Axinn Appoints Rachael Philbin as Chief Innovation Officer
Appointment Reflects Firm’s Vision for the Future of Legal Practice
April 27, 2026
Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider LLP today announced the appointment of Rachael Philbin as Chief Innovation Officer, reinforcing the Firm’s continued investment in advanced solutions and technology for legal services delivery. Philbin joins from Proskauer Rose LLP, where she served as Innovation & Transformation Officer. Based in Axinn's New York office, she will lead the Firm’s AI and legal technology initiatives as well as knowledge management efforts, accelerating adoption and integration across its antitrust, intellectual property, and litigation practices.
“As Axinn continues to grow, we are making deliberate investments in the capabilities that enable our lawyers to deliver service and results at the highest level in our clients’ complex matters,” said Jeny Maier, managing partner of Axinn. “Rachael brings deep experience and a sophisticated perspective on how to embed these new capabilities in ways that are both intentional and aligned with clients’ evolving expectations.”
Philbin brings more than 20 years of experience at the intersection of law, technology, and legal innovation, with a focus on firmwide transformation and building scalable models that accelerate the delivery of sophisticated legal services. She began her career as a litigator at Jones Day before transitioning into legal technology at McDermott Will & Emery (now McDermott Will & Schulte). She went on to build and lead innovation functions at Perkins Coie and, most recently, Proskauer. She holds a J.D. from Cardozo Law School and a certificate in Applied Generative AI for Digital Transformation from MIT.
“Rachael combines extensive legal experience with a strong understanding of how technology can enhance legal work,” said Annie Westover, Chief Operating Officer of Axinn. “Her leadership will allow us to fully integrate AI-enabled technology, data, and knowledge systems to deliver faster, more insightful, and more impactful outcomes for our clients.”
“Clients today expect legal teams to pair deep subject matter expertise with technology-enabled insight,” said Philbin. “Axinn is already known for delivering sophisticated, high-impact counsel in complex antitrust and litigation matters. I joined to help amplify that strength, ensuring our lawyers have the tools and capabilities to further elevate their analysis and deliver exceptional results for clients.”
About Axinn
Incisive. Inclusive. Invested. Inquisitive. We're Axinn. Focusing on antitrust, intellectual property, and litigation, we make it our mission to understand your business, so we can anticipate every move. Acting with precision and conviction, we protect and accelerate your business growth, always thinking ahead.
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