Garfield AI, co-founded by former City lawyer Philip Young, says it has helped secure the world's first trial victory involving a regulated AI lawyer.
The claimant won £7,000 and defeated a counterclaim after using Garfield's platform to pursue the case through to trial.
Garfield AI, the UK's first AI law firm, says it has secured what is understood to be the world's first court trial victory involving a regulated AI lawyer.
The firm, which was co-founded by former City lawyer Philip Young, helped a freelancer recover £7,000 in unpaid fees after a contested trial in Wandsworth County Court last month.
The case marks a significant milestone for Garfield, which became the first fully AI-driven law firm authorised by the SRA when it received regulatory approval last year.
AI at work
The dispute centred on unpaid fees owed to freelance HR consultant Tamires Camal Taquidir by a hospitality business.
After unsuccessful attempts to resolve the matter, Taquidir used Garfield's platform to prepare pre-action correspondence and issue proceedings. The defendant subsequently instructed solicitors and brought a counterclaim.
According to Garfield, the platform assisted with key stages of the litigation process, including document disclosure, witness statements and trial preparation, before instructing a barrister at One Essex Court shortly before the hearing.
Following a three-hour trial involving multiple witnesses and cross-examination, the court ruled in favour of the claimant, awarding £7,000 and dismissing the counterclaim.
Young, a former founding partner at London litigation boutique Cooke, Young & Keidan, described the result as a landmark moment for legal AI.
"It wasn't a simple small claim trial - not a one-hour hearing followed by an ex tempore judgment but rather a three-hour trial with numerous witnesses, extensive cross-examination and then a reserved judgment," he said.
"Garfield's user not only won her claim but defeated the defendant's counterclaim. This is the first trial ever won by an AI lawyer against human opposition, anywhere, ever."
“It's the dawn of a new age of access to justice,” he added.
The UK’s first AI law firm
Garfield focuses on small debt claims and uses AI to guide users through the small claims process in England and Wales. The platform automates tasks including drafting letters before action, filing claims and preparing court documents.
The company has positioned itself as an access-to-justice play, targeting individuals and small businesses that may otherwise decide that pursuing relatively modest claims is not worth the cost and complexity of litigation.
Join 10,000+ City law professionals who start their day with our newsletter.
The essential read for commercially aware lawyers.
