Law.com's "How I Made It" series features conversations with legal industry leaders about how they climbed the ladder of success and what they learned along the way. Below is a featured interview with Sharon R. Klein, Blank Rome vice chair of artificial intelligence; co-chair of the privacy, security and data protection practice; and chair of the Orange County office.

Sharon R. Klein, Partner at Blank Rome, Irvine, California

Job title(s): Vice chair of artificial intelligence; co-chair of the privacy, security and data protection practice; chair of the Orange County office

Practice area(s): Privacy, security and data protection; artificial intelligence

Law school and year of graduation: Temple University Beasley School of Law, 1978

The following has been edited for style.

How long have you been at the firm?

Five years

How long were you a partner at the firm before being promoted to firm leadership?

When I joined Blank Rome in 2021, I became co-chair of the firm’s privacy, security and data protection practice. I was also appointed chair of the Orange County office in 2021 and as a member of the executive committee in 2024. In January 2026, I was appointed to vice chair of artificial intelligence.

Were you a partner at another firm before joining your present firm? If so, which one? How long were you there and when did you leave?

Before joining Blank Rome in 2021, I was a partner at Troutman Pepper and managing partner of their Orange County, California office. Prior to that, I practiced at Pepper Hamilton’s Philadelphia office and at Dechert for nearly two decades. Earlier in my career, I was associate general counsel for Siemens Medical Solutions USA, and I am still very active in the health care field.

What year were you promoted to your current position?

I was named vice chair of artificial intelligence at Blank Rome in 2026, though I have been co-chair of Blank Rome’s privacy, security and data protection practice and chair of the Orange County office for five years.

Were there any surprises you faced after becoming a leader at the firm?

Vice chair of artificial intelligence at Blank Rome is a new position, and one that reflects our formalized, strategic approach to AI and our commitment to remaining on the cutting edge of advanced technologies. It reflects the foresight of firm management for recognizing AI as key to the firm’s future success as well as years of groundwork leading up to this point, including the firmwide adoption of a comprehensive AI strategic plan, which I have been involved with since its earliest stages. While not necessarily a surprise, what I find most exciting is how much AI advancement has already taken place at the firm and how eager our colleagues are to embrace new technologies. For example, our Innovation Lab, a multi-disciplinary program of over 350 attorneys, AI and client solution experts, and business professionals, has been piloting and testing technologies, vetting new AI solutions, and developing use cases. Moreover, colleagues have been experimenting with legal genAI tools, participating in training sessions, and shaping how these capabilities can best support our clients.

I am honored to be standing on the shoulders of so many colleagues at Blank Rome who helped build momentum for the adoption of AI and are now ready to put it into regular practice.

What’s been the biggest change, day-to-day, in your routine since becoming a leader at the firm?

In any leadership role, the biggest change is the level of added responsibility. That is especially true for this role, which is both new and integral to the future of the firm and the legal profession. I am very cognizant of the fact that I am no longer just discussing the future impact of AI on my own behalf, or that of my practice group and clients, but on behalf of Blank Rome as a whole—16 offices, 800 attorneys, and nearly 500 business professionals, all navigating this transformation together. This role unites our internal AI strategy with our client advisory work, which means every day I'm balancing operational readiness, ethical standards, and the practical guidance our clients need. There is added responsibility when the leadership role is tied to something like AI, which has so much potential but also requires careful consideration. It is not something I take lightly, and we want to embrace this transformation in a way that maximizes our value to clients and our own development of lawyers and the responsible practice of law.

What do you think was the deciding point for the firm in elevating you to your current position? Was it your performance on a specific case? A personality trait? Making connections with the right people?

I don't think there was a single defining factor, but rather this role draws upon the convergence of experiences I've built throughout my career. My leadership of our privacy, security and data protection practice, as well as decades of experience advising clients on complex technology and data issues, in addition to experience from prior in-house technology roles positioned me to understand AI from multiple vantage points: legal risk, business strategy, and practical implementation. Throughout my career, there have been many technological disruptors, and my privacy practice was built around helping clients navigate and adapt to these changes successfully. AI is simply the latest, and perhaps most consequential, of these transformations. The firm recognized the value of uniting our internal AI strategy with client advisory work so that our AI initiatives are coordinated, innovative, and responsible while delivering cutting-edge guidance to clients.

But I want to be clear: the role is not at all siloed. I am fortunate to be working alongside incredible colleagues like Frank Spadafino, our chief information officer, who is instrumental in building out our technology stack at the firm, and Ashton Batchelor, our chief innovation and value officer, who strategically guides the firm in identifying AI solutions and evaluating how our AI capabilities can be used to enhance our service delivery model. Frank, Ashton, firm leadership, members of our AI committee, and colleagues across every level, practice group, and office of the firm are the reason we have been able to build such strong momentum. Collaboratively, we evaluate these forces of change and their place in the legal profession and in client service.

How do you utilize technology to benefit the firm/practice and/or business development?

The vice chair of AI role is structured around the use of technology to support the firm, our practices, and our clients. As I mentioned, Blank Rome spent years developing a comprehensive AI strategic plan. As part of this plan, AI initiatives are rolling out in phases prioritizing high-impact use cases and practical training.

