The Lawyers Who Survive the AI Era Will Do This (with the GC of R&D at Nestle)

The Lawyers Who Survive the AI Era Will Do This (with the GC of R&D at Nestle)

From More Than A Lawyer with Holly Cope by Holly Cope

March 22, 2026 · 45 min

About this episode

Holly Cope interviews David Mazur about the impact of AI on legal practices and how legal teams can adapt to new technologies.

In this episode, I’m talking with David Mazur, Vice President, General Counsel & Compliance Officer, who leads efforts in Intellectual Property and R&D contracts at Nestlé , a global organization that is pioneering AI-driven patent drafting and legal innovation. David brings a "maverick" perspective to the table, viewing AI not as a threat, but as an empowering technology that democratizes creativity within corporate legal teams. We talk about the shift from traditional templates to "agentic" AI —and how legal teams can balance the "jungle" of new tools with strict compliance guardrails. You’ll hear perspectives on: The "AI-First" Mindset: Why junior lawyers should treat AI as a "portfolio" of skills rather than just a tool. Safe Spaces for Experimentation: How to create a leadership culture where failure is a learning win. The Democratic Power of AI: Why you don't need "permission" to start innovating at your desk. Legal as a Strategic Driver: Moving from a purely operational view to one that enables business competitiveness. -------- Each week I take what I'm hearing in conversations with legal leaders. I analyze the market and track emerging trends in this AI era…

People in this episode

Host: Holly Cope

Guest: David Mazur

Topics covered

  • AI in law
  • legal innovation
  • Intellectual Property
  • R&D contracts
  • corporate legal teams
  • AI-driven tools
  • leadership culture

Keywords

  • AI
  • legal teams
  • innovation
  • compliance
  • creativity
  • junior lawyers
  • strategic driver
  • failure learning
  • agentic AI

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Nestlé

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