Matthew Stringer, founder and CEO of Stridon
By Matthew Stringer, founder and CEO of Legal Futures Associate Stridon [1]
Across the UK legal sector, many firms have now taken their first steps into the world of Generative AI. Licences have been purchased. Pilots have been run. Teams have attended introductory sessions. And in most cases, the early enthusiasm was real: people were curious, engaged, and hopeful about what Copilot might change.
But several months on, a different pattern is emerging.
Usage is patchy.
Confidence is low.
Progress has plateaued.
The initial excitement has faded into the background noise of daily work.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone — and you’re not behind.
It is entirely normal.
Generative AI adoption isn’t a technology rollout. It’s a behavioural, cultural and operational change programme. And like any meaningful change, momentum stalls when the structure isn’t there to support it.
At Stridon, we’re working with a growing number of firms in exactly this situation. Below, we unpack the most common reasons Copilot programmes stall, and how firms can restart progress with confidence.
Why Copilot sdoption stalls
Early enthusiasm without structure
Many firms begin quickly: ‘Copilot is here — let’s get going.’
A few sessions are delivered. A pilot is run. People try it on live work.
But without the underlying scaffolding (sponsors, champions, governance, role‑specific workflows, and a rhythm of training and reinforcement) usage naturally drops back when client demands rise and email traffic spikes.
The reality is simple: enthusiasm gets people started; structure keeps them going.
Confusion between Copilot Chat and Microsoft 365 Copilot
Microsoft’s rollout of Copilot Chat (free for most users) in late 2025 created understandable confusion across the profession. Because it carries the Copilot name, colleagues often assume they already ‘have Copilot.’
And Copilot Chat is genuinely useful. It helps people:
- explore ideas
- improve writing
- test prompts
- summarise general‑purpose content
- build confidence in a low‑risk environment
But Chat operates outside the firm’s Microsoft 365 environment. It can’t see matter files, emails, Teams threads, SharePoint libraries or client documents. It can only provide general AI assistance — not the deep, workflow‑level value that legal and business‑services teams expect.
This is where expectations become mismatched: people believe Copilot should ‘understand their work,’ but Chat simply isn’t connected to the systems that hold it.
Without clarity, disappointment sets in and adoption stalls.
The ’15‑minute training’ problem
Because Copilot Chat was so widely available, some firms offered very short introductory sessions positioned as ‘Copilot training.’
The impact was unintentional but predictable:
- people believed Copilot was something to ‘pick up quickly’
- training didn’t feel role‑relevant
- examples were generic
- there was no safe practice environment
- no follow‑up sessions or champions to support real workflows
- confidence never really formed
In other words: expectations rose, capability didn’t, and usage quietly faded.
Meaningful adoption requires practice, reinforcement, peer support and evidence, not one single session.
How you can get back on track
Many of the firms we support are not starting from scratch. They’ve started, stopped, reflected, and now recognise they need a second, more structured attempt. This ‘reset moment’ is far more common than most firms realise.
Here’s how we help firms restart with clarity and confidence:
- Resetting the narrative
We re‑anchor the programme in a clear “why”:
what Copilot is
what Copilot is not
the difference between Chat and M365 Copilot
what “good” looks like for each role
where the real value appears for legal and business services
A clear narrative restores belief and removes the fog of uncertainty.
- Re‑energising sponsors and champions
Most stalled programmes have the same missing ingredient: no active sponsor and no active champion network.We identify visible leaders who can communicate purpose, remove blockers and maintain momentum. Then we recruit and train champions from both practice groups and Business Services (BD, Finance, HR, Risk, IT, Secretarial) so adoption spreads peer‑to‑peer.Champions are the engine of change. Without them, usage never becomes habit.
- Running a structured 60–90‑day re‑launch
Using our Copilot Success Roadmap, we guide firms through a structured, evidence‑led re‑launch:
weekly hands‑on clinics
role‑specific prompts and examples
proof‑of‑value measurement
feedback loops
updated templates and workflows
safe experimentation
visible results shared across the firm
This creates momentum people can feel and that leaders can confidently scale.
- Unpicking misconceptions caused by Chat
We help teams understand why Chat felt limited and why M365 Copilot, used properly, can transform tasks across the whole firm:
meeting‑to‑action workflows
client updates
billing narratives
BD credentials
onboarding packs
conflict summaries
document distillation
drafting consistency
Resetting expectations is often the turning point.
- Supporting teams who tried but lost confidence
Many colleagues did try Copilot but felt unsure, overwhelmed or unconvinced.
We run small‑group ‘show me in my work’ sessions where the fear disappears and confidence grows. Real matter examples, familiar documents, and guided practice create the trust needed for everyday use.
Once confidence returns, adoption follows naturally.
The ‘second‑attempt’ moment
Across the sector, many firms are entering what we call the second‑attempt moment.
They’ve experimented.
They’ve learned.
They’ve hit natural limits.
And now they need a more structured, people‑first approach.
This is not failure. It’s simply the reality of early‑stage AI adoption in professional services.
With the right structure, support and governance, firms that feel stuck can regain momentum quickly and begin to see the clarity, consistency and wellbeing benefits they expected from the start.
Now is the moment to reset
The firms progressing fastest today are those who recognise that Copilot requires leadership, clarity, structure and reinforcement. Not just licences and good intentions.
If your programme has stalled, you’re not alone. And you’re not behind.
You’re at the point where meaningful adoption actually begins.
And that’s exactly where Stridon can help: with a steady hand, a proven framework, and practical guidance to turn early steps into confident, firm‑wide progress.