AI is transforming the way communications, marketing and public affairs teams work. But what does it mean for talent and the industry? In our latest series, we speak with senior leaders to explore the opportunities and challenges. In this interview, Ivana Stevanovska, Community and Marketing Executive at The Work Crowd, spoke with Philip Young, Co Founder & CEO of Garfield AI, the first law firm in the world to be authorised and regulated to provide legal services entirely by AI. Philip shared his thoughts on building an AI-first business model, how AI is reshaping legal operations globally and why responsible adoption will determine the industry’s next phase of growth.
Garfield AI (www.garfield.law) is the first law firm in the world to be authorised and regulated (by the Solicitors Regulation Authority) to provide legal services solely by AI. To our knowledge, it is also the first law firm in the world that can perform Court litigation using an AI based solution. The web-based and AI-powered software application enables businesses to pursue their small debt claims through the English County Court. Since its launch, it has gained global attention with coverage from the FT, BBC, Forbes, and major outlets across the UK, US, Latin America, Australia and China.
Because our software product is AI powered, AI is therefore central to our business. We also utilise AI in various other ways, including product testing and maintenance roles.
How is AI changing the legal skills and profiles you hire or develop within your team?
Only in the sense that traditional legal skills are being adapted to work seamlessly with Garfield. Our law firm is therefore highly unusual in that it is not predominantly staffed with lawyers, rather the team is a combination of lawyers and software developers.
AI hasn’t influenced our team structure in the way it might for more traditional firms, because we are an AI-first business. Our model was built around technology at the core, so rather than restructuring to accommodate AI, it has shaped the way we operate from day one.
Yes, AI is the biggest driver of change in the legal industry and Garfield is a clear example of that transformation. By enabling AI to help users go through litigation and deliver legal services end-to-end, we’re showing how technology can fundamentally reshape access to justice.
We are excited by the opportunities AI creates to widen access to justice, i.e. making legal services faster, more affordable and more available to businesses that might otherwise struggle to pursue claims. We’re also putting businesses back in control of processes that historically would have been outsourced externally. What concerns us is the risk of AI being applied in ways that are not sensible or appropriate use cases. When misused, it can undermine trust and create barriers rather than remove them, which is why responsible adoption is so important in law.
We expect AI to take on an increasing share of routine and administrative tasks across legal services, not just in our firm but throughout the industry. Functions such as document review, case preparation, and court filings are already being streamlined and this trend will accelerate.
Whether you need interim, fractional or freelance expertise for a project, to plug a gap or upskill your team, or you are exploring new opportunities as an independent consultant, The Work Crowd can help you connect.
Ivana Stevanovska is Community and Marketing Executive at The Work Crowd, working with businesses to find flexible solutions and helping consultants build rewarding portfolio careers.
The Work Crowd is an award-winning platform connecting organisations with vetted freelance and interim experts in Marketing, Communications, Digital, Events & Public Affairs. With a global network and local industry expertise, we make finding the very best freelance, fractional and interim talent fast, simple and effective.