Mr Azhar Aziz-Ismail will address the FISA Conference, sponsored by Hollard Court Bonds, on 9 September 2026 on the topic: “AI as a Companion, Not Decision-Maker: Where Automation Creates Value and Risk in Fiduciary Practice”.
To register for the 16th Annual FISA Conference – click here
As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes professional services, practitioners face a critical inflection point: how to harness automation without compromising professional judgment, accountability, and trust. This session examines where AI meaningfully enhances fiduciary practice, such as in document generation, knowledge retrieval, and process efficiency, while confronting the less visible risks around over-reliance, bias, confidentiality, and decision displacement.
Attendees will gain a clear framework for distinguishing between augmentation and abdication of responsibility, alongside practical guidance on embedding AI into fiduciary workflows in a controlled, responsible, and ethical manner. The session challenges practitioners to rethink not just what AI can do, but what it should do within the fiduciary duty landscape.
Azhar Aziz-Ismail is an attorney qualified to practice in South Africa and a senior legal innovation leader working at the intersection of law, technology, and strategy. He has led knowledge, AI, and digital transformation initiatives across multiple jurisdictions at some of the world’s preeminent international law firms, helping legal teams modernise how services are designed and delivered.
In 2026, he founded Merhaba Legal Innovation Consultants to bridge the widening gap between traditional legal delivery and the rapid acceleration of generative AI, advising on legal innovation strategy, knowledge management, responsible AI adoption, technology implementation, and change management.
He has recently returned to Baker McKenzie as Senior Manager, Practice Innovation (AI Training & Development Lead – Global), where he focuses on global capability-building and practice transformation in an AI-enabled legal environment.
Azhar plays an active leadership role in shaping the legal profession. He is the youngest Chairperson of the Johannesburg Attorneys’ Association, Co-Vice Chairperson of the Gauteng Attorneys Association, and a Founding Member of the South African Attorneys Federation. He also serves as Chairperson of the Law Society of South Africa’s Expert AI Committee, where he contributes to developing national guidance on the ethical and responsible use of AI in legal practice.
A recognised voice in legal technology and AI governance, Azhar is an Ambassador of the South African Artificial Intelligence Association, a member of the global Steering Committee of Legal Benchmarks, and a Full Member of the Law Society of African AI Professionals. His work has been recognised by Mail & Guardian, naming him one of the 200 Young South Africans in 2025.