Harvey FORUM Highlights AI's Rapid Shift in Legal Industry

At the Harvey FORUM in New York, held on May 28–29, 2026, industry leaders signaled a clear pivot in the legal sector’s approach to artificial intelligence. What was once experimental is now operational, as firms and in-house legal teams race to integrate AI systems that are reshaping workflows, governance, and talent strategies.

The two-day event reflected an industry in transformation. "Law Firm & Innovation Day" focused on how AI is disrupting client expectations, firm economics, and talent pipelines, while "In-House Day" explored practical applications like legal operations leadership and responsible AI governance. Across keynotes and panels, one theme emerged: AI is no longer a buzzword—it’s becoming an essential part of the legal toolkit.

From Assistants to Agents

One of the most discussed innovations was Harvey’s shift from AI assistants to AI agents. Unlike traditional assistants, these agents can autonomously plan, execute, and review complex legal workflows. Harvey CPO Anique Drumright emphasized the importance of delegating tasks to these agents, allowing lawyers to focus on higher-level decision-making. Harvey’s Agent Builder platform has already enabled law firms like A&O Shearman to implement dozens of customized workflows, according to Karen Buzard, a partner at the firm.

On the in-house side, Harvey’s General Counsel John LaBarre highlighted how AI agents are redefining team dynamics. "My directive for my team is going to be: How many agents can you have up and running at any given time?" he remarked, underscoring a new focus on orchestration over execution.

The importance of benchmarking these agents was also addressed. Harvey CEO Winston Weinberg introduced the company’s Legal Agent Benchmark (LAB), which measures AI performance across different practice areas. Early results suggest that workflows will increasingly rely on specialized models tailored to specific legal tasks.

Scaling Adoption: Visibility is Key

As AI adoption accelerates, firms are grappling with how to measure and optimize its use. Harvey unveiled its Command Center, a tool that provides real-time visibility into AI engagement and adoption trends. This feature includes peer benchmarking, allowing firms to compare their progress against anonymized data from similar organizations.

Kelly Boyd, Of Counsel at Foley & Lardner, praised the tool’s ability to foster engagement through its leaderboard functionality. "It’s phenomenal in so many ways," she said, highlighting how visibility can drive adoption and healthy competition within teams.

General Counsel at the Helm

In-house legal teams are taking a leadership role in enterprise AI governance. Vandana Venkatesh, Chief Legal Officer at Verizon, described AI as a means to "automate administrative work to augment judgment," enabling lawyers to focus on strategic decisions. Harvey also announced its Contract Intelligence system, aimed at streamlining contract review and negotiation while adapting to each organization’s specific risk profile and playbook.

This reflects a broader trend in which legal departments are becoming central to AI adoption strategies. Their oversight of risk and compliance positions them uniquely to guide AI integration across enterprises.

Knowledge Infrastructure as a Competitive Edge

Speakers repeatedly stressed that AI is only as effective as the knowledge it can access. Firms that have invested in robust knowledge management systems are seeing faster and more effective AI implementation. Adam Ziegler of Latham & Watkins noted that years of investment in knowledge infrastructure are now paying off, while Tania Djerrahian of Davies emphasized that "data quality is what grounds the technology."

Harvey’s new partnership with DeepJudge aims to enhance organizational knowledge retrieval, ensuring AI systems can access the right precedent and context to drive better outcomes.

The Human Factor in AI Transformation

While technology dominated the conversation, many speakers emphasized the human element of AI adoption. Training, culture, and organizational buy-in were identified as critical to sustainable transformation. Shonette Gaston, COO of Blank Rome, highlighted that "AI is not just technology management but culture management." Firms are redesigning associate development programs and champion networks to ensure adoption sticks.

In-house teams echoed these sentiments, stressing the importance of empathy and peer-driven learning to help lawyers adapt to rapidly changing workflows. The most successful organizations are focusing on making AI relevant to day-to-day tasks, bringing teams along gradually rather than imposing top-down mandates.

Context: An AI Arms Race in Legal

The Harvey FORUM comes at a time of unprecedented investment in AI across the legal sector. On May 28, 2026, Kirkland & Ellis announced a $500 million initiative to build its own AI platform, underscoring the competitive pressure among top firms to differentiate through proprietary technology. Earlier this month, HIKE2 and Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney also launched a governed AI legal assistant tailored to enterprise needs.

According to a February 2026 report from Thomson Reuters, legal research (80%) and document review (74%) remain the top AI use cases, but platforms like Harvey are pushing into new territory with advanced workflow automation and governance tools.

As of May 2026, the legal industry is firmly in an AI arms race, with firms and in-house teams racing to operationalize systems that promise both efficiency and competitive advantage. Harvey’s FORUM provided a front-row seat to these developments, highlighting how AI is transforming not just legal work, but the structure and strategy of the profession itself.