Mary O’Carroll, a foundational figure in the legal operations movement and co-founder of CLOC, has transitioned to a new advisory role at Sandstone, a New York-based legal AI startup. Having previously held leadership positions at Google and Ironclad, O’Carroll’s move highlights a growing trend of industry veterans pivoting toward specialized AI ventures. She will serve as a Product Expert Advisor, working part-time to help the startup refine its offerings for corporate legal teams.

Sandstone positions itself as a "Legal Control Tower," a centralized platform designed to bridge the gap between business data and legal workflows. The company utilizes autonomous agents—software programs designed to perform specific tasks without constant human intervention—to manage processes such as intake, triage, and first-pass redlines. This approach aims to reduce the administrative burden on in-house counsel, allowing them to focus on strategic work rather than routine document review.

The appointment comes as the legal industry grapples with the integration of generative technologies. O’Carroll’s background in scaling legal departments provides Sandstone with the institutional context necessary to build tools that resonate with practitioners. By focusing on data and structure, the partnership seeks to move beyond simple chatbots toward integrated systems that act as an operational backbone for legal departments.

Mary O’Carroll, a foundational figure in the legal operations movement and co-founder of CLOC, has transitioned to a new advisory role at Sandstone, a New York-based legal AI startup. Having previously held leadership positions at Google and Ironclad, O’Carroll’s move highlights a growing trend of industry veterans pivoting toward specialized AI ventures. She will serve as a Product Expert Advisor, working part-time to help the startup refine its offerings for corporate legal teams.

Sandstone positions itself as a "Legal Control Tower," a centralized platform designed to bridge the gap between business data and legal workflows. The company utilizes autonomous agents—software programs designed to perform specific tasks without constant human intervention—to manage processes such as intake, triage, and first-pass redlines. This approach aims to reduce the administrative burden on in-house counsel, allowing them to focus on strategic work rather than routine document review.

The appointment comes as the legal industry grapples with the integration of generative technologies. O’Carroll’s background in scaling legal departments provides Sandstone with the institutional context necessary to build tools that resonate with practitioners. By focusing on data and structure, the partnership seeks to move beyond simple chatbots toward integrated systems that act as an operational backbone for legal departments.