In an industry known for tradition and caution, generative AI is rapidly transforming the legal profession. While the promise of great efficiency is compelling, concerns around AI ethics, data security, billable hours, and hallucinations persist across many law firms. This tension between innovation and resistance is playing out in real-time—and at the center of it are Chief Innovation Officers and Chief Information Officers, tasked with guiding law firms through this fast-evolving landscape.
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To better understand the internal dynamics behind AI adoption at some of the top law firms, we spoke directly with innovation leaders from Blank Rome LLP, Fisher Phillips LLP, Honigman LLP, and Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck.
At Blank Rome LLP, AI was a central focus at the firm’s most recent partner retreat, according to Chief Innovation & Value Officer Ashton Batchelor and Chief Information Officer Frank Spadafino. Attorneys had the opportunity to experiment with AI tools in a low-stakes environment and heard directly from the founder of a leading generative AI platform.
Blank Rome also operates an internal Innovation Lab dedicated to evaluating generative AI tools. Last year, the Lab conducted pilot programs with four AI tools, enlisting 250 of its attorneys in the process. The firm continues to reinforce education and adoption through initiatives like “AI Saturdays,” practice-group-specific AI meetings, and private AI learning sessions.
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When asked what advice they would give legal tech vendors, these innovation leaders were candid: do your homework—and respect the process.
Blank Rome’s Batchelor and Spadafino noted that “broad solicitations” and direct pitches to attorneys are “rarely effective.” The most successful vendors, they emphasized, are those who “respect the procurement and onboarding process,” making it easier for the innovation team to properly evaluate the tool.
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"Driving AI Adoption at Top Law Firms: Candid Insights from Innovation Leaders," by Oliver Roberts, was published in The National Law Review on March 31, 2025.