Artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape not just how legal work gets done, but also where experienced lawyers choose to build their careers. A growing number of attorneys from established corporate law firms are moving to AI-focused startups that promise a different approach to legal services, pricing and productivity.
The latest development comes from Leon Johnson, a private equity and growth equity partner at Goodwin Procter, who is preparing to lead a new US law firm, OmniLex Partners, in association with Zurich-founded technology company Omnilex AI.
Johnson, who previously worked at Kirkland & Ellis, said he had spent two years examining how artificial intelligence could change the legal profession and challenge the traditional business model used by major law firms.
In conventional firms, legal matters often pass through several layers of junior and senior attorneys, with repeated rounds of drafting, review and revision. Johnson believes increasingly capable AI tools could reduce the need for that process, allowing experienced lawyers to focus more directly on delivering results.
His vision for OmniLex centres on project-based assignments, outcome-driven services and fixed fees instead of the billable-hour system that has long dominated corporate legal practice. Artificial intelligence would support senior attorneys, helping them handle work more efficiently.
A growing exodus from traditional law firms
Johnson’s move is part of a broader shift that has gathered momentum over the past two years, as lawyers explore firms built around AI from the outset rather than adapting technology within established organisations.
In January, Mike Schmidtberger, former executive committee chair at Sidley Austin, joined Norm Law as its chairman and head of private funds and regulatory practice. The AI-focused firm has also recruited partners from other prominent legal practices.
Christopher Kercher, who founded Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan’s AI and data analytics group, launched a new firm in August with plans to make AI a central part of litigation work. Elsewhere, a former Cooley associate founded Soxton AI, while former Holland & Hart lawyers established Landfall IP last year.
The trend has also reached employment law. In September, Burford Capital vice chair David Perla and legal innovation adviser Sanjay Kamlani introduced FairPlay Law, an AI-powered venture focused on employment negotiations and disputes.
For recruiters, the growing interest is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Sean Burke, founding partner of legal recruitment firm Whistler Partners, said both associates and senior partners are showing curiosity about AI-native firms. He noted that lawyers are generally willing to engage when such opportunities are presented.
An online directory tracking the emerging sector now lists at least 60 AI-native law firms, although not every firm included identifies itself using that label.
New technology, a different business model
Beyond the promise of faster legal work, these firms are also experimenting with how legal businesses are financed and organised.
OmniLex plans to operate through a management services organisation (MSO) structure. This arrangement can allow outside investors to fund the business through a separate management entity, addressing restrictions that generally prevent non-lawyers from owning US law firms directly.
The model offers a potential route for technology companies and investors to support legal operations without taking direct ownership of the law firm itself.
OmniLex will initially concentrate on venture capital and startup matters, alongside routine litigation involving high volumes of cases. The firm is set to launch in California, with plans for a New York office and additional lawyer recruitment.
The shift raises a larger question for the legal industry: whether AI will simply become another tool used by established firms or help create entirely new competitors with different cost structures and staffing models.
For lawyers joining these ventures, the attraction is not limited to technology. A business built around AI from day one could offer a way to rethink how legal expertise is deployed, how clients are charged and how quickly matters are resolved.
As more experienced attorneys make the move, the contest between traditional law firms and AI-driven newcomers is increasingly becoming a test of which model can deliver legal services more effectively.
