Nvidia's AI Chip Dominance Sparks Global Race for Alternatives

Intrapreneurs: forcing the pace of change

Most people in an organisation feel that "someone" should be making it more successful. But that someone is usually "someone else". This is why the FT Innovative Lawyers awards celebrate legal intrapreneurs: the individuals who lead in making change happen. Amid 10 strong contenders, two were highlighted by the judges in the "individual intrapreneur" award category. David Wakeling at A&O Shearman won admiration for consistently acting as a first mover in embracing the potential of new tech, most recently with generative artificial intelligence. Being such an early adopter "takes courage," noted one judge. But the panel felt Idoya Fernández stood out for her role in developing Cuatrecasas's approach to knowledge management. Starting from scratch, she changed attitudes to the use of knowledge and innovation at the firm and set a challenge for its peers. It was transformative and led to her promotion to partner and board member. Her leadership means Cuatrecasas is well-placed for the changes generative AI will bring. WINNER: Idoya Fernández Partner, Cuatrecasas Idoya Fernández has spent nearly six years as head of knowledge and innovation at Cuatrecasas, leading a group of 40 specialist lawyers, researchers and engineers, and was promoted to full partner last year. Her aim is to ensure the efficiency of the firm's operations and improve client services. She brings to the role more than 20 years in corporate law, dealing with mergers and acquisitions, business restructurings, joint-venture agreements, and corporate contracts. Her latest project is leading the firm's integration of AI tools with its knowledge management systems. Fernández strives to encourage agile working and has established a rewards system for lawyers contributing to her department's projects. She lectures in company law at Navarre university and is authorised to practise in England and Wales. Tiago Bessa Partner, Vieira de Almeida In his 17 years as an information and technology lawyer at the firm, Tiago Bessa saw how hard it was to acquire academically sound research on fast-moving areas of technology and legislation. As a writer of academic papers and articles, he wanted to bridge the gap between academia and legal practice. So, in 2021, with the Nova School of Law in Lisbon and other leaders at Vieira de Almeida, he created WhatNext Law. This research centre brings together law practitioners, academics, and other stakeholders to explore emerging legal topics. Made up of 20 lawyers and 40 researchers from the law school, it produces academic papers and shorter summaries of relevant subjects, such as a distillation of the EU's new artificial intelligence act. The centre also offers workshops, internships and scholarships for graduates to pursue relevant research subjects. Richard Coffey Head of managed legal service delivery, Pinsent Masons As a relative newcomer to working in a law firm, Richard Coffey saw opportunities for change when he joined Pinsent Masons in 2018. Together with Matt Kaye, a former colleague and head of the firm's flexible staffing unit Vario, and partner David Halliwell, Coffey proposed radical reforms to Pinsent Masons' management of its legal services. Coffey then took on specific responsibility for paralegals, which had been spread across 12 practice areas in the UK. In 2021, he created a centralised hub of 46 people to support the firm's work, which has now grown to more than 100. The aim has been to improve efficiency, as well as the training and career opportunities open to paralegals. Two years ago, Coffey set up an apprenticeship programme, in co-operation with LexisNexis, leading to paralegals taking the Solicitor Qualifying Examination. Dawn Faulkner Information services director, Shoosmiths As head of information services, Dawn Faulkner is responsible for leading the firm's cyber security efforts and securing client privacy. She aims to use the latest technologies to protect against data breaches and future threats, and has introduced mandatory training that includes testing staff on dealing with phishing attempts. Her approach is to foster a culture of alertness to security threats throughout the business. For example, staff face the loss of bonuses for clicking too often on links in emails sent to mimic those sent by genuine cyber attackers. External evaluation shows an improvement in the firm's rating of vulnerability to cyber risks, a drop in security incidents, and better regulatory compliance. Faulkner uses outside IT consultants to help in the work. Prior to joining the firm in 2013, Faulkner worked in IT at Akzo Nobel, ICI Paints, Unilever, and Abbott Pharmaceuticals. Paul Handal Partner, Ecija Paul Handal, who joined the firm in 2021 as head of legal technology, was a tax lawyer for 15 years in Honduras and has always been interested in technology. He taught himself to code before completing a master's in legal technology in Madrid. In 2020, he founded a boutique tech consultancy Revamps Law, focused on helping legal