Coheso CEO Ned Gannon Speaks at Cornell Tech
Nov 7, 2025
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Coheso CEO Ned Gannon recently spoke with graduate students at Cornell Tech's course "Delivering Legal Services through Technology." The session, led by Nate Schorr, Adjunct Professor of Law, and Matt D'Amore, Professor of the Practice and Director of the Law, Technology & Entrepreneurship Program, offered students a candid look at the realities of building legal tech companies and the rapidly evolving landscape they'll soon enter.
From Big Law to Building Products
Ned's path from corporate attorney at Paul Hastings to two-time legal tech founder provided a useful frame for students considering careers at the intersection of law and technology.
During the session, Ned shared insights from his first company, eBrevia, an AI-based contract analytics pioneer acquired by Donnelley Financial Solutions in 2018. Following the acquisition, Ned served as President of DFIN's eBrevia subsidiary, growing revenue fivefold. The lessons learned along the way directly shaped how he approached building Coheso.
Second-Time Founders Learn What to Prioritize
Coheso tackles a different challenge than eBrevia, serving as an AI-native legal front door and work management platform for in-house legal and compliance teams. Ned explained that in-house legal teams face unique pressures. They're asked to do more with less, serve as strategic business partners, and manage an increasingly complex web of requests and compliance requirements.
During a live demo of the Coheso platform, students saw firsthand how the company addresses these challenges. Ned was transparent about the evolution required to get there. Building trust with in-house legal teams meant deeply understanding their processes and pain points, being upfront about both the platform's capabilities and limitations, and maintaining an unwavering focus on data security (Coheso is SOC2 and GDPR compliant).
One pivotal insight Ned shared involved meeting business users where they already work. Integration with existing communication tools like email, Slack, and Teams proved to be a major unlock for Coheso, reducing friction and increasing adoption.
Practical Advice for Future Legal Tech Leaders
Throughout the conversation, Ned offered observations that resonated with students considering entrepreneurship.
Attorneys can have a risk-averse mindset, but entrepreneurship requires moving quickly and taking calculated risks. Startups are always a rollercoaster, Ned acknowledged, but there are few things as professionally satisfying as building a successful company.
On the current opportunity, Ned told students there has never been a better time to get into legal tech. He outlined a formula for success consisting of legal domain expertise, technical expertise, and strong people skills. If you have two of the three, you can be very successful in legal tech. If you have all three, that's even better.
The students asked questions throughout, touching on everything from working with investors to timing market opportunities.
Cornell Tech as a Training Ground
Cornell Tech's focus on combining academic rigor with practical application makes it an ideal environment for future legal tech innovators. The campus on Roosevelt Island serves as a hub for building startups and forging partnerships between academia, industry, and government. This is the kind of ecosystem needed to transform how legal services are delivered.
As Ned's journey illustrates, the legal industry is experiencing fundamental change driven by AI and shifting client expectations. The next generation of lawyers, technologists, and entrepreneurs will shape that evolution. Sessions like this one ensure they're prepared with real-world insights about what it takes to build, scale, and sustain innovation in legal technology.
For Coheso, engaging with future legal tech leaders is about investing in the ecosystem that will continue pushing the industry forward.
Interested in learning more about how Coheso is transforming legal operations for in-house teams? Contact us to schedule a demo.
