Coder and IT-professional-turned-lawyer Amir Azaran wants to set the record straight: “Smart contracts are not contracts in the legal sense. They are not drafted by lawyers; they are written by computer programmers—they are software,” he said at the CDX Academy Blockchain Brand Innovation Summit in New York.

Azaran, a partner in Loeb & Loeb’s advanced media and technology practice, explained that while smart contracts can automate the execution of contract terms and transactions, the technology isn’t likely to replace transactional attorneys any time soon.