Corporate Legal Teams Adopted AI to Optimize Workflows
In-house departments are deploying thousands of custom AI agents to manage capacity and shift legal procurement strategies.
Updated on Sept. 25, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
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Major corporations have begun building extensive in-house AI agent networks to handle internal legal workflows. These implementations aim to increase operational capacity while reducing reliance on external legal counsel.
Why it matters
Legal departments are shifting from traditional service models to AI-driven workflows to achieve faster analysis and higher output without expanding headcount. This change reflects a broader push to treat legal procurement as a data-driven process.
Repsol reported saving 22,000 hours annually, while Prosus doubled its initial target of 30,000 AI agents to reach 60,000 by May 2026. These teams utilize AI to convert natural language instructions into functional code to automate recurring tasks.
The players
Prosus
An Amsterdam-based global consumer internet group that has aggressively integrated AI into its legal operations.
Repsol
A Spanish energy company recognized for its internal legal team's innovative use of AI and programming training.
Revolut
A UK-based fintech firm that has overhauled its outside counsel procurement by using internal data to score legal partners.
The details
Legal teams are instructing staff, including junior colleagues, to build internal AI agents—specialized software programs designed to perform specific, repetitive tasks. By using natural language instructions, these teams can generate functional code to automate document analysis and workflow management. Organizations like Repsol have supported this shift by mandating 100 hours of annual training for their lawyers on programming and AI fundamentals.
Timeline
Prosus announced an AI-first strategy in June 2025.
Prosus set a target of building 30,000 AI agents in late 2025.
Repsol won an innovative legal team award in 2026.
Prosus reported the development of 60,000 agents in May 2026.
The Tech Race
Corporations are moving away from long-term law firm panels to favor data-backed quarterly assessments. This shift mirrors a broader industry race to minimize legal overhead by replacing traditional outsourcing with internal automation.
Legal departments will likely prioritize internal automation, potentially leading to fewer contracts for external firms that fail to demonstrate technological competence. Employees in these legal teams should expect increased requirements for technical training and coding proficiency.
The takeaway
Companies are successfully scaling legal throughput by treating the department like a software team. Watch for Revolut's future procurement cycles, which will provide a signal on whether the market for external legal expertise will be restricted to only niche specialists.
Further reading
For more on how organizations are integrating machine learning into enterprise systems, visit Artificial Intelligence.
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