Our Take
A cautious but complete deployment that validates semantic search as the killer feature for legal AI adoption.
Why it matters
Major law firms are moving past pilots to full-scale AI deployments, with document search proving more valuable than drafting tools for driving usage.
Do this week
Legal IT leaders: audit your current AI pilot metrics collection before Q3 planning so you can build adoption measurement into your next deployment.
Akin completes firmwide AI rollout after extended pilot
Akin, the Am Law 100 firm, deployed NetDocuments' ndMAX AI suite across its entire organization following a pilot that began in January 2025 with 100 lawyers. The rollout started in February 2026 and cost the firm in the "high six figures" (per company disclosure), comparable to their Microsoft Copilot investment.
The ndMAX suite includes natural-language search capabilities integrated directly within Akin's document management system, which the firm has used for nearly 20 years. Jeff Westcott, Akin's London-based director of innovation and AI, said the firm chose ndMAX specifically because it keeps AI tools within the DMS rather than requiring document copying to external systems.
The firm structures its AI stack in layers: Microsoft Copilot for general productivity, NetDocuments for document-focused AI, and specialized tools for individual practice areas. Unlike some competitors, Akin extended their pilot period significantly after learning that "busy lawyers" needed more time to evaluate and participate in AI testing.
Semantic search drives usage better than drafting tools
Westcott identified semantic search as the "most useful feature to drive adoption," creating what he calls a "virtuous circle." Lawyers are uploading more documents to the system specifically to search them with AI, which improves the firm's structured knowledge retrieval overall.
This addresses a persistent challenge in legal knowledge management: "It's a constant battle to persuade people to put things in a more structured environment," Westcott noted. The AI search capability is solving an organizational behavior problem, not just a technical one.
The firm doesn't use standardized ROI metrics, instead collecting anecdotal evidence "door-to-door" across practice areas. This approach reflects the difficulty of quantifying AI value in professional services, where usage patterns vary significantly by legal specialty.
Integration beats standalone tools for enterprise adoption
Akin's deployment strategy prioritized integration over innovation. Rather than adopting cutting-edge standalone AI tools, they chose solutions that work within existing workflows and systems. This conservative approach appears to have paid off in terms of actual adoption.
The partnership with NetDocuments included ex-lawyer trainers, which Westcott found valuable for adoption. "They realized that can't just throw this over the fence and let us handle training and adoption," he said, suggesting that vendor support models are adapting to enterprise AI deployment challenges.
Looking ahead, Westcott expects the most impact from automated document tagging and improved semantic search user experience. These are infrastructure improvements rather than flashy new capabilities, consistent with the firm's focus on practical adoption over technological novelty.