Where the business of law decides what comes next.

Torkin Manes names Sondra Rebenchuk inaugural AI and Innovation Director, poached from Blakes

Toronto firm Torkin Manes appointed Sondra Rebenchuk as its inaugural Artificial Intelligence and Innovation Director, having left Blakes, Cassels & Graydon LLP where she was part of the firm's strategic AI working group and helped design and roll out generative AI pilots across practice groups. At Torkin Manes she will lead AI, legal technology, and innovation strategy firmwide. Rebenchuk previously taught emerging-technology law and governance at Osgoode Hall Law School and was an AI practice consultant for Kira Systems.

Johnson Stokes & Master builds governance-first Microsoft Copilot agents, led by client-specific Employment Legal Advice Agent

Johnson Stokes & Master (JSM), a leading independent Hong Kong law firm, has developed a growing suite of internal AI agents built on Microsoft Copilot, emphasizing a governance-first, human-led approach. The flagship is an Employment Legal Advice Copilot Agent built for Microsoft (as a client) to support high-volume employment advisory work, with plans to replicate the model for other corporate clients under their own policies. The agent organizes matter context, identifies key issues, and generates first-pass drafts of risks, options, and recommended next steps — all outputs are reviewed and approved by qualified lawyers before external use, with no autonomous legal advice generation or bypass of professional oversight.

Charles Russell Speechlys adopts Harvey after structured five-vendor head-to-head evaluation

Charles Russell Speechlys

Charles Russell Speechlys (CRS) ran a structured two-week, five-vendor head-to-head AI evaluation with 46 lawyers (trainees to partners), generating 7,000 structured data points across real (non-confidential) case work. The exercise — prompted by the March 2025 acquisition of its former custom-AI vendor Springbok AI by US firm Cleary Gottlieb — found that legal competence and conceptual understanding mattered more than speed, and that Harvey was the clear top performer across all task categories. CRS has since used Harvey on a Swiss Basketball regulatory overhaul, a workplace harassment investigation, and preparation for a criminal fraud trial. The firm published its methodology and findings publicly in partnership with TLW Consulting.