Key Points
- Founders Legal, a full-service law firm based in Atlanta, Georgia, is expanding its focus on AI governance and risk management to help businesses use generative artificial intelligence in contracts, documentation, policies, and operational workflows
- The firm is providing practical guidance on AI policies, confidentiality safeguards, contract review standards, and accountability frameworks as generative AI adoption creates demand for defined governance and legal risk management
- Jeff Bekiares, Managing Partner at Founders Legal | Bekiares Eliezer LLP, is helping founders navigate AI-related legal questions including ownership of AI-created content, compliance definitions, and vendor contract updates
- The firm provides legal counsel in intellectual property, corporate law, litigation, technology law, and business matters, with growing emphasis on artificial intelligence, data governance, privacy, contracts, and emerging technologies
- 2026 will reshape Technology and AI Law as enforcement, contracts, and federal uncertainty redefine governance and compliance strategy, according to Founders Legal’s AI Law & Governance archives
- AI governance policy is no longer optional as AI systems become embedded in everyday business operations; it’s essential for managing risk, maintaining compliance, and building trust with users and regulators
- David H. Pierce, Corporate Chair and Partner at Founders Legal, oversees the firm’s corporate operations as it expands its AI governance capabilities
Founders Legal, an Atlanta-based full-service law firm, has announced a significant expansion of its AI governance and risk management services to help businesses navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of generative artificial intelligence adoption in contracts, documentation, policies, and operational workflows while preserving legal oversight, confidentiality safeguards, and accountability standards, according to a press release published June 19, 2026 by Evertise.
The firm is addressing growing demand for defined governance protocols and legal risk management as companies increasingly integrate generative AI tools into critical business functions, providing practical guidance on AI policies, confidentiality safeguards, contract review standards, and accountability frameworks to help organizations use artificial intelligence responsibly while maintaining legal compliance.
What Is Founders Legal Expanding in AI Governance?
As reported by Evertise in the June 19, 2026 press release, Founders Legal is expanding its focus on AI governance and risk management to help businesses use artificial intelligence in contracts, documentation, policies, and operational workflows while preserving legal oversight, confidentiality safeguards, and accountability standards.
That shift is creating demand for defined governance, review protocols, and legal risk management. Founders Legal is helping businesses address those issues through practical guidance on AI policies, confidentiality safeguards, contract review standards, and accountability frameworks.
The firm recognises that generative AI presents significant opportunities for businesses seeking to innovate and enhance efficiency, but scaling its deployment requires careful consideration of the legal, ethical, and regulatory landscape to mitigate risks and ensure responsible implementation.
Who Is Leading AI Governance at Founders Legal?
Jeff Bekiares, Managing Partner at Founders Legal | Bekiares Eliezer LLP, is the key leader driving the firm’s AI governance initiatives. As reported in TiE Atlanta’s June Monthly Meeting announcement, Bekiares will be moderating discussions on how AI is changing law and tech, bringing a unique lens to the intersection of law, technology, and entrepreneurship .
Bekiares has helped founders navigate corporate structuring, venture deals, and IP protection through shifting markets and technologies, and is now helping them ask the right questions as AI accelerates change across the board.
David H. Pierce, Corporate Chair and Partner at Founders Legal, oversees the firm’s corporate operations. His contact information is dpierce@founderslegal.com, and he plays a central role in the firm’s expansion into AI governance services.
Why Does AI Governance Matter for Businesses in 2026?
According to Founders Legal’s AI Law & Governance archives, 2026 will reshape Technology and AI Law as enforcement, contracts, and federal uncertainty redefine governance and compliance strategy.
As AI systems become embedded in everyday business operations, having a well-defined AI governance policy is no longer optional. It’s essential for managing risk, maintaining compliance, and building trust with users and regulators, according to Founders Legal’s June 19, 2025 article on AI governance policy.
Legal teams, well-versed in the evolving regulatory landscape of GenAI, play a crucial role in advising the C-suite on a pragmatic and commercial approach to risk and compliance. This involves developing robust frameworks to assess and mitigate risks related to data privacy, intellectual property, and ethical considerations.
