He will also co-chair the AI solutions group with Shiau Yen Chin-Dennis and Guillermo Christensen
K&L Gates has named technology transactions and sourcing partner Jake Bernstein as its inaugural global AI and innovation partner.
Bernstein will spearhead the firm’s global AI strategy, governance and innovation operations. This includes AI platform selection, workflow development, and data and knowledge management.
He will collaborate with K&L Gates’ technology and security functions and also co-chair the AI solutions group with Shiau Yen Chin-Dennis and Guillermo Christensen. Shiau heads up leadership coordination and AI-driven revenue growth across the firm while Christensen handles global policy, cybersecurity, and geopolitical considerations. The group is responsible for shaping the firm’s AI vision, governance, and implementation to align with practices, regions and client needs.
According to the K&L Gates, the global AI and innovation partner position “formalises global responsibility for the firm's AI strategy and innovation roadmap under a single practicing partner leader”.
“Jake’s appointment reflects a deliberate choice about how this firm leads in AI: with a practicing partner, accountable for outcomes, working in close partnership with our technology and security functions”, said global managing partner Stacy Ackermann. “Agentic AI is moving from concept to deployment in months, not years. The market demands a partner driving this work who is in the practice every day, who understands what clients need, and who can move at the pace this moment requires”.
Bernstein, who is based in Seattle, practises with the data protection, privacy and security group as well. He has tackled matters involving data privacy and cybersecurity compliance, SaaS agreements, AI/ML addenda and responsible AI frameworks, technology licensing, and IT outsourcing.
He possesses CISSP and CIPP/US certifications and is part of K&L Gates’ general counsel team. He handles AI and technology matters.
“The AI Forward℠ posture is straightforward: lawyers should be using these tools every day, on their own work, within governance the firm has built and certified. What's coming next, agents that can plan and execute multi-step workflows on a matter, makes supervision the central partner-level question of the next 18 months. The firms that build that fluency now will lead what follows. The firms that wait will not”, Bernstein said.
Australia managing partner Jason Opperman described Bernstein’s appointment as “a significant step forward, particularly for our Australian practice which is embedding market-leading AI solutions”.
“Having a practicing partner leading our global AI strategy ensures that what we deploy is practical, client-focused, and directly relevant to how our lawyers work day-to-day. For our teams across Australia, this means faster access to tools, clearer governance, and a more consistent approach to using AI to deliver better outcomes for our clients”, Opperman said.
In March, K&L Gates nabbed the ISO/IEC 42001:2023 artificial intelligence governance certification for its Artificial Intelligence Management System.
