Rachel Shields Williams is the Director of AI & Knowledge Management at Bass, Berry & Sims. In this capacity she leads the firm’s efforts to enhance client service and operational performance through innovation and strategic use of technology. Working across practice groups and business functions, Rachel aligns data strategy, knowledge management, and artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives to ensure the firm’s information assets and AI-enabled tools are effectively governed, scalable, and integrated into day-to-day practice. By driving firmwide adoption of advanced technologies and best practices, Rachel supports more efficient service delivery and advances the firm’s long-term strategic growth objectives.

For more than 20 years, Rachel has helped global law firms use data, technology, and insight to drive growth and efficiency. She has managed knowledge management and marketing technology, market intelligence, and data strategy programs to advance a firm’s data-first culture to deliver scalable, insight-driven solutions that enhance client engagement and operational excellence.

Rachel is a national leader and frequent speaker on data strategy and digital transformation. Her continuing education reflects a focus on leveraging data-driven insights and innovation to drive organizational performance and strategic growth and includes executive education and certifications from:

• Berkeley Haas Executive Education, Data Strategy: Leveraging Data as a Competitive Advantage (2025)
• The Johns Hopkins University – Carey Business School, Data Visualization: Storytelling and Sensemaking (2024)
• Northwestern Kellogg Executive Education, Generative AI: Executive Strategies Certificate (2023)
• MIT Sloan School of Management, Executive Certificate in Applied Business Analytics (2022)
• Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies, Executive Certificate Change Leadership (2018)
• The Johns Hopkins University – Carey Business School, Master of Science (2010)
• Towson University, B.S. (2003)

Prior to joining Bass, Berry & Sims, Rachel was the Product Management Director, Client Intelligence at Sidley Austin LLP. Throughout her nearly 20 years at the firm, she worked in marketing, business development, and knowledge management roles to align data, technology, and analytics investments with firmwide growth and strategy objectives.