Hogan Lovells Cadwalader Creates AI Board, Signs Harvey and Legora in Firmwide AI Push

Published October 16, 2026

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Why it matters

Hogan Lovells Cadwalader announced on October 16, 2026 a firmwide AI strategy built around a new AI Board. The board will evaluate ideas from the firm's practice groups and sectors on where AI can improve the delivery of legal services, and it will decide whether each tool is built in-house or bought, then oversee its development and deployment. The firm signed agreements with legal AI vendors Harvey and Legora, and its in-house legal technology unit, ELTEMATE, will continue building proprietary tools. Washington partner Paul Otto was named managing partner for legal technology and AI, and London-based Oliver Campbell was named chief transformation officer. CEO Miguel Zaldivar said no single AI solution will meet every need of a modern global law firm. Per Law.com, the firm is pursuing a hybrid of custom-built and commercial products. Zaldivar also predicted that pricing will shift toward fixed or alternative fee arrangements by 2029.

The announcement follows the July 1, 2026 completion of the merger between Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, which created a firm of more than 3,200 lawyers. Partners approved the deal in April 2026. The firm has not published the AI Board's membership, budget, or decision criteria, and the research available does not establish how quickly the firm will move from evaluation to deployment.

For attorneys, the signal is the simultaneous adoption of two rival legal AI platforms, which The Lawyer called a rare public declaration. Watch whether the AI Board's decisions on build-versus-buy produce published policies on client data, confidentiality, and supervision of AI-assisted work. Also watch whether the pricing shift Zaldivar forecast shows up in engagement terms from this firm, since it would likely influence how competitors and clients approach fee negotiations.