Michelle Fernando

Michelle Fernando is Director of Practice Technology, part of Gowling WLG’s AI, Innovation and Knowledge Team. Michelle has over 20 years of experience in the legal industry and 15 years focused on knowledge and innovation in leading national and global law firms. She specializes in developing and implementing strategies that drive excellence and efficiency in legal service delivery, leading a team that collaborates with stakeholders to deliver measurable improvements for both legal professionals and clients, particularly in an AI-enabled environment.

Prior to joining Gowling WLG, Michelle led the national rollout of Generative AI tools to hundreds of users, established robust responsible use guardrails, and designed training programs to support technology adoption at two other large law firms. She is skilled at mapping workflows, identifying pain points, and facilitating the onboarding of AI and legal technology solutions to ensure strategic alignment and client value.

Michelle’s leadership extends across the full lifecycle of legal technology solutions, from horizon-scanning and vendor selection through pilot design, change-management planning and long-term optimization. She has established firm-wide success metrics and dashboards that provide senior management with key insights, thereby informing strategic investment decisions.