Law Firms Do Innovation X4

Here are four bits of news covering recent law firm innovation moves, featuring: Linklaters, Foley, K&L Gates, and Kingsley Napley.

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Linklaters has launched ‘Applied Intelligence’, a team of lawyers and data scientists who will ‘co-design and deliver bespoke AI-enabled tech and legal solutions for clients’ most complex and high-stakes challenges’.

They will work on ‘large and complex data sets to surface deep insights and develop customised AI workflows and tools for clients that an off-the-shelf tool cannot deliver,’ they said.

Paul Lewis, Managing Partner, Linklaters commented: ‘Applied Intelligence enables us to meet our clients’ needs for ever more sophisticated solutions powered by AI.’

Tom Quoroll, co-founder of Applied Intelligence, added: ‘We’ve built the team not just for technical capability, but for the collaboration and judgement needed to turn complexity into impact for our clients.’

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US law firm Foley has launched LearningLab, an ‘on-demand learning platform designed to help clients’.

It provides ‘timely continuing legal education (CLE) credits, along with additional practical business programming…..at no cost’. It covers CLE programs and business-focused legal insights.

Foley Chairman and CEO, Daljit Doogal, commented: ‘We want to help in-house counsel navigate change and provide a resource that is built for the evolving responsibilities of modern legal departments.’

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K&L Gates has created the new role of ‘Global AI and Innovation Partner’. It has appointed Jake Bernstein to the role and he ‘will lead the firm’s global artificial intelligence strategy’.

It’s a big job and includes ‘AI governance, and innovation operations, including AI platform selection, workflow development, and data and knowledge management, working in coordination with the firm’s technology and security functions’.

So, that should keep him busy!

Stacy Ackermann, Global Managing Partner of K&L Gates, commented: ‘Jake’s appointment reflects a deliberate choice about how this firm leads in AI: with a practicing partner, accountable for outcomes, working in close partnership with our technology and security functions.

‘[And] agentic AI is moving from concept to deployment in months, not years. The market demands a partner driving this work who is in the practice every day, who understands what clients need, and who can move at the pace this moment requires.’

Bernstein added: ‘What’s coming next: agents that can plan and execute multi-step workflows on a matter, makes supervision the central partner-level question of the next 18 months. The firms that build that fluency now will lead what follows. The firms that wait will not.’

Good to hear. Congrats on the new role.

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And Kingsley Napley, an internationally recognised London-based law firm, and Kalisa, a knowledge platform, have continued to roll out KNavigate.

KNavigate ‘gives lawyers and staff easier access to trusted knowledge and expertise, as well as firm policies and procedures’.

Since its launch in January 2026, KNavigate has been actively adopted by almost 80% of Kingsley Napley’s legal and business services teams.

Sarah Harris, Director of Innovation and Knowledge and a Partner at Kingsley Napley, commented: ‘What sets this partnership apart is the rare combination of bold innovation and practical, real-world delivery. The team has empowered us to push boundaries and explore new possibilities whilst remaining firmly grounded in what actually works in practice.’

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