Linklaters Appoints Tech Platform CEO, Creates New Global Strategy Role

Shilpa Bhandarkar has been appointed as CEO, Nakhoda, after previously overseeing Linklaters flagship technology platform, alongside her innovation role, since last November. Shilpa will now focus solely on scaling Nakhoda in its next phase of growth.

Since 2015, Nakhoda has been at the forefront of fusing emerging technologies with deep legal expertise to build bespoke, transformative products for clients. Nakhoda’s flagship product is a digital document automation and negotiation platform that unlocks the power of structured legal data contained in contracts.

Shilpa Bhandarkar, CEO, Nakhoda, commented:

“The Nakhoda offering is a unique one in the legal market – no other firm has brought together lawyers, designers and developers to build bespoke technology solutions in quite the same way. Nakhoda is now at an exciting stage of its development, with a growing list of clients and increased demand for our products. I’m looking forward to working with our clients to explore new opportunities for our platform.”

Linklaters has appointed Greg Jackson in a new combined role as Global Head of Strategy, Innovation and Efficiency. Greg previously served as Head of Strategy and will now also lead Linklaters’ Innovation & Efficiency programme, working with partners and business teams to champion innovation across the firm.

Since joining the firm, Greg has been leading in determining and executing strategy, advising the leadership team, the partnership and the firm as a whole. The appointment will widen Greg’s current remit to oversee advances in legal innovation, including LawTech, FinTech, blockchain, smart contracts and advanced matter delivery. Leading a central team of specialists and growing an established network of innovation champions across the firm, the appointment reinforces the importance of innovation as part the firm’s long-term strategy.

Greg Jackson, Global Head of Strategy, Innovation and Efficiency, commented:

“The Covid-19 crisis has reminded us to constantly question how we can deliver an even better service for our clients and how technology can be part of helping us do that. Bringing together the two functions will support our efforts in becoming one of the most forward-thinking and innovative law firms in the world.”

Stewart Chippindale, Director of Legal Operations, commenting on both appointments, said:

“Shilpa has played a critical role in developing our innovation offering, driving forward ideas with energy, passion and commitment. Under Shilpa’s guidance, Nakhoda has made great progress and she will now focus all of her time on growing it further as part of its latest chapter.

In his leadership of the strategy team, Greg has shown the value of challenging the status quo and looking at how we adjust and adapt as a firm to the changing landscape of our clients and our competitors. In this new role, Greg will be able to successfully combine the two functions together to ensure we are looking at new ideas, opportunities and approaches in every area of our business. I am very excited about the unique perspective he will bring to our innovation programme.”

nakhoda is Linklaters’ flagship technology and AI platform. We recognise that the real potential of legal AI goes beyond data organisation and extraction. Through nakhoda, we deploy the smartest solutions and ideas in the market, from machine learning to automated legal logic, to deliver products that make a real difference for our clients. Guided by a sharp focus on fusing emerging technologies with deep legal expertise, we are building bespoke, transformative legal tech products for our clients and leading the creation of the next generation of legal risk management and decision-making frameworks.

You can find out more about nakhoda and request a demo at nakhoda.ai