Latham sets aside 1 million dollar bonus pool for associates driving AI innovation
Latham and Watkins has launched a 1 million dollar awards programme to recognise associates who help develop new artificial intelligence tools and expand the firm’s use of the technology. The initiative, called the Associate AI Impact Award, is open to junior and more experienced lawyers across the firm’s global offices.
The programme is designed to reward work that has a practical impact, including building new tools, improving workflows and helping colleagues use AI more effectively. The firm said the 1 million dollar pool is earmarked for 2027, with individual awards to vary according to the significance of each contribution and the extent to which it could be rolled out more widely across the business.
Submissions are expected to close in late spring next year. Winners will be chosen through a firmwide nomination and review process, although the firm has not yet confirmed when the first awards will be made.
Michael Rubin, global chair of Latham’s AI practice and chair of its AI strategy committee, said the firm’s associates have first hand insight into where AI can make a meaningful difference. He said the award is intended to encourage that ingenuity and to help identify and scale ideas that can create the greatest value for clients and the firm.
The scheme adds to a series of recent AI related investments by the firm. Last month, Latham announced a collaboration with legal technology company Harvey to develop a specialist tool aimed at streamlining the paperwork involved in setting up investment funds. In September, it also revealed that it had installed Nvidia powered servers so its engineers can run and customise AI models in house rather than relying solely on external providers.
Latham is not the first major law firm to use financial incentives to encourage AI adoption. Shoosmiths previously announced a 1 million pound bonus pool linked to employees’ use of Microsoft Copilot, with the funds released once staff collectively reach one million prompts. The latest move comes amid intensifying competition among major firms to develop and deploy legal AI tools, with other large practices also committing substantial investment to the technology.