The law firm of the future may look less like a pyramid — and more like an obelisk

Aug 05, 2026 04:00 PM - 1 month ago 429

Smiling personification successful a acheronian suit overgarment and achromatic garment poses against a plain ray grey workplace background.

After 17 years astatine Quinn Emanuel, Christopher Kercher began building his caller rule patient from the statement for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad astatine Disney World.

With Claude connected his phone, he cruised done immoderate of the chores that travel pinch starting a firm. Five years ago, Kercher said, the sheer hassle mightiness person persuaded him to springiness up. Artificial intelligence removed capable of the clash to make striking retired connected his ain consciousness possible.

Now, Kercher is betting the exertion tin do thing much ambitious: alteration the style of the rule patient itself.

At Kercher Law, he plans to return connected the high-stakes firm disputes that defined his believe astatine Quinn Emanuel, 1 of the world's largest litigation firms. He expects to do the activity pinch acold less lawyers.

For generations, ample rule firms person been system for illustration pyramids. At the bottom, inferior lawyers sift done documents, investigation the law, and constitute first drafts. Their activity travels done progressively smaller layers of elder associates earlier reaching the lead partner, who makes the important calls.

Each handoff adds judgment. It besides adds clip — and different statement to the bill.

Kercher is building a rule patient astir the thought that artificial intelligence tin shrink immoderate of those layers. He expects to employment nary much than "low double digits" of attorneys. At launch, he is the firm's sole proceedings lawyer, supported by a mini squad handling exertion and operations.

"I americium not going to rebuild the pyramid," Kercher said.

Instead, he expects the patient to look much for illustration an obelisk (think the Washington Monument). It would guidelines thin from bottommost to top, pinch knowledgeable lawyers moving much straight pinch the package systems that stitchery facts and crank retired drafts.

Kercher is portion of a mini but increasing group of lawyers stepping distant from Big Law to build "AI-native" firms. They are betting that boutiques tin adopt caller devices faster than ample firms, wherever package tin walk months winding done reddish tape.

The research comes pinch regulatory and ethical questions, however. These firms must show they tin effort caller ways of practicing rule without cutting corners connected the rules of the profession.

For clients, Kercher argues, a mini firm's separator goes beyond a smaller bill. Large teams enforce what he calls a "coordination tax." Lawyers walk clip bringing 1 different up to speed, while facts and nuance tin get mislaid arsenic activity moves from associates to partners.

The exemplary besides lets Kercher connection clients different ways to get ineligible help. He has begun holding opinionated monthly meetings for a level fee, utilizing the conversations to study the business. When a conflict comes up, Kercher said he tin scope a position faster astir whether the declare is worthy fighting, settling, aliases heading disconnected entirely.

That velocity depends connected giving bots much of the activity that erstwhile flowed done associates. Kercher relies connected broad-use AI devices ChatGPT and Claude alternatively than package specifically built for lawyers. He uses them to move sprawling sets of emails, contracts, and different records into timelines and to shape his reasoning astir really the facts and characters fresh together.

He has besides built a Claude accomplishment that plays opposing counsel, probing his arguments for weaknesses earlier the different broadside gets the chance.

That integer adversary is portion of a broader experiment. How overmuch tin 1 litigator execute pinch an service of integer coworkers?

Kercher did not bring immoderate Quinn Emanuel partners pinch him. He said the solo motorboat was deliberate. Before building retired the firm's quality ranks, he wants to spot really acold exertion tin widen his scope — and wherever different lawyer tin adhd thing Claude cannot.