The department builds on existing infrastructure. Over 700 Reed Smith lawyers currently use the Harvey AI platform daily, and the firm has certified all associates in AI tools. The specific scope of the new department's client offerings and internal service model remain unclear.
For practitioners, this signals a structural shift in how major firms are organizing around AI. Rather than treating AI as a specialized practice area, Reed Smith is embedding it across legal disciplines—particularly in e-discovery and regulatory compliance, where AI adoption is reshaping litigation strategy. Attorneys should expect similar moves from competing firms and should evaluate whether their own firms' AI capabilities are keeping pace with client expectations for integrated legal and technical guidance on AI governance and deployment.