We are closely monitoring the legal technology marketplace, continuously exploring, evaluating, and rigorously testing legal genAI and agentic AI tools to empower our attorneys and maximize value for clients. The firm has carefully curated a stack of approximately 10 AI and AI-enhanced practice technologies to support legal service delivery and operational efficiency. The firm’s AI Academy offers practical training sessions that deliver quick, focused skill-building for busy legal professionals on how to effectively leverage AI practice technologies. There are also hands-on workshops like practice-specific bootcamps and associate hackathons, fostering collaboration and allowing our lawyers to experiment directly with innovative tools. We are taking a multi-modal approach that features practice group sessions as well as private coaching to meet lawyers where they are on their AI journey.

We also operate a firm-wide Innovation Lab, a centralized hub for piloting, experimenting with, and implementing AI technologies. The Innovation Lab comprises over 350 attorneys, AI and client solutions experts, and business professionals who participate in pilot tests, develop use cases, and vet new solutions. The Innovation Lab hosts roundtable discussions, gathers feedback, and organizes expert-led training sessions.

These initiatives represent just some of the ways AI is transforming not only the firm and our practices, but the work of our individual attorneys and the value we deliver to clients. I often say AI is not artificial intelligence, but “assisted” intelligence, broadening viewpoints and helping to address problems. It allows us to be more efficient while providing a greater quality of service. Our approach remains responsible, collaborative, data-driven, and client-centric.

What advice would you give to someone whose goal is to ascend to firm leadership?

Moving into a firm leadership role was not intentional for me, but I have always been open to taking on new challenges and being of service to my clients and colleagues. Helping people, whether they be clients or colleagues, has always guided me in my professional and personal life. The leadership roles I have been fortunate to hold reflect and are a natural evolution of that core value. They have allowed me to continue helping others and problem solving on a greater scale. As an undergraduate, I studied psychology and organizational dynamics, which has served me well in leading people.

Who had the greatest influence in your career that helped propel you to your leadership role?

I was honored to be the first woman federal law clerk for U.S. District Court Judge J. William Ditter Jr. for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, where I gained perspective into the inner workings of law and how decisions are made. Then, while at Siemens on the business and legal side, we spearheaded cloud SaaS solutions for the electronic medical record and always had AI on our road map; this experience provided valuable insights on the use of data and how technology innovation works inside a global technology company.

Knowing what you know now, if you had a chance to advise or mentor your younger self (at any stage), what advice would you give to yourself and/or what would you do differently?

My advice to my younger self would be to build your network and have strong relationships with people at all levels. Trust that the best way to solve problems is by bringing people of different perspectives together and leading from the middle. Elevate and enable others to engage in and celebrate your team’s successes. From the experience I’ve gained over my career, building a highly functioning team and actively listening creates individual success as well as furthering the team’s goals.

Do you have a prediction on how the legal industry will evolve over the next several years?

Refining responsible and effective use of AI in the legal industry is going to take years. At every level of the profession, we are grappling with fundamental questions: how to use AI for good, how to deploy it ethically, and how to maintain the core values of our profession while embracing technological advancement. We are already witnessing the beginning of significant regulatory developments. California has issued dozens of laws that would create AI guardrails around transparency, confidentiality, and decision-making. It is just one example of the legislative battles ahead as states and regulatory bodies work to establish frameworks for AI governance in legal practice. Simultaneously, bar associations will increasingly require continuing legal education on the responsible use of AI. One thing that is critical for all of us to remember throughout this sea change is that AI is a tool, not a substitute for human intelligence and decision making.

What is the one behavior or trait that you have seen derail more leaders’ careers?

One trait I have always tried to avoid is surrounding myself with “yes” people. When leaders only want agreement, people stop telling them the truth. They do not hear the tough feedback, the lived experiences, or the opposing views that would make their decisions better. Great leaders do the opposite. They actively invite different viewpoints, actively listen, and treat pushback as essential to reach the best outcomes.

Please share with us any firm or industry initiatives that you are working on as well as the impact you hope to achieve.

I hope to be a strategic resource to both the firm and our clients, aligning our AI Strategic Plan with firmwide strategic goals, operational readiness, and ethical standards while continuing to provide trusted counsel on AI, data privacy, cybersecurity, and technology matters. It is about balancing innovation with risk management to advance responsible implementation and deliver guidance that strengthens our service delivery and creates meaningful value for clients. I think of myself as an enabler for AI transformation, working with all to find solutions that make operational sense and yield client success.

I play an active role in guiding AI strategy across the broader legal landscape, serving as an Officer of the International Bar Association (IBA) in the technology group and chair of the IBA’s subcommittee on AI globally. What we are trying to do is understand uniform guidelines for the legal profession globally, especially the use of AI in dealings with and for clients. I am also certified as a privacy professional by the International Association of Privacy Professionals.

I proudly serve as a board member for the Girl Scouts of Orange County and on their Board Development Task Force, which helps develop and cultivate future leadership. This role provides an important perspective on the differences between becoming a leader individually and helping others unlock their own leadership potential.

"How I Made Law Firm Leadership: 'Have Strong Relationships With People at All Levels,' Says Sharon Klein of Blank Rome," was published on June 10, 2026 in Law.com, as part of Law.com’s How I Made It series.