Several law firms and corporate legal departments across Europe have introduced innovative training and people strategies in 2025 and 2026, focusing on artificial intelligence (AI) integration, workplace inclusion, and new skill development.
In the legal sector, Linklaters has been recognized for its comprehensive AI training programme launched in November 2025. The initiative aims to cultivate a group of “AI lawyers” skilled in technology and legal practice. More than 20 lawyers, including externally hired professionals with backgrounds in technology and law, participated in the initial rollout. The programme provides intensive education on AI tools, strategy, and change management while allowing participants to remain within their practice areas to foster practical AI adoption before returning to client-facing roles. This approach has already produced practical applications such as an automated due diligence tool for loan portfolios in banking and a knowledge-extraction system used by the capital markets team.
Other law firms have adopted similar strategies. Garrigues in Spain developed a network of 256 “business partners” across its offices to disseminate AI expertise, with regular assessments to ensure engagement and competence. The Dutch firm Houthoff launched a due diligence support desk staffed by trained business assistants who leverage AI for drafting and formatting, enabling associates to focus on legal analysis. Dentons reported training over 2,200 employees under its AI empowerment strategy, resulting in a tenfold increase in AI usage across its European offices. Meanwhile, firms such as AequO in Ukraine have adjusted promotion tracks to respond to wartime disruptions, accelerating advancement timelines.
In corporate legal teams, the HR and payroll platform Remote introduced a pioneering approach by embedding lawyers who write source code for live products. This integration allows rapid incorporation of legal and regulatory updates directly into the company’s systems, enhancing compliance globally. The team has implemented over 20 jurisdiction-specific changes, including rules for Canadian provinces, reducing the need for manual adjustments by customers. Other corporate leaders in AI training include ASML, which unified fragmented compliance training to improve risk management; Carrefour Spain, collaborating with a university and a legal-AI company to deliver a multi-month programme on innovation and leadership for its legal team; and Prosus, whose lawyers learned to build customized AI tools internally rather than relying on third-party software.
Workplace inclusivity initiatives have also gained attention, notably at UK-based Browne Jacobson. The firm designed a training programme and an employer’s guide focused on reducing bias related to accents and socio-economic backgrounds. Developed in partnership with the University of Nottingham, the initiative addresses how speech patterns can affect career progression and workplace interactions. Browne Jacobson has also contributed evidence to parliamentary committees on social mobility policies. Macfarlanes shifted its recruitment strategy by replacing traditional written applications with online simulations that evaluate candidates’ commercial acumen, prioritisation, and technological literacy, a response to concerns that AI is making many written submissions indistinguishable. Mishcon de Reya piloted an AI-powered candidate screening system including chatbot interviews for graduate recruitment. Portugal’s Morais Leitão collaborated with sports psychology experts to prepare senior leaders for high-pressure situations and succession challenges through elite sports coaching techniques.
Additional programmes focus on upskilling legal professionals in areas intersecting with technology and sustainability. For example, McCann FitzGerald partnered with University College Cork to offer modules on sustainable finance and energy-transition law, doubling course participants in its second year. The Spanish social enterprise Ilunion has worked to boost its legal team's technological capabilities alongside its commitment to employing people with disabilities, a method shared with other organizations.
These initiatives reflect a growing trend within the legal and corporate sectors to equip professionals with advanced technological skills, promote inclusion, and adapt people strategies to evolving industry demands. By combining AI literacy, practical applications, and social considerations, these programmes seek to modernize legal practice and create more equitable workplaces.