on AI and security, showcasing her commitment to educating others in the legal community.
Show Notes
What does it take to go from a small town near Cologne, Germany to General Counsel at one of the most interesting AI companies in the Bay Area? Hanna Steinbach, General Counsel at Harness, joins LegalTechLIVE to share a wealth of information about how law differs around the world and what she values in her in-house role. After studying international business in Vienna, a contracts law class set her life’s trajectory towards starting a career in antitrust law. After working at Freshfields, Baker McKenzie, and the World Intellectual Property Organization under the United Nations as a diplomat, Hanna spent a defining 10 years at Medallia for her first in-house job. Her time at the company involved hypergrowth periods, an IPO, going private, and many different CEO changes. This experience shaped how she runs her legal department today at Harness. Hanna shares her thoughts on why she thinks engineering guardrails matter more than legal ones when agents start acting autonomously and where liability currently lands, how to sell to a GC, and the gaps nobody in legal tech is solving. Get to know Hanna by watching this episode, and tune in to her AILBA panel with Jyoti Bandal (Harness/Traceable/AppDynamics), Nidhi Agarwal (HackerOne), and others on October 28! Find the registration link below. More about Hanna: * Hanna Steinbach on LinkedIn * Harness Website * Harness on LinkedIn * AILBA Panel RSVP Webpage
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