Legal Tech StartUp Focus Podcast · 2026-02-11 · 34 min
Deals don’t stall because people are lazy; they stall because the right people can’t see the right risks at the right time. We sit down with Rick van Esch, CEO and co‑founder of Emma Legal ( to unpack how AI-driven playbooks, structured data rooms, and permissioned collaboration can turn due diligence from a slog into a strategic advantage. Rick traces his path from capital markets to enterprise AI, then to building an AI legal due diligence platform that connects directly to leading data room providers. We break down how Emma structures messy uploads against due diligence request lists to reveal gaps early, and how its red flag engine highlights the clauses that matter - change of control, renewals, reserve matters, drag-along and tag-along rights - color-coded for fast triage. Instead of static PDFs, firms can export classic reports or share interactive dashboards that pair AI highlights with attorney commentary, letting clients and counterparties engage without compromising work product. We also explore vendor due diligence on the sell side, where prepping the “asset” before market speeds timelines and builds trust.
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