(California) Expert in Legal Technology & Innovation. Fastcase50 Honoree. Public Speaker. Proud Scottish nerd living in California.

"As a true leader in legal innovation, Sam has enjoyed a broad career spanning commercial legal practice, change management, legal education, and legal technology. He brings over ten years of experience leading change in a variety of legal environments, always with a passion for building relationships and sharing knowledge.

Sam currently works at SkillBurst Interactive (acquired by BARBRI in September 2024), a leading provider of interactive digital learning content for law firms and their clients. As Senior Director of Innovation, Sam is responsible for driving an innovative agenda of content and community engagement focused on technology skills and knowledge for lawyers. This position draws on all of Sam's experiences as a user of legal technology, a buyer of the same, an educator to law students, and an established thought leader in the broader legal technology community. Sam was project-lead on 'Generative AI for Law Firms', the market's first on-demand e-learning series on generative AI designed specifically for law firms and with their direct input.

Sam was formerly the Innovation Manager with Scottish commercial law firm Burness Paull, where he led the firm's innovation and legal technology roadmap. In that role, he was responsible for needs assessment, market appraisal, and pilots, made recommendations to the Board, and ultimately held responsibility for the success of all legal tech and innovation projects across the business.

Sam formerly sat on the Advisory Board of Lawscot Tech (the Law Society of Scotland's innovation and legal technology campaign) and was a Senior Tutor at Glasgow University School of Law, where he taught the Legal Innovation & Technology module of the Diploma in Scots Law (a module which he co-wrote in 2018/19). Sam is also a regular speaker at legal tech events and webinars and greatly enjoys contributing to thought leadership and mentoring activities.

In his personal life, Sam enjoys making homemade beef and venison jerky, brews his beer, loves to hike and wild camp with his wife and dog, enjoys DIY (results may vary), and is an avid fan of video games as well as tabletop games.

Sam can also drive a forklift truck. This has never once been useful."