Jim M.
Mikhail, Esq.
Founder & CEO of Verdict AI
Bringing the experience of the mediation table to a different way forward.
My story
There had to be
another way.
Jim M. Mikhail is a top Los Angeles trial attorney, serial entrepreneur, technologist, and coder whose career has consistently lived at the intersection of law, business, and innovation.
As a trial attorney, Jim has spent years handling complex litigation, participating in hundreds of mediations, and negotiating millions of dollars in settlements. His experience extends far beyond the conference room. He is a trial lawyer who understands litigation from the inside out, from strategy and negotiation through the realities of taking a case to trial.
Coding since high school, Mikhail has spent decades building technology alongside his legal career. He is a serial founder who has launched, scaled, and sold companies, including technology and scholastic ventures.
Experience on both sides of the stakes.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jim defended tenants facing eviction, working to protect their housing at a time of extraordinary uncertainty.
His tenant advocacy ran from January 2021 through February 2022. He then moved into defense litigation and became Senior Litigation Counsel in July 2025. Those years of trial defense work inform his perspective on case strategy, risk, negotiation, and the practical demands of litigation.
Earlier, as a certified law student, he advocated for clients in immigration bond and asylum matters. Across these settings, his work has required attention to both the legal questions and the people living with their consequences.
Two kinds of experience.
One idea.
Today, Jim is at the forefront of the artificial intelligence movement in law, exploring how emerging technology can fundamentally improve the way attorneys analyze risk, negotiate, litigate, and resolve disputes.
His background allows him to approach AI from a perspective few technologists possess. He understands the code. He understands the business. And he understands what actually happens inside a courtroom.
That convergence of experience ultimately led him to found VerdictAI, the latest chapter in a career built around solving difficult problems and building what comes next.
Explore VerdictAIA practitioner’s perspective on AI.
Jim brings the perspectives of a practicing attorney, founder, and coder to conversations about AI in law.
His work centers on how technology can support case analysis and settlement, where professional judgment remains essential, and what it takes to build tools lawyers can use in real practice.
Media & speaking inquiries