Fordham Law School Announces Second Annual In-House Counsel Institute Focused on AI and Today’s Evolving Legal Landscape

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fordham Law School, in collaboration with global law firm DLA Piper, is launching the second year of its In-House Counsel Institute, building on the strong debut of last year’s program. This year’s program will take place online from September 10 through December 10, 2026, with fifteen one-hour sessions exploring AI’s impact across the in-house function, from governance and risk to innovation and business strategy.

Developed and led by Toni Jaeger-Fine, senior counselor and adjunct professor at Fordham Law School, and Amadeu Ribeiro, a partner at DLA Piper and Fordham LLM alum, the Institute returns with an expanded and timely curriculum designed to address the most pressing issues facing today’s in-house lawyers and that combines academic rigor with real-world insight drawn from advising leading companies across industries and jurisdictions.

Following the success of its inaugural year, which drew participants from leading global companies and highlighted the growing demand for practical, executive-level legal education, the 2026 Institute will place a central focus on artificial intelligence. Nearly every panel will examine AI’s impact on the in-house function, informed by DLA Piper’s experience advising multinational organizations on AI governance, risk management, innovation, and business strategy.

New this year, the Institute will include an optional session on September 3 tailored to those beginning their in-house careers, offering foundational guidance and career development insights informed by both academic perspective and law firm advising experience.

Speakers will include senior in-house leaders and industry experts from a range of sectors, drawn from Fordham Law’s distinguished alumni network and DLA Piper’s global relationships, including:

• Fordham Law alumni: Ramzi Aboutaam (Vice President & Chief Counsel, Pfizer Inc.), Yoram Elkaim (Head of Legal, Google), Andrew Lee (Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, New York Jets), Barbara Levi (Group General Counsel and Member of the Group Executive Board, UBS), Eric Grossman (Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Office, Morgan Stanley), Felipe Krause (General Counsel, Managing Director, EMEA Corporate Legal, JPMorgan Chase), Patrick Shilling (General Counsel Americas, UBS), Anne T. Madden (Senior Vice President, Portfolio Transformation & Senior Advisor, Honeywell), Palmina Fava (Chief Integrity Officer & Global Head of Litigation, The Magnum Ice Cream Company; General Counsel, Ben & Jerry’s).
• Additional featured speakers: Diane Brayton (Executive Vice President & Chief Legal Officer, The New York Times), John Burke (Global Head of Outside Counsel Management, UBS AG), Alma Rosa Montañez (General Counsel, S&P Global Market Intelligence & S&P Global Enterprise Data Organization).

As corporations continue to expand their in-house legal teams and rely more heavily on them for strategic decision-making, programs like this are becoming increasingly essential. The success of last year’s Institute highlights the strong demand for this type of forward-looking and actionable training, and the Fordham Law–DLA Piper collaboration positions the Institute to deliver an even more impactful program in its second year. DLA Piper’s involvement in the IHCI will include its global WIN (What In-house lawyers Need) program, which delivers commercial and professional resources to in-house lawyers, such as webinars, CLE training, insights and publications, and an international network of in-house counsel.

About Fordham Law School

Located in the heart of New York City on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Fordham Law School is among the nation’s top law schools. Its vibrant community is rooted in its commitment to ethics and the service of others. Fordham unites a renowned faculty and extraordinary alumni with an outstanding student body. We are at the forefront of shaping the legal profession and advancing justice here and abroad. For more about Fordham Law, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.