How King & Wood Mallesons is building an AI-powered future
KWM, one of Australia's biggest law firms, is leaning heavily into AI and legal tech, with the firm's junior lawyers playing a key role in helping their more senior colleagues learn the ropes.
When it comes to large law in Sydney, King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) is right up there. With clients including major bank ANZ and US social media company Meta Platforms, the firm had the fourth-largest intake of graduates last year.
But as the industry increases its use of artificial intelligence — with new tools set to change how companies prepare for mergers and generative AI changing the way firms think about training graduates — ensuring lawyers are well-trained and AI capable is critical to maintaining a competitive edge.
When I spoke with KWM partner and managing partner of practice excellence, Matthew Swinn, and the firm's executive director of innovation, Michelle Mahoney, both were positive about technological change in the industry. For his part, Swinn has just earned a "green belt" in AI use in the company's internal training program.
"We take a really optimistic view about what is possible by adoption of these tools," Swinn says.