departments across Spain and Latin America implement new legal software. In 2021, Ecija absorbed this consultancy into its own Ecija Tech venture and Handal was made a partner. Since then, he has changed how the firm uses tech, including implementing document automation and creating the firm's AI strategy. He has also developed legal technologies and training for leading Spanish companies. Ecija Tech has trained more than 350 of the firm's lawyers and 2,500 members of clients' legal teams. Babar Hayat Head of technology and transformation, Eversheds Sutherland Babar Hayat has been handling the introduction of technology into the risk and compliance industry for more than 18 years. In 2020, he joined Konexo, the legal services arm of Eversheds Sutherland, where he now provides tech and consulting services to in-house legal teams and was promoted to partner in the division earlier this year. He is among the pioneers advising clients and colleagues on the risks and opportunities of generative AI. He has also made internal changes at Konexo, including a mobile application that matches consultants with roles. He passionately argues for the need to demonstrate clear reasons for changes in working methods to those people affected -- and to do so early. Previously, he spent four years as senior director at information business Thomson Reuters' legal division, where he led on strategy for the rollout of several of its services. Sebastian Lach Partner, Hogan Lovells Sebastian Lach -- head of the firm's investigations, white collar and fraud practice in Germany -- led the development of Hogan Lovells legal technology subsidiary Eltemate, which launched in 2023. It advises clients on choosing the best technology for their legal problems, by either developing proprietary software or refining third-party applications. The business now employs more than 80 lawyers, developers and engineers worldwide, providing advice and IT support to 800-plus clients. Examples of the proprietary technology Eltemate has developed include an AI-powered Regulatory Pilot that scans the internet for regulatory changes, and Craig, an assistant that helps automate common legal tasks. Lach has also advised various clients on creating global compliance systems and has successfully advised on criminal matters, including bribery and fraud. Inês Setil Director, projects & innovation, PLMJ Inês Setil trained in the law, but her career has centred on the operations side of the business. She worked in knowledge management and as chief operating officer at Gama Glória, another Portuguese firm, after a 10-year spell at Morais Leitão before arriving at PLMJ in 2020 as head of innovation. Here, she has been tasked with changing how the firm manages its data and technology and has led the implementation of new services, including automated document generation and an internal generative AI system. In 2023, she led the setting up of Buzz Legal, a small in-house team that aims to create new tech tools for the firm and its clients, which launched formally this year. Its projects include a tool that monitors organisations' insolvency proceedings and another that automates the gathering and completion of business registration certificates. Clients are currently testing both. David Wakeling Partner, A&O Shearman David Wakeling has been leading the firm's investment in and rollout of Harvey -- generative AI software designed for legal use. He began this process at Allen & Overy before its merger with Shearman & Sterling in May. Law firms often favour "second-mover advantage" but Wakeling was among the first to adopt generative AI for his firm. The firm has found several potential uses for the technology and rolled it out to all staff. The most prominent application so far is ContractMatrix, which combines generative AI drafting with conventional software to judge whether a newly drafted clause meets the best standard, subject to human oversight. Wakeling and his colleagues have also launched a practice advising clients on how to engage with AI and a working group for 70 clients who pay a membership fee in exchange for quick responses to AI-related queries and syndicated advice. Drew Winlaw Partner, Simmons & Simmons Drew Winlaw has changed the firm's approach to legal technology. In 2023, he was appointed as its lead on large language models and developed Percy -- generative AI software designed for legal use. The tool is used for summaries, translation, proofreading, and more complex tasks, such as searching witness statements for inconsistencies. Winlaw uses Percy, in part, as an educational project to improve overall AI literacy at the firm. Since its launch in 2023, more than 2,000 people at Simmons & Simmons have been trained to use Percy, which the firm says receives more than 1,000 inquiries a day. He also continues to lead Wavelength, which he co-founded in 2016 as a self-styled "legal engineering" business. Bought by Simmons & Simmons in 2019, its activities include assessing legal tech to address clients' problems, and using data scientists alongside legal experts to analyse client data.

