Freshfields taps Anthropic to build legal AI tools

Freshfields has struck a deal with AI giant Anthropic to build legal AI tools together, doubling down on its multi-vendor approach a year after teaming up with Google.

The firm will get early access to future Anthropic models, building on an existing rollout that already gives more than 5,700 Freshfields staff access to Claude through its internal AI platform, with usage climbing quickly since launch.

The two will work on areas including contract review, due diligence and legal research, as well as so-called “agentic” systems that can handle multi-step legal tasks - areas that have largely been the preserve of specialist legal tech providers up to now.

“Partnering with Anthropic strengthens our ability to co-innovate at pace and to bring new capabilities into our work in a way that is secure, compliant and focused on client needs,” said Freshfields’ chief innovation officer Gil Perez, who has been driving the firm’s AI strategy since joining from Deutsche Bank two years ago.

Freshfields’ AI lineup

The deal builds on Freshfields’ deliberately tech-agnostic approach to AI. While many firms have aligned themselves closely with a single provider, Freshfields has taken a different route - using multiple solutions and, so far at least, not partnering with legal AI frontrunners Harvey and Legora.

Last year’s Google collaboration saw it deploy Gemini across the firm and build a suite of internal tools. The Anthropic partnership sits alongside that, reinforcing the firm’s focus on using the “best available” technology rather than committing to one system.

Freshfields is also an early adopter of Thomson Reuters’ revamped CoCounsel Legal, which is built on Anthropic’s models, and has partnered with legal AI company DeepJudge to improve how lawyers search internal documents and knowledge.

Anthropic’s legal tech push

One of the leading players in the global AI race, Anthropic is increasingly pushing into legal territory.

It has already rolled-out legal-focused features, including a Word add-in for contract work, and a legal plugin for its enterprise product Claude Cowork, which can automate certain types of legal work.

The Freshfields tie-up will be closely watched. It shows how quickly general AI companies are moving into legal and raises the stakes for the specialist platforms that have led the market so far.