From Pilot to Production: How Axiom's Clients Cracked the Legal AI Adoption Code

Feb 3, 2026

Guest

Alex Fortescue-Webb

Chris Frickland, Axiom's Director of AI, Peter Duffy, a legal tech consultant, and Alex Fortescue-Webb, a SaaS founder, dive into the effective strategies for piloting generative AI in legal settings. They reveal that focusing on specific use cases leads to stronger adoption and quicker wins. The trio discusses the pitfalls of short trial periods and the importance of structured training programs for lawyers. They also share insights on leveraging historical data responsibly and the significant efficiency gains from their innovative pilot programs.

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ADVICE

Prefer 8–12 Week Structured Pilots

Run structured pilots for about two to three months to collect behavior data and test vendor support.
Use midpoint and endpoint interviews plus analytics to decide whether to scale.

ADVICE

Use Real Work And Provide Hands-On Support

Avoid side-of-desk pilots using dummy data because lawyers won't invest time without real efficiency gains.
Provide proactive hand-holding and rapid support to prevent early disengagement.

ADVICE

Give Lawyers Time To Build Habits

Avoid 10–14 day trials; give lawyers 3–6 weeks to form habits after initial familiarization.
Focus pilots on repeated, specific use cases to build adoption.

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Join CJ Saretto as he corrals Peter Duffy of Titans Legal, Alex Fortescue-Webb of Legora, and Chris Frickland of Axiom for an inside look at running successful AI pilots in legal organizations. After helping Axiom test dozens of tools and compress months of contract review work into days, this group of legal AI experts unlocked the secret to achieving 10x efficiency gains that few in-house teams know.

In today's episode, learn why 14-day trials doom AI adoption before it starts, why training your AI on thousands of past contracts degrades does the exact opposite of what lawyers expect it to do (get smarter; but no, it gets dumber), and how focusing on one specific use case beats trying to solve everything at once.

The panel shares hard-won insights from their innovative structured 8-week pilot program, including why dummy data kills engagement, how vendor engagement and support makes or breaks adoption, and why it's crucial to give your lawyers 3-6 weeks to build new habits around AI tools.

Whether you're a GC evaluating generative AI tools, a legal ops leader running pilots, or a law firm partner wondering about how to measure ROI, this conversation offers field-tested strategies for what drives AI adoption in legal settings vs. expensive experimentation.

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Key topics

Pilot Duration and Structure
Training and Education Approaches
Tool Selection Criteria
Use Case Identification
Adoption Challenges and Support
Future Impact on Legal Work
Technology Market Assessment
Specific Tool Implementation
Measuring Success and Outcomes
Real-World Results and Efficiency Gains
Organizational Rollout Strategy
Client Perspectives and Demands

Episode Resources

DraftPilot's website (https://draftpilot.ai)
Legora's website (https://legora.ai)
Titans Legal's website (https://www.titans.legal/team)
Learn more about Axiom Tech+Talent (https://www.axiomlaw.com/solutions/tech-plus-talent)
Visit AxiomLaw.com (https://www.axiomlaw.com)
Subscribe to the Axiom Insights Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/axiom-insights-on-legal-services/id1842354058)

DISCLAIMER: Axiom is a provider of legal talent and is not a law firm, and does not provide legal advice. The information contained in these videos is merely legal information, not advice. Our clients' legal teams supervise the legal work of the Axiom lawyer. Viewing this video does not create an attorney/client relationship.