Stephanie Goutos Joins Littler as New Chief AI Officer To Lead AI Strategy Across Global Platform

The world’s largest employment and labor law practice embeds AI leadership at the highest levels of firm strategy and client service

NEW YORK (April 8, 2026) – With artificial intelligence now firmly embedded in the legal industry and modern workplace, Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, has appointed Stephanie Goutos as the firm’s first Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer. The appointment reflects Littler’s conviction that AI is a defining force reshaping how employers operate, how legal services are delivered, and how workplace law itself is evolving. 

Goutos will partner with firm leadership to continue to advance Littler’s firmwide AI strategy, oversee governance and responsible adoption across all practice areas, and develop AI-enabled capabilities that strengthen the firm’s ability to serve clients at scale. In close collaboration with Carlos Gonzalez, Littler’s Chief Digital Innovation Officer, she will further develop the firm’s AI capabilities, enhance attorney training programs, and align AI and technology investments with Littler’s strategic priorities. 

Goutos joins Littler from the international law firm Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian LLP, where she served as Head of Employment Law Practice Innovation, building the automation infrastructure that powered the firm’s employment practice and playing a leading role in major firmwide AI initiatives. 

“AI leadership demands the same strategic rigor we bring to every other dimension of our operations, and Stephanie is one of the very few leaders in the legal industry who combines a rare blend of deep employment law knowledge, hands-on experience deploying and scaling AI tools inside major law firms, and a sophisticated understanding of AI governance,” said Erin Webber, Littler’s managing director and president. “Stephanie’s leadership will help keep Littler at the forefront of guiding clients and attorneys through the complex and evolving intersection of technological development and legal practice.”

Goutos brings nearly 15 years of employment law experience to the role, having regularly defended employers in complex multi-state class and collective actions, as well as a proven track record of designing, deploying and scaling AI solutions within large law firm environments. Selected from a global applicant pool for the inaugural Perplexity AI Business Fellowship, an executive program featuring prominent AI leaders, Goutos subsequently led the successful adoption of Perplexity Enterprise at her former firm. 

Earlier in her career, Goutos led practice innovation and knowledge management initiatives at a large, national employment law firm, overseeing technology strategy and major deployments across the firm’s legal operations.

“Littler's unmatched depth in employment law, its global platform and client base actively confronting AI-driven workplace change create an extraordinary foundation," said Goutos.

“My focus will be on advancing the systems, governance frameworks and AI-enabled tools that empower our attorneys to deliver faster, sharper counsel while helping clients navigate the legal complexities of workforce transformation. Employment law is ground zero for AI in the workplace, and no firm is better positioned to continue leading that conversation than Littler.”

A nationally recognized voice on AI, employment law and the future of work, Goutos has helped shape the conversation through both scholarship and practice. She co-authored “Why Lawyers Must Responsibly Embrace Generative AI,” published in the Berkeley Business Law Journal – a widely cited article referenced by federal judges, the New York State Bar Association AI Task Force, the Washington State Bar Board of Governors, the Sedona Conference, Bloomberg Law, and Fortune 500 companies; the article has since been incorporated into law school curricula and professional guidance nationwide. She has contributed to multiple book chapters and playbooks on AI and legal innovation, including the Athena Alliance AI Governance Playbook, one of the earliest frameworks developed by industry experts. Goutos is the recipient of the ILTA Distinguished Peer Award, the Relativity Innovation Award and the vLex Fastcase 50 designation. 

Goutos earned her J.D. from the Albany Law School of Union University and her B.S. from The College of Saint Rose in New York. She serves on several advisory boards, including the Washington University in St. Louis School of Law AI Advisory Board and the TLTF Summit, an invite-only gathering of visionary leaders shaping the legal landscape. Goutos also received an Executive Education Certificate in Generative AI for the Legal Profession from Berkeley Law School.

About Littler 

With more than 1,800 labor and employment attorneys in offices around the world, Littler provides workplace solutions that are local, everywhere. Our global team and proprietary technology foster a culture that celebrates original thinking, delivering groundbreaking innovation that prepares employers for what’s happening today, and what’s likely to happen tomorrow.