The former Domain Group chief data officer will spearhead MinterEllison’s AI integration initiatives
Pooyan Asgari, former chief data officer at Domain Group, has been named MinterEllison’s first chief AI officer.
Asgari will spearhead the firm’s AI strategy as well as its AI integration efforts. He will collaborate with AI managing partner Simon Ball and chief digital officer Gary Adler.
“The legal profession is one of the most fascinating places to be working on AI right now; the stakes are high, the problems are genuinely hard, and the opportunity to create real value is enormous. I look forward to working with MinterEllison to build something exceptional”, Asgari said.
During his eight-year stint as Domain Group’s chief data officer, Asgari developed an enterprise-wide AI strategy and a proprietary predictive AI engine. He also built large-scale data platforms.
He was head of data and AI products and insights – Domain Group at Fairfax Media, per LinkedIn, as well as head of AI and analytical products at Health Language Analytics Group. He was a lecturer and tutor in computer science, data and AI at the University of Sydney.
Asgari obtained his PhD in statistical natural language processing and machine learning from the University of Sydney in 2012.
“Pooyan has both deep experience in advising on enterprise AI and then building and commercialising it at scale across large organisations. That rare skillset will further accelerate our leading-edge AI strategy and deeply embed AI into how we deliver value to our clients”, said Virginia Briggs, MinterEllison’s CEO and managing partner.
MinterEllison entered into a co-development partnership with Legora last September 2025. It built proprietary tools like AI-driven legal data engine Cortex, Stockatoo, CASEowary and HelpME.
The firm also debuted an AI Accelerator program to incorporate AI-enabled workflows across teams.
The firm also expanded its partnership with the addition of Samantha Crichton, Daniel Bell, Hannah Dixon, Anne Crittall, William Nolan, Sarah Ferrett and Silvino Gomes.
Crichton operates from Sydney and practises with the M&A/capital markets team. She focuses on family office and private wealth matters.
Bell is based in Melbourne and concentrates on hotels and hospitality M&A as well as private M&A transactions. Dixon works on real estate M&A and private M&A matters, also from Melbourne.
Crittall works from Brisbane as part of the dispute resolution team. She concentrates on commercial disputes and regulatory litigation. Nolan tackles commercial disputes and class actions from Sydney.
Ferrett handles infrastructure and construction disputes from Brisbane as part of the projects, infrastructure and construction team. Gomes works on tax controversy matters from Sydney.
“Our clients need excellent advisers who are invested in their industry, who bring clarity and independent judgement under pressure, and who are ahead of how technology is changing the way complex problems should be solved. Our seven new partners demonstrate our commitment to being that excellent adviser”, Briggs said. ”They bring deep industry expertise in the sectors where our clients are navigating the most consequential decisions, they are at the forefront of how AI is changing the way we work, and they embody the curiosity and collaboration that sets us apart”.
