BigLaw’s AI Blind Spot: Are Clients Overpaying?

BigLaw’s AI Blind Spot: Are Clients Overpaying?

I’ve spent over a decade in BigLaw, working alongside some of the brightest minds in the legal industry. These firms are remarkable institutions, but there’s a problem—AI is dismantling their business model, and clients are starting to wake up.

Just last week, I spoke with a General Counsel at a Fortune 500 company about AI’s rapid evolution and its impact on legal services. I shared how AI has streamlined my recent litigations, and where it's headed.

Think Jarvis from Iron Man—an AI that recalls every case, every argument, and your entire litigation strategy on demand. With Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) memory, AI can now handle most tasks once assigned to large litigation teams. A well-trained AI, combined with expert memory structures, could enable a law student to outperform even seasoned litigators.

The Rise of AI-Integrated Boutiques

Some of my former BigLaw partners and colleagues have already left the large firm model for lean, AI-powered boutiques. Why? Because an AI-integrated boutique can deliver the same, if not better, legal services at a fraction of the cost—without the overhead of outdated bureaucracy and inflated partner salaries.

What Does This Mean for BigLaw Clients?

If you’re still paying for junior attorneys, stop.
If you haven’t seen major discounts on your legal bills, stop.
Ask yourself: Are you paying for actual work, or just the perceived value of it?

AI Cuts Costs and Increases Quality

A seasoned litigator using AI can now accomplish in hours what an associate used to take weeks to do. Research, drafting, case strategy—AI is reshaping everything.

At the very least, ask your law firm:
✅ What are you doing with AI to reduce costs?
✅ How are you passing those savings to the client?

BigLaw has a massive AI blind spot, and it’s costing clients millions.
My Advice?

Before continuing to pay for inefficiencies, find a qualified AI/legal expert to guide you through AI integration.
The firms that embrace AI will thrive. The ones that don’t? They’ll struggle to justify their value in an industry being rewritten by technology.

-- Dat Nguyen

#LegalAI hashtag#AIAutomation hashtag#BigLaw hashtag#LegalTech hashtag#FutureOfLaw hashtag#CorporateLaw hashtag#GeneralCounsel hashtag#InHouseCounsel hashtag#LegalInnovation hashtag#LawyersOfLinkedIn