Who keeps the AI dividend?
Everyone Has the Tools Now. The Fight Is Over the Dividend. Zaven Legal Intelligence | August 2026 For two years, in-house teams have been promised that AI would make legal work faster, more efficient, and cheaper. July was the month the market started asking, out loud, where the savings actually went. A vendor CEO put […]
The In-House Power Shift Is No Longer a Forecast. It’s Here.
Zaven Legal Intelligence | July 2026 For two years, analysts predicted that AI would tilt the balance of power towards in-house teams. This month, the data caught up with the prediction. 92% of legal professionals now use AI for legal work, up from 69% a year ago. In-house teams are pulling routine work back in-house […]
May 2026 – Zaven Newsletter
This month, the legal market crossed a threshold. Anthropic formally launched Claude for Legal. Days later, OpenAI announced plans for “Codex for Legal.” Meanwhile, Revolut’s CLO publicly tore up the traditional panel model in favour of performance metrics and competitive rates. And an open-source project called Lavern shipped 67 specialist AI agents that run an […]
April 2026 – Zaven Newsletter
This month, the signals couldn’t be louder. Anthropic’s top lawyer declared that AI will end the billable hour. Simmons & Simmons’ senior partner predicted some firms won’t survive the next two to three years. Big Law posted another record year (revenue up 13%, billing rates up 10%), while AI-native firms like Crosby raised $60 million […]
February 2026 – Zaven Newsletter
Hello legal innovators! This month, we’re diving into: Rock & Roll Interview: Virgin Atlantic’s Julian Homerstone on why the new age isn’t about AI – it’s about people, purpose, and heart. GC Survival Guide: Zentiva’s Tereza Ber on navigating 30+ markets, regulation as existential threat, and why legal now shapes investment decisions. The Billable Hour’s Death: Why AI […]
October 2025 – Zaven Newsletter
Hello legal innovators! This month, we’re diving into: Now, let’s jump right in! The Modern GC Reality: From Legal Gatekeeper to Strategic Everything The general counsel role has exploded beyond recognition. Once confined to compliance checks, today’s GC needs enough skills to fill a wardrobe – from strategic planner to tech expert to crisis manager. […]
September 2025 – Zaven Newsletter
Hello legal innovators! This month, we’re diving into: Now, let’s jump right in! Big Law’s Half-Century Party: Why the Music’s Finally Stopping For fifty years, Big Law’s business model has been bulletproof: leverage junior lawyers like medieval serfs, charge by the hour regardless of efficiency, and maintain a pyramid where 80% of associates eventually leave. […]
May 2025 – Zaven Newsletter
Hello legal innovators! This month, we’re diving into: Now, let’s jump right in! McDermott Will & Emery and Schulte Roth & Zabel Plan Major Merger to Create $2.8 Billion Legal Giant Key Takeaway: When law firms start feeling lonely at the top, they don’t get therapy—they get bigger. You either scale up or get left […]
March 2025 – Zaven Newsletter
Hello legal innovators! This month, we’re diving into: Now, let’s jump right in! General Counsel navigate treacherous waters as law firms become political battlegrounds Rob Chesnut, former Airbnb General Counsel, reveals how political pressures are transforming the once-simple selection of outside counsel into a high-stakes strategic decision. Key Takeaway: The selection of outside counsel has evolved […]
February 2025 – Zaven Newsletter
Hello legal innovators! This month, we’re diving into: Now, let’s jump right in! The Merger Paradox: Why Bigger Isn’t Always Better in Big Law Bloomberg Law pulls back the curtain on why the merger mania sweeping Big Law might be more smoke than fire. Key Takeaway: The numbers don’t lie – most law firm mergers fail […]