AI — powered law firms draw lawyers from big firms

By Sara Merken Oct 14 (Reuters) — Lawyers banking on artificial intelligence transforming the legal industry are continuing to leave traditional law firms for new startup firms that bill themselves as "AI-native." In the latest move, Goodwin Procter private equity and growth equity partner Leon Johnson said on Wednesday that he'll lead a new US law firm called OmniLex Partners associated with Zurich-founded technology company Omnilex AI. Johnson, who was previously a partner at Kirkland & Ellis, told Reuters he spent the last two years thinking about AI’s impact on the practice of law and how the technology could allow a shift from the traditional Big Law business model. As AI capabilities improve, “that model of starting with junior attorneys and having iterative review and modifications until it gets all the way up to the senior attorney doesn’t really make as much sense,” he said. Johnson, who is based in San Francisco, said he envisions a law firm model based on projects, outcomes and fixed fees rather than the billable hour, and one in which the work of senior lawyers is facilitated by AI. Other lawyers with traditional corporate law firm backgrounds have made similar moves ov