Practitioners: appliance of science adds winning edge to practice

The FT Innovative Lawyers awards search out legal practitioners who stretch their skills to address changes under way in the practice of law. The legal expertise of each may be wide-ranging -- from digital finance to policymaking to emerging markets -- but they all share a facility for innovative thinking that is relied on by colleagues and clients. The 10 law firm practitioners featured here were selected for leadership and for impact on the practice or business of law, or both. For the panel of judges, Marion Palmer ultimately stood out in this "innovative practitioner" category of the awards for the impact of her pioneering role in aligning scientific knowhow with the practice of law. Innovation that incorporates unusual skills should be more widespread across law firms, observed one judge. A scientist, who joined Hogan Lovells to help found one of the first in-house science units in a law firm, Palmer is a fee-earner. Thanks to her leadership and ideas, her colleagues and the firm's clients are not only better informed about science, but are also more scientific in applying legal skills and knowledge. WINNER: Marion Palmer Head of global sustainability, policy and strategy, Hogan Lovells Marion Palmer joined Hogan Lovells almost three decades ago as a founder member of the firm's science unit. Now, she leads the firm's efforts to manage the use of scientific expertise across its activities by analysing evidence, briefing lawyers involved in litigation, and helping to recruit expert witnesses. Palmer is a scientist but has worked for 28 years as a fee-earner at the firm. Her cases include successfully defending manufacturers of measles, mumps and rubella vaccines against class action lawsuits and advising a maker of metal hips against claims. During the Covid pandemic, she helped design and secure regulatory approval for a protective shield to prevent the virus's spread during surgery. Mark Austin Partner, Latham & Watkins Capital markets expert Mark Austin has emerged as a leading adviser to the UK government and City regulators on promoting London's future as an international finance centre. Austin joined Latham & Watkins last year after a 22-year career at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer advising clients on high-profile initial public offerings, other fundraisings, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate work. In recent years, he has been a leading adviser to reviews by the government and by the Financial Conduct Authority, the UK's financial regulator, on how best to revive capital markets and to help reverse London's decline as a listing venue. The FCA's recommended easing of the UK's listing rules led some to worry about a loss of investor protection, but it has been approved by the new Labour government and came into force in July. Austin received a CBE for services to the economy this year. JP Douglas-Henry Partner, DLA Piper With 30 years of experience advising clients worldwide on regulatory matters and disputes, JP Douglas-Henry took on the new role of managing director of sustainability and resilience for DLA Piper's international network outside the US in 2021. He co-ordinates the firm's efforts on environmental, social and corporate governance mandates, reporting directly to DLA Piper's global co-chief executive, Simon Levine. Douglas-Henry's brief also includes helping to steer the network's pro bono work and overseeing and directing the firm's Law& brand. Since 2020, this venture has developed services beyond traditional advice, including litigation funding, business advisory, and AI-powered risk detection for clients. His role is to understand how these new business lines can be expanded to meet the needs of the firm's global client base. Joanne Gillies Partner, Pinsent Masons Glasgow-based global head of litigation Joanne Gillies has pioneered a more active approach to challenging claims about mis-sold PPI and other insurance products -- requiring a re-engineering of systems for clients facing mass claims. In 2019, on behalf of NatWest bank, she set up a team of students and other casual workers using legal tech to process paperwork cheaply and strategically to challenge low-value PPI claims individually, in the county court, rather than settling them automatically. In parallel, the firm advised NatWest in attempts to enforce dismissal of some PPI claims on the basis that they were out of time. The Court of Appeal upheld this position in 2021, though it was overruled last year and awaits further appeal. Gillies's work led to the full development of an "end-to-end" claims management system by the firm to help clients reduce costs in dealing with similar high-volume, low-value claims. Jason Hungerford Partner, Mayer Brown Jason Hungerford's long career as an adviser on economic sanctions and export controls brought him to the fore when actions were taken against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. His recent work includes advising French food group Danone on the distressed, lossmaking sale of its Russian business