In the age of GenAI, C-suite leaders must balance legal compliance with innovation agility. Legal departments play a vital role in providing education and guidance on AI regulation, ethical considerations, and risk mitigation strategies.
What Core Elements Should an AI Governance Policy Include?
As detailed in Founders Legal’s AI governance guidance, core elements of an AI governance policy include ethical principles aligning AI systems with fairness, transparency, and non-discrimination values, risk assessments evaluating potential harms AI decisions may create, and human oversight defining when and how humans can override AI outputs.
Data governance ensures data used in AI models is secure, accurate, and lawfully collected and processed. Accountability assigns internal ownership and review processes for all AI-driven tools. Compliance aligns with privacy laws like GDPR and U.S. State-specific privacy laws and sector-specific regulations.
Documentation maintains audit trails, model logic, and version history. As AI becomes more regulated, legal exposure increases, and policies should address intellectual property ownership of AI-generated outputs, liability for harms caused by automated decisions, employee and user data privacy rights, vendor and third-party tool accountability, and international AI governance standards if operating globally.
How Is Generative AI Creating New Legal Risks?
Generative AI presents a significant opportunity for businesses seeking to innovate and enhance efficiency. However, scaling its deployment requires careful consideration of the legal, ethical, and regulatory landscape to mitigate risks and ensure responsible implementation, according to Deloitte’s analysis of generative AI in legal departments.
This involves rigorous risk assessments, vulnerability identification, and collaboration between legal, IT, risk, and cybersecurity teams to establish comprehensive security protocols. These protocols will help keep sensitive data and AI models away from breaches, effectively managing compliance with cybersecurity regulations and standards, IP laws, and data protection regulations.
AI training and fair use debates are turning into licensing and litigation risk. The use of copyrighted works to train artificial intelligence systems has become one of the most contested issues in modern media law. Content owners argue that training models on copyrighted material without permission undermines their ability to control and monetise creative works.
Production teams experimenting with AI tools may inadvertently expose proprietary material to training processes if they upload scripts, footage, or music into third-party platforms without reviewing the platform’s terms. Vendor agreements and internal policies therefore play an important role in preserving leverage over how content participates in machine learning systems.
What Services Does Founders Legal Provide?
Founders Legal is a full-service law firm based in Atlanta, Georgia, with a national footprint and a focus on innovation. The firm provides legal counsel in intellectual property, corporate law, litigation, technology law, and business matters, with growing emphasis on artificial intelligence, data governance, privacy, contracts, and emerging technologies, according to the company’s official press release.
The firm has expanded its enterprise AI and software patent strategy practice to address evolving patent eligibility standards. Founders Legal also provides technology lawyer services for software, cloud, AI, privacy, security, IP, licensing, and transactions.
Managing Partner Jeff Bekiares specialises in helping technology companies move with confidence through shifting legal frameworks. He positions technology companies to navigate corporate structuring, venture deals, and IP protection through shifting markets and technologies.
When Will AI Act Transparency Rules Come Into Effect?
The transparency rules of the EU AI Act will come into effect in August 2026, according to the European Union’s regulatory framework on AI. Moreover, providers of generative AI have to ensure that AI-generated content is identifiable. On top of that, certain AI-generated content should be clearly and visibly labelled, namely deep fakes and text published with the purpose to inform the public on matters of public interest.
This European regulatory development underscores the importance of the governance frameworks that Founders Legal is now providing to businesses. As regulators increasingly focus on disclosure and transparency when sponsored relationships or AI-generated elements are involved, companies must prepare for compliance requirements.
How Can Businesses Learn More About Founders Legal’s AI Services?
For businesses seeking to engage Founders Legal’s AI governance and risk advisory services, David H. Pierce, Corporate Chair and Partner, can be contacted at dpierce@founderslegal.com. The firm’s website is https://founderslegal.com/.
The firm’s AI Law & Governance archives provide additional resources on emerging legal issues, including AI copyright litigation risk for creators, entertainment and media law transformations, and data privacy and cybersecurity shifts that turn compliance into core business infrastructure.