How Agentic AI is already shaping legal services - A paper

For all the skepticism that hysterical levels of hype have granted -around GenAI in general, and Agents in particular- we are witnessing a few instances of tangible value in the application of Large Language Models to legal services.

At this point we are not talking about replacing trainees (prior research, early drafts) or saving time through “autocomplete on steroids”, but referring instead to a redefinition of the deliverables that affects all parties in a given transaction, dispute, or enforcement action.

The launch of AI-first law firms on both sides of the pond has broken the disruption curve that the sector was accustomed to.

Crosby and the Rise of Agentic Legal Services

Legal technology has historically helped lawyers work faster—streamlining research, improving drafting, and automating routine tasks. Agentic AI marks a deeper shift. It enables systems to act with less human intervention and more operational autonomy.

This isn’t limited to tools that assist with research or summarize depositions. We’re now seeing systems that handle risk triage, review clauses against firm precedent, and even respond to clients directly. Some firms are starting to build this capacity using platforms like Harvey, Hebbia, and ClauseBase.

And then came Crosby. Funded by Sequoia and Bain Capital Ventures, it launched in 2025 with a hybrid model: AI agents do the work, human lawyers sign off. The firm promises contract turnaround times in under an hour. It prices by outcome, not time. 

In other words, rather than seeking to support firms, legal tech providers are starting to enter the market as direct competitors. Which means there must be something that law firms are missing and can do about it.

There is a paper for that

Combining our legal and technical backgrounds, Gam Dias and I started speculating about the possibilities, took it further into research of actual practices and trends, and eventually produced a paper that could lead to action. Including our own.

We are aware that a lot has been said. But we had to create our version of the premises that support a new wave of expectations. Precisely because we are tired of empty words and click-baiting. Whatever we wrote had to have the potential to materialize as someone’s new law firm, service, or product.

The white paper is now available on After The Magic (our new limited series podcast) and Agents Unleashed (hosting Gam’s book and thoughts). 

Quick overview

”When the competitor isn’t a law firm at all” examines the practical division of work that is starting to emerge.

We also explain how contract memory systems are making it possible to search legal documents by meaning, not just by keywords. This has significant implications for precedent management, risk flagging, and automated review.

Further on, the concept of a Legal Digital Twin is introduced. This is not a theoretical model but a working simulation of the legal footprint of a company—one that supports early warning, better decision-making, and a more proactive relationship between firm and client.

Finally, the paper outlines a five-phase roadmap that firms can use to prepare. It starts with basic applications already in use today and ends with new forms of legal delivery that are just beginning to take shape.

Download it. Tell us what you think.

This paper is for law firm partners, legal technologists, and business leaders who want to understand how the profession is beginning to change. And it is for us - we will be active participants in such change.

Agents Unleashed After The Magic