Breaking Barriers in Legal Tech – Lisa Burton’s Mission to Make AI Work for Everyone

By Lisa Burton Legal Technologist and Digital Risk Expert, CEO & Founder, Authentic Legal AI  

When Lisa Burton first stepped into the world of legal technology, she didn’t see anyone who looked like her – not in boardrooms, not in leadership roles, and certainly not in the fast-growing space where tech and law collide. Two decades later, she’s changing that narrative — not just by being in the room but by redefining the industry from the top down as CEO and Founder of Authentic Legal AI.

With an impressive background that spans enterprise data management, global compliance, regulatory investigations, and high-stakes litigation support, Lisa has long been at the coalface of digital disruption. But it’s her unique ability to bridge complex legal frameworks with emerging technology — especially artificial intelligence — that makes her a standout in the field. And as a woman in a heavily male-dominated sector, she’s had to fight harder than most to get her voice heard.

“Breaking into legal tech as a woman hasn’t been easy,” Lisa says. “There’s often this unspoken expectation that you need to ‘prove’ your technical credentials over and over. But once you stop trying to tick everyone else’s boxes and start building your own vision, everything changes.”

That vision is Authentic Legal AI, Lisa’s latest venture and her boldest yet — a company on a mission to help organisations navigate AI, data governance, and compliance with integrity, intelligence, and empathy. In an era where digital innovation often moves faster than regulation can keep up, Lisa is helping businesses stay ahead — not just legally, but ethically.

A Pioneer in Legal Tech

Lisa isn’t new to pushing boundaries. She founded Legal Inc, an award-winning litigation support company, back when legal tech was barely on the radar. At a time when most legal teams were still buried in paper trails, she was already building client-first, tech-led solutions that transformed how firms handled discovery, investigations, and case management.

Later, she led Digital Risk Experts, where she advised top-tier law firms, corporates, and regulators on everything from cross-border data breaches and class actions to cloud compliance and eDiscovery. It’s the kind of work that requires a razor-sharp understanding of risk, law, and human behaviour — and Lisa brings all three to the table.

But despite her credentials, she often found herself facing the same barriers many women in tech know too well: being underestimated, overlooked, or boxed into “supporting” roles rather than leadership ones.

“There’s a real lack of visible female leadership in legal tech,” Lisa explains. “And that has consequences — not just for women, but for innovation. Diverse teams build better tech. Full stop.”

Ethics First, Always

At Authentic Legal AI, ethics isn’t a buzzword — it’s a foundation. Lisa’s approach is grounded in the belief that digital progress should never come at the cost of privacy or accountability. She works closely with legal and compliance teams to ensure AI tools and digital strategies are not only effective but also transparent, explainable, and legally secure.

“AI can’t be a black box,” she says. “We help clients understand how algorithms make decisions, how to spot bias, and how to embed safeguards from the start.”

Her team supports organisations with contract lifecycle management, regulatory compliance, post-breach responses, and AI readiness — providing the kind of strategic clarity that’s urgently needed in today’s evolving legal landscape.

But it’s not just about ticking compliance boxes. Lisa is passionate about protecting individuals’ rights, especially when it comes to data privacy and the ethical use of AI. She’s a firm believer that businesses can innovate without compromising human dignity.

Building a Better Future in Legal Tech

Lisa is also focused on empowering others — particularly women and underrepresented professionals — to step into the legal tech space with confidence.

“You don’t have to be a coder to work in legal tech,” she points out. “We need strategists, compliance experts, communicators. We need more women asking different questions and shaping the future.”

Through Authentic Legal AI, she’s building more than just a business — she’s cultivating a community of thinkers, innovators, and changemakers who believe in doing tech differently.

Looking Ahead

As AI reshapes industries and the legal sector catches up with digital transformation, leaders like Lisa Burton are showing what it means to scale with purpose. She’s proving that deep expertise, values-led leadership, and human-centric thinking are the real power tools in this new era of legal technology.

Her advice to the next generation of founders?

“Don’t wait for permission. Be bold, stay curious, and never forget who you’re building for.”

In a world of accelerated tech and shifting regulations, Lisa Burton isn’t just keeping up — she’s setting the pace.