Clifford Chance's ambitious AI overhaul

November 22, 2025

Clifford Chance’s ambitious AI overhaul

3–5 minutes

On the 20th of November, Clifford Chance announced that they are axing approximately 10% of their London based business services staff due to their implementation of AI based alternatives.

Employees had been made aware in the past few months of the dramatic changes that the larger-scale implementation of AI would bring. Workers at the firm were allegedly told that plans to make 50 jobs redundant were in the works, and that 35 other jobs were set to be altered.

The rapidly growing emergence of legal AI software, most notably Harvey, has left the firm with moral and strategy dilemmas. The implications of the use of AI before it is fully prepared and specialised to the legal sector could be dire, but there could be also tremendous efficiency benefits.

4 Advantages to firms of AI Software Adoption

Saved time and increased efficiency

The use of AI that can automate repetitive, high volume tasks such as document reviews and due diligence which could be incredibly useful and allow lawyers to complete these tasks up to 80 times faster than they otherwise would using manual methods. This would also enable these employees to use their skills for more strategic and “high-value” activities such as direct client advice and strategy.

2. Enhanced accuracy

AI is getting closer and closer to the stage where it eliminates human error, this means that it minimises errors in routine tasks and spots trends that humans might miss in their review. Inevitably, human employees may have an efficiency and work quality drop off due to fatigue, burnout or motivation factors. The automated system would be liberated of all of these human factors possibly leading to a rise in sustained accuracy.

3. Cost savings

The use of AI could lead to a reduction in billable hours and the enabling of a faster delivery of services. The faster delivery of a similar or potentially higher quality service could lead to price setting malleability that can be utilised by the firm to increase their revenue by charging a higher price for their services.

4. Competitive advantage

Innately, if AI grants boosts in quality of service and/or speed of work, then those that adopt its technology will enjoy an advantage over their competitors. This suggests that the firms that are brave enough to take the early leap, like Clifford Chance, may reap the long-term benefits of their courage in the future.

4 Disadvantages to firms of AI Software Adoption

High Cost

AI software such as Harvey are expensive, potentially barring out smaller or mid sized firms due to lack of funding, this doesn’t pertain so much to global powerhouses like Clifford Chance but it could be a determining factor particularly as there isn’t a widespread guarantee of accuracy or reliability.

2. Steep Learning Curve

In order to master Harvey, employees require a significant quantity of training. The software has an abundance of depth and customisation options, which while being revolutionary and ground-breaking could simply prove to be overwhelming for non tech-savvy workers; especially as the average age of a partner in the UK is mid 40s. One Harvey employee explicitly stated that “it’s a huge challenge to get lawyers to use their product”.

3. Accuracy risks

Harvey and its equivalents have been built with extensive legal specific training, despite this they are prone to inaccuracies, “hallucinations” and outdated information, this becomes specifically apparent when employees attempted to use the software for especially nuanced or niche litigation issues of in particular jurisdictions. The necessary secondary observation and “proof reading” of the human employee could undermine the previously mentioned benefits in saved time and efficiency, as they are constantly “looking over the shoulder” of the AI engine to prevent potentially damaging and embarrassing slip ups.

4. Privacy and Security

Law firms inevitably handle incredibly sensitive data such as personal information about their clients, which are intended to be wholly confidential. Thus, bestowing the responsibility of maintaining the integrity of this information upon a relatively new type of software is daunting. Firm’s reputations would be severely compromised were they to leak sensitive data through the medium of their use of AI assistant.

A list of notable companies who use Harvey:

KKR
A&O Shearman
Macfarlanes
T-Mobile
Pwc
CMS
Dentons

Sources:

https://www.cliffordchance.com/insights/thought_leadership/ai-and-tech.html

https://www.harvey.ai/platform/assistant