Jackson: Platform built on firm’s M&A experience
National firm Shoosmiths has joined forces with Microsoft to create its own bespoke AI platform for carrying out contract reviews.
It marks the latest stage in the debate over whether firms should build their own AI systems or rely on third-party platforms.
Project Apollo was unveiled yesterday, as the latest development to emerge from the ongoing partnership between the law firm and tech giant.
The AI-powered contract review tool applies Shoosmiths’ playbooks and contracting expertise to new drafts, setting out what a contract should contain, why each section matters, and how lawyers can makes changes using tried and tested drafting.
Last year Shoosmiths’ lawyers advised on over £10bn in transactions and their deal making experience was fed into the playbooks that Project Apollo was trained on.
Chief executive David Jackson said: “We have advised on more M&A deals in the City than any firm for four years running. This puts that experience in the hands of every lawyer in the firm, from day one.
“Our best-in-class tool will not only cut time in the contract review process for all our lawyers, but it will also enhance the quality and consistency of advice, accelerate deal delivery and fast-track the development of the next generation of lawyers.”
After a year of building and testing the AI with Microsoft, Project Apollo is now live at the firm’s 13 offices across the UK.
Tony Randle, director of client technology at Shoosmiths, says Project Apollo saved up to five hours on a single contract review. The team involved in the pilot handles around 3,000 documents a year.
The idea was conceived in 2025. After considering 15 potential suppliers, Shoosmiths decided to build its own proprietary AI.
Mr Jackson said the firm has “gone all in” with Microsoft’s technology, with greater access for staff, and people being encouraged to find new uses for it.
The decision to self-build was part of Shoosmiths strategy to not use external AI providers.
Shoosmiths has not revealed how much it has invested in the new AI platform, but a spokesman told Legal Futures: “Project Apollo is a key part of a multi-million-pound investment in our AI capability as a firm.”
The collaboration with Microsoft began in 2024, when Shoosmiths started using the Copilot AI platform for all non-legal work. Last year, staff were offered a £1m bonus if they entered one million prompts and questions into CoPilot within 12 months. They hit the target four months early.
Project Apollo runs on Microsoft’s Azure cloud-based platform, but the AI itself is owned and controlled by Shoosmiths.
The spokesman said: “The decision to self-build ensures that Shoosmiths retains control over the development road map for Project Apollo…
“This is definitely a collaboration that will continue, but the proprietary AI is owned by Shoosmiths, and it is in the firm’s hands for taking it forward.”
Darren Hardman, CEO of Microsoft UK & Ireland, said: “Law firms hold enormous expertise and the challenge is always how to share it. Project Apollo is a strong example of AI doing what it does best: taking the knowledge of Shoosmiths’ most experienced lawyers and making it available to everyone in the firm, at every stage of their career.
“The fact that it explains its reasoning at every step makes it a genuine learning tool, not just a productivity one. That’s what good AI adoption looks like, and we’re proud to have supported them in building it.”
As well as saving time, Project Apollo gives junior lawyers explanations and guidance in real-time, so they can understand the market context and rationale behind any changes to the contract.
The AI aims to mirror how a senior associate would justify any changes in the contract to a partner, with each step of the contract review setting out the reasons behind the changes.
Mr Jackson said: “With our platform, developing lawyers can learn more, faster. Our self-developed generative AI software enables the firm to deploy its collective dealmaking expertise at scale, allowing lawyers to not only see what amendments have been made, but most significantly, why.”
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