Latham & Watkins is introducing a $1 million initiative aimed at compensating associates who advance AI innovation within the firm. Dubbed the ‘Associate AI Impact Award,’ the program will honor lawyers, from junior to senior levels, for creative AI applications, including tool development or workflow enhancements.
The firm has set aside a total of $1 million for the scheme in 2027, with individual awards varying depending on the impact of each contribution and its potential to be rolled out more widely across the business. All associates across Latham’s global offices will be eligible to take part.
Submissions are expected to close in late spring next year, with winners selected through a firmwide nomination and review process. Michael Rubin, global chair of Latham’s AI practice, said: “Our associates bring firsthand insight into where AI can make a meaningful difference, and this award is designed to support that ingenuity and help identify and scale the ideas that can create the greatest value for our clients and our firm.”
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Latham’s growing interest in AI is also evident in its recent partnership with legal tech company Harvey to develop a specialist tool for streamlining investment fund setup paperwork. The firm has also invested in its own Nvidia-powered servers, allowing engineers to run and customise AI models in-house.
The bonus scheme is not unique to Latham, as other major law firms have also offered financial incentives to encourage staff to use AI. Shoosmiths unveiled a £1 million bonus pot linked to employees’ use of Microsoft Copilot last year, while A&O Shearman recently revealed plans to invest more than $1 billion over five years. Freshfields has teamed up with Anthropic to develop new legal AI tools, and Kirkland & Ellis has set aside $500 million to build its own AI technology.
