AI Assisted Deals: Contract Drafting, Due Diligence, and Deal Management

Hossein F. Berenji is the Founder and Managing Attorney of Berenji Divorce & Family Law Group, bringing over two decades of focused experience representing executives, business owners, and high-asset individuals in complex, high-net-worth divorce and family law matters throughout Los Angeles County. Known for his strategic precision and meticulous preparation, he has consistently secured multi-million-dollar property settlements, favorable support orders, and strong custody outcomes, while advising clients through every stage of litigation, negotiation, and alternative dispute resolution. A UCLA and Loyola Law School graduate admitted to the California Bar since 2001, Hossein is recognized for his professional excellence, serves as a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Family Law Section, and is committed to community service through pro bono work for domestic violence survivors and a family law scholarship he established at Loyola Law School.

Anil B. Chachra is a Financial Advisor, Senior Vice President, and Senior Portfolio Manager at Morgan Stanley, bringing a distinguished academic foundation that includes an MBA in Value Investing from Columbia Business School, a Master of Science from Carnegie Mellon University, and a Bachelor of Science from NYU’s Stern School of Business. Drawing on his extensive expertise and credentials, Anil partners closely with clients to formulate personalized investment strategies designed to help them achieve their most meaningful financial goals. He also advises corporate clients on comprehensive workplace financial benefits solutions, encompassing equity administration, retirement planning, deferred compensation, and executive services.

Michael Kushner is the Founding and Managing Partner of MBK Chapman PC and a pioneer in homeowner-side HOA law in California, having spent decades developing proprietary legal systems to enforce the Davis-Stirling Act on behalf of homeowners. A UC Berkeley and UCLA School of Law graduate, he has been repeatedly recognized as a Super Lawyer and is the author of the Amazon number-one best-selling book HOA HELL | California Homeowners’ Definitive Guide to Beating Bad HOAs, as well as the host of the popular podcast of the same name. Through his firm, his writing, and his advocacy, Kushner has established himself as California’s leading authority on protecting homeowners from abusive and mismanaged associations.

Laurie R. Kuslansky, Ph.D., is an expert jury consultant with over 43 years of experience, holding a doctorate in Cognitive Psychology and a Master’s in Linguistics from Columbia University. She specializes in jury selection, case themes, witness preparation, and trial strategy, having consulted on more than 1,200 civil and criminal jury trials nationwide across a broad range of legal matters. Dr. Kuslansky is a sought-after speaker and published author whose work has been recognized by Legal Times, which voted her the #1 Jury Consulting Practice in the country four years in a row.

Ryan Wedell is a senior associate in the Entertainment, Technology and Advertising Practice Group at Sheppard Mullin’s Century City office, where his practice focuses on transactional matters in television, film, and new media, with deep expertise in scripted development and production, independent film finance, branded content, and Hollywood guild regulations. He began his career as production counsel on Yellowstone and has since served as a go-to production lawyer on a range of acclaimed projects, including The Summer I Turned Pretty, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Pachinko, Mayor of Kingstown, and Lioness, among others. Named one of Variety’s “Hollywood’s New Leaders” in 2023, Ryan received his J.D. from UCLA School of Law and his B.A. with High Distinction from UC Berkeley.

Talin Yacoubian is a partner and founding member of Yacoubian & Powell LLP, bringing over three decades of experience in environmental litigation, business law, and dispute resolution, including her instrumental role in the Iron Mountain Mine Superfund settlement — one of the largest environmental settlements for federal and state agencies in California. A graduate of Pomona College and George Washington National Law Center, she has represented clients across a broad range of matters, from renewable energy and intellectual property to civil rights and construction, while also serving as General Counsel to an international conglomerate. Beyond her legal practice, Talin is deeply committed to public service and her community, having organized the 2015 Armenian Genocide Centennial march of 160,000 people in Los Angeles, and she currently teaches Legal Writing and Advocacy at USC Gould School of Law.

Scott Skinner-Thompson is a Professor and Dean’s Scholar at the University of Colorado Law School, where his research and teaching focus on constitutional law, civil rights, and privacy law, with particular emphasis on LGBTQ+ and HIV issues. His book, Privacy at the Margins, examines privacy as an anti-subordination tool of resistance to surveillance, and his article Identity by Committee — exploring the legal construction of gender and protections for transgender people — received a 2024 Dukeminier Award for best LGBTQ law review articles; his broader scholarship has appeared in leading journals including the Georgetown Law Journal, Michigan Law Review, and Yale Law Journal Forum. Prior to joining Colorado Law in 2017, he practiced alongside organizations including the ACLU LGBT & HIV Project and the Transgender Law Center, and his contributions to LGBTQ+ rights have been recognized by both the National and Colorado LGBTQ+ Bar Associations.

Pelecanos is a Staff Attorney at Lambda Legal specializing in constitutional and civil rights law, where they have worked since 2023. They earned their J.D. from the University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law with a Constitutional Rights and Remedies Certificate, and previously interned with the ACLU of Colorado and the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. A co-author of a published law review article tracing the U.S. legal history of transgender discrimination, Pelecanos is also an active board member of the National Trans Bar Association.

Adam Hofmann serves as Deputy Judicial Appointments Secretary in the Office of California Governor Gavin Newsom, where he works alongside Judicial Appointments Secretary Luis Céspedes to vet candidates, manage the application process, and lead judicial mentorship outreach across the state. Prior to joining the Governor’s office, he built a distinguished appellate law career as a partner and co-chair of the appellate practice at Hanson Bridgett, arguing cases before the Ninth Circuit and state appellate courts as a State Bar of California Certified Appellate Specialist, and chaired the State Bar’s Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluations (JNE). A dedicated advocate for judicial diversity, Hofmann regularly speaks at bar association events statewide to demystify the judicial application process and encourage a broad range of attorneys to pursue careers on the bench.

Tanyee (Tan) Cheung is a Partner at Finn Dixon & Herling LLP, where she represents borrowers, agents, and lenders across all levels of commercial financings, with a particular focus on leveraged finance transactions supporting middle-market to large-cap private equity acquisitions. With over thirty years of in-house and firm experience, she brings deep business acumen and practical, client-centered solutions to complex debt finance matters, including her role as chair of the firm’s Debt Finance practice and a member of its Management Committee. Beyond her transactional work, Tan is a recognized advocate for wellbeing and mindfulness in the legal profession, serving as chair of both the Finn Dixon & Herling and Connecticut Bar Association Wellbeing Committees, and was honored with the Ladder Award at Pathways to Leadership for Women Lawyers in 2023.