Legalweek 2025 Recap: the Vendors, the Swag & Saying Goodbye to the Hilton. Plus A Chat With Josh Janow, CEO of SMI Aware

In this week’s episode, Land and Kevin take you inside Legalweek 2025 for a no-holds-barred recap of the biggest legal tech event of the year. We break down the good—the insightful sessions, the exciting product launches, and the incredible people we met. We also cover the bad—from conference logistics to some less-than-stellar booth experiences. And of course, we get into the ugly—including the controversial decision to move Legalweek from its long-time home at the Hilton to the Javits Center in 2026, marking the end of an era.

We hit the exhibit hall, highlighting standout vendors, unforgettable swag (yes, we’re ranking the best and worst giveaways!), and key trends shaping the legal tech landscape.

Plus, we sit down with Josh Janow, CEO of SMI Aware, for a chat on what makes them unique in the world of social media discovery. Josh shares how SMI Aware’s proprietary technology and expert analysis help legal teams uncover and preserve critical open-source data, ensuring compliance and strategic insights in discovery, due diligence, and risk management.

If you missed Legalweek or just want the inside scoop, this episode has everything you need!

Josh Janow is the CEO of SMI Aware, a leader in social media and open-source data discovery. His company specializes in researching, collecting, and preserving publicly available information to support legal, HR, and compliance teams in discovery, due diligence, and risk management.

With a career dedicated to leveraging data for strategic decision-making, Josh has led SMI Aware in providing critical insights that shape client strategies. Previously, he served as General Counsel and later President of gategroup North America, overseeing a $1B operation with 10,000+ employees. His leadership during industry disruptions, including the COVID-19 pandemic, drove significant restructuring and growth. Josh began his career at Weil, Gotshal & Manges, developing expertise in legal and business strategy.