In the ABA Journal, Howard Glazer and Josh Lichtenstein Discuss Ropes & Gray's AI Partnerships with Leading Tech Providers

Howard Glazer, head of practice AI and co-head of Ropes & Gray's global private equity transactions practice, and Josh Lichtenstein, head of the firm's ERISA fiduciary practice and a leader of its AI development efforts, were quoted in an article published in the ABA Journal about how large law firms are partnering with major tech companies to build custom AI tools.

The article highlights the AI-powered diligence tool Ropes & Gray developed with OpenAI ahead of the launch of Astra for Law. The tool follows the steps the firm's attorneys take when reviewing large volumes of documents and produces a comprehensive diligence report in just hours. Josh said the tool, which is in testing, is consistently producing better results than off-the-shelf diligence applications. "What the process looked like for us was a combination of the engineering expertise from OpenAI plus our own vision as lawyers of how a tool should work," he said.

Howard noted that the firm also speaks regularly with other leading tech providers. "We will talk to anyone," he said. "As a firm, we are total believers that AI will transform the industry, and so we are intent on being at the front of the wave." He also pointed to the firm's partnership with Draftwise to deploy a legal ontology platform in its private funds practice. "Our partnerships with OpenAI and Draftwise tie back to our broader AI strategy—building AI around our clients' needs and our relationships with them, and using that knowledge to amplify our lawyers' judgment," he said.