Macfarlanes, a leading London-based law firm, has long been at the forefront of legal innovation. Recognizing early that generative AI would fundamentally reshape the profession, the firm took a proactive approach—not just integrating AI into workflows but embedding it into its Lawtech strategy to drive value for both lawyers and clients.

With a deep focus on technology-driven legal excellence, Macfarlanes’ Lawtech team has spent years testing and refining AI applications, ensuring adoption enhances — rather than replaces — human expertise. This investment has positioned Macfarlanes as a leader in technology-enabled and AI-powered legal service delivery, equipping both its lawyers and clients with the tools to harness AI’s full potential.

Lawyers face increasing pressure to deliver faster, more strategic advice and insights amid increasing complexity. This pressure is felt not only by law firms, but also by in-house teams within client organizations. Traditional legal workflows struggle to keep pace with the speed of change, making it a challenge for lawyers to focus their time and energy on those complex and strategic legal issues where their expertise is most valuable.

Macfarlanes saw both a challenge and an opportunity:

How can Macfarlanes use their Lawtech expertise in cutting-edge technology to help clients securely and effectively leverage AI on the tasks and workflows they undertake?

In 2023, having piloted numerous AI solutions, Macfarlanes took a decisive step forward, integrating Harvey into its core operations and becoming one of the first law firms to roll the solution out firmwide to all its lawyers. At Macfarlanes, generative AI is transforming how lawyers operate and how client services are delivered.

Working practice area-by-practice area, the Lawtech team drove adoption of the solution, with 80%+ of lawyers now using it regularly. They uncovered use cases across the firm, ranging from daily tasks, to enhancing their knowledge management strategy, to optimizing complex legal workflows around diligence and contract negotiations.

"Harvey is supporting us with the ongoing review of hundreds of financial instruments for a client – allowing us to complete the reviews at pace, delivering the analysis in time to allow the client to make quick, well-informed investment decisions," shared Chris Tart-Roberts, Head of Lawtech and Chief Knowledge & Innovation Officer.

After successfully embedding AI into its own practice, Macfarlanes recognized that many clients are in need of secure, efficient solutions that allow them to realize the benefits of generative AI without having to build AI capabilities from scratch or go through the process of fully implementing the technology across their own organizations.

To address this clear need, in 2025, the firm launched Amplify, a custom-built client solution powered by Harvey. Amplify integrates Macfarlanes’ legal expertise with cutting-edge AI, embedding it into bespoke AI workflows available for use directly by client in-house legal teams.

"Unlike general-purpose AI tools, Harvey is built for legal professionals. With Amplify, our clients benefit from best-in-class AI tailored to the specific tasks they carry out day-to-day," explained Tart-Roberts. "Clients using Amplify benefit from cutting-edge AI technology, combined with Macfarlanes’ market-leading legal expertise, knowledge of our clients, their businesses and the issues they face, together with our deep technological expertise and understanding of how to leverage AI to enhance lawyers’ efficiency and effectiveness."

By embedding AI into daily legal work, Macfarlanes is not just enhancing their client offering, they are also investing in future generations of legal talent.

"The next generation of lawyers will see AI as a core part of their practice from day one. With Harvey, junior lawyers can rapidly improve their legal analysis and collaborate even more effectively with senior colleagues," said Tart-Roberts.

The Lawtech team is actively training attorneys to optimize AI use – developing prompts, integrating AI into workflows, and scaling its application across legal workstreams.

"We’ve seen new trainee intakes embrace AI with enthusiasm. This is their normal way of working, and we want them to fully harness its potential," added Tart-Roberts.

As AI adoption deepens, Macfarlanes remains focused on delivering meaningful, scalable impact for Macfarlanes’ lawyers and clients alike.

"At Macfarlanes, we’re not just adopting AI—we’re leading the charge. AI isn’t just a tool; it’s the foundation for the future of legal excellence," said Tart-Roberts.

Through Harvey and Amplify, Macfarlanes is redefining the legal profession, equipping lawyers and clients with AI-powered capabilities to navigate an increasingly complex legal landscape.

By embracing AI, Macfarlanes isn’t just keeping pace with change – it’s shaping the future of legal practice.