Jackson: AI is a powerful enabler
Staff at national law firm Shoosmiths will share a £1m bonus if they make a million Microsoft Copilot prompts in its next financial year.
The firm said that if every staff member used Copilot four times per working day, the target would be “comfortably exceeded”.
Usage would be tracked and shared across the firm, with monthly updates “to encourage collaboration, learning and momentum”.
Chief executive David Jackson said: “We believe AI is a powerful enabler – one that can help us deliver smarter, faster, better results for our amazing clients beyond what any other law firm is doing.
“This initiative is about creating a culture where everyone plays a role in embracing change and using technology to raise the bar on client service.”
He insisted that the initiative was not just about how many times someone used AI. “It’s about how well we use it and the benefits it will have for our clients.
“We’re giving our people the tools, the space and the encouragement to explore what’s possible – together. And that’s where the real power lies.”
Mr Jackson said Shoosmiths did not fear AI; rather than replace people, “it frees them to spend more time on the human-to-human work that really matters: solving problems, building trust, and supporting clients through complexity.”
The firm said new roles were also emerging to support its technology adopting, including innovation leads in each division, and head of legal innovation and a new data manager.
The firm said that, as part of its plan to achieve net zero by 2040, it was working to manage the upstream emissions from AI and other goods and services.
