Another BigLaw-tech tie-up US law firm Willkie has teamed up with ChatGPT-maker OpenAI as part of the firm’s push to build its own AI tools.
Under the deal, announced this week, Willkie will roll out ChatGPT Enterprise across the firm and use OpenAI’s models to support Willkie Works, its in-house AI and innovation team. The tie-up is intended to speed up development of a growing suite of tech tools the firm has built through Willkie Works, including tools to aid legal research and document review.
The firm also plans to integrate OpenAI’s coding tool, Codex, into its AI development environment, which it says will help its engineers build and test new platforms more quickly.
Thomas Cerabino, Willkie’s chairman, said the firm was seeking to use AI to “rethink how legal services are delivered”, rather than simply working faster.
John Elbasan, chief digital and information officer at the firm, added:
“This collaboration represents an important milestone in Willkie’s AI strategy. Through Willkie Works, we have invested in the people, governance frameworks and engineering capabilities necessary to transform frontier AI technologies into proprietary platforms that support legal and business workflows across the firm.”
Willkie’s move follows a string of AI tie-ups and investments across the profession this year.Shoosmiths has rolled out Project Apollo, a contract review tool developed with Microsoft, Freshfields has partnered with Anthropic on legal AI tools, and Kirkland & Ellis has set aside $500 million to build its own platform.