More US law firms turn to executives for AI leadership roles
By Sara Merken
Sept 30 (Reuters) -Two years into the artificial intelligence boom, more large U.S. law firms are bringing on AI leaders to help them navigate technological advances that some believe will transform the profession.
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld and McDermott Will & Emery on Monday separately announced hires of executives who will lead AI efforts within the firms.
Law firms, not always known for quickly adopting new technologies, are gradually embracing AI in response to client expectations and a growing conviction that it will play a permanent role in their business and the practice of law, industry consultants and recruiters have said.
Washington, D.C.-founded Akin hired Jeff Westcott for a newly created director of practice technology and AI innovation role. Based in London, Westcott will focus on how the firm can use AI and other emerging technologies to improve client service, the firm said.
McDermott Will & Emery, a Chicago-founded firm, hired Christopher Cyrus as its first director of AI innovation. He is based in Austin, Texas, a firm spokesperson said.
The moves come as more lawyers have begun using AI to speed up research, help draft legal briefs or cut down on administrative work. Over the past 18 months, some law firms have publicly announced partnerships with AI technology companies to adopt new legal practice tools or have developed their own. Firms and legal groups are also navigating potential risks for lawyers using AI.
Covington & Burling, Latham & Watkins, Reed Smith and DLA Piper are among large law firms that have hired for newly created strategic and technical AI and data science leadership roles since late 2022, when the rollout of OpenAI's ChatGPT supercharged the AI industry.
Akin's Westcott, who will report to the firm's chief information officer, was most recently global director of innovation and practice technology at rival firm Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner.
A BCLP spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Westcott said part of his focus at 900-lawyer Akin will be to determine how the firm should invest in technology, assessing when it should spend money on internal development or buy products or partner with vendors.
There has been an "explosion" of available technology options over the past few years fueled by generative AI, Westcott said. There is a need to evaluate which technology best serves specific practice groups, he said.
In another AI-related move announced on Monday, Gordon Moodie, chief strategy officer at legal AI startup Harvey, joined Debevoise & Plimpton as a New York-based public company M&A partner, the law firm said. Moodie previously was a longtime partner at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, where he advised clients on corporate governance, shareholder activism and capital markets deals, Debevoise said.
Reporting by Sara Merken
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