to a Kremlin-installed management in May, following the seizure of its operations in the country. He also helped UK green jet fuel developer Velocys complete a takeover offer despite David Davidovich -- an investor and a Russian associate of Roman Abramovich -- being sanctioned by a UK asset freeze. Previously based in the US, Hungerford now heads Mayer Brown's international trade team in London. Since 2006, he has advised a wide range of clients on US, UK and EU sanctions, export controls and anti-corruption and anti-money laundering requirements. Patricia Madrona García Senior associate, Littler Over two decades, Patricia Madrona García has honed her skills as a labour lawyer and emerged as a champion for women's rights and equality in the profession. Madrona joined the Valencia office of Littler, which specialises in representing employers on labour issues, in 2022, after 14 years at Cuatrecasas. She also maintains roles as an associate law professor at Valencia university and with the Bar Association of Valencia (ICAV). In 2020, she co-founded and is now president of ICAV's equality observatory -- a body that works to prevent discrimination and harassment in the legal sector against women and also others based on their race, religion, class, disability, or political views. In 2023, the ICAV published protocols to tackle harassment of members, most of whom are self-employed, by clients. These have since been adopted by bar associations across Spain. José Eduardo Martin Partner, Abreu Advogados José Eduardo Martin's combination of legal and political careers has helped him emerge as one of Portugal's most experienced practitioners in environmental, energy, and natural resources law. The law graduate was elected to the country's parliament just before his 30th birthday in 1999, remaining an MP for over a decade, until 2012. He served as the country's secretary of state for the environment from 2002 to 2004 before joining Abreu Advogados in 2005 after his governing party fell from power. Since then, he has built his firm's reputation by advising clients on Portuguese and EU rules on the environment, waste and water management, and carbon emissions -- as well as the risks inherent in environmental, social and governance principles. He has also advised other Portuguese-speaking jurisdictions on related environmental projects and regulations. Jennifer Rees Partner, Dechert Jennifer Rees has carved out a niche advising emerging market countries in issuing sovereign and corporate debt, as part of her practice on cross-border capital markets at Dechert. Clients include a wide range of governments and institutions in north Africa, the Middle East and former Soviet republics. Last year, she added to her work for Egypt by advising on the country's first placement of a low-interest, sustainable renminbi-denominated "panda bond" in China, backed by African and Asian infrastructure investment banks, which raised Rmb3.5bn ($480mn). During her career, Rees has worked on a variety of other novel projects, including first-of-their-kind bond issuances in Georgian Lari and Kazakhstan Tenge. She is a specialist in Islamic financing, helping governments such as Bahrain, Oman and Jordan issue debt. In Albania, she has advised on four bond issuances in 10 years. Bradley Rice Partner, Ashurst Bradley Rice's role in his firm's financial services regulatory team demands a "focus on digitalisation, digital finance and all things 'fintech' and 'regtech'," he says. Early in his career, he worked with start-ups trying to compete with incumbent financial services groups, before advising established businesses in the sector, such as Goldman Sachs, on launching digital services. As a member of Ashurst's digital finance and fintech practice, he regularly advises on the fast-changing regulatory demands created by the digitisation of financial services. Rice also jointly leads the firm's Fintech Legal Labs programme, which provides legal and other support to fintech start-ups, and is involved in the firm's internal explorations of new technology. For example, he had a central role in developing XB Adviser, a digital service offering clients advice on cross-border bank licensing. Raúl Rubio Partner, Pérez-Llorca Digital law expert Raúl Rubio joined the Spanish firm at the end of 2022 to help drive its modernisation and adoption of new technology. And, this year, he has played a central role in the assessment and rollout of the firm's generative AI system. The system is designed to save time by automating tasks ranging from document redactions to document drafting and processing. Rubio also helped set up the European Centre for Digital Regulation, a collaboration between the firm and Madrid's Carlos III University. The initiative, launched in April, aims to bring together public and business interests to analyse new rules, show regulators how to harmonise standards across Europe, and reduce legal uncertainties in the sector. Before joining Pérez-Llorca, Rubio was a partner in digital law at Deloitte Legal in Spain and head of Baker McKenzie's IT and communications law practice in Madrid.