Salesforce President and Chief Legal Officer Sabastian Niles outlined on Mar. 10 how law firms can adapt to the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) in legal services, emphasizing that AI is now a catalyst for fundamental change in the industry.
Niles said that as companies become more sophisticated in their expectations, law firms must share the value unlocked by AI with clients through savings and improved service, with associates through expanded capacity, and with communities via pro bono work. He noted that efficiency gains from AI are no longer optional but necessary for competitiveness.
“At Salesforce, we’re building an AI-native, trust-first, agentic legal function that holds the promise of defining the best of human-AI collaboration,” Niles said. He explained that this transformation is changing operations, technology governance, and partnerships with outside counsel. According to Niles, firms that thrive will not just use AI but will lead with it “swiftly, responsibly, and fully to realize the promise of agentic AI and serve clients in a whole new way.”
Niles identified three key realities for firm leaders: intensifying competition due to shifting barriers to entry; rising client expectations for tangible benefits from AI adoption; and the importance of unified client intelligence at the heart of legal strategy. He highlighted tools such as Slackbot and Salesforce’s LCAi Outside Counsel Support Agent as examples of how technology can streamline processes and strengthen relationships between clients and law firms.
He also described four interconnected systems—engagement, agency, work, and context—that are essential for operating a truly agentic law firm. These systems enable secure collaboration, ensure compliance and ethical standards for AI behavior, integrate daily workflows on trusted platforms, and provide comprehensive client intelligence while maintaining confidentiality.
Niles called on law firms to create accountability structures for AI governance, assess current uses of AI across various functions, prioritize secure collaboration technologies like Slack Connect or CRM systems, translate efficiency gains into client savings or pro bono impact, and invest in developing both legal acumen and technical fluency among staff. “The needed transformations underway — and at times overdue — in our professions won’t be driven by technology alone. They’ll be driven by the leaders willing to rethink how judgment is developed and amplified,” he said.
Looking ahead, Salesforce plans to convene global discussions on best practices for integrating agentic AI into legal services. Niles concluded by inviting law firms to collaborate with Salesforce in shaping future standards for trusted intelligent systems.
