Ari Kaplan recently spoke with John Marshall, the CEO, and Dan Quintas, the head of legal solutions at Airia, a generative artificial intelligence platform for law firms and other organizations.
They discussed the barriers companies face in adopting AI, their progress, common mistakes legal teams make when deploying generative AI, and how to keep up with rapid technology changes.
AriKaplan: Tell us about your background and the origins of Airia.
John Marshall: I have been in the enterprise software business for 30 years, focusing on solutions that serve as back-end infrastructure solutions to business problems. An example is AirWatch, a mobile device management company where we worked closely with Apple and helped companies deploy mobility at scale. At AirWatch, we’ve enabled technology deployment in businesses of all sizes, integrating systems such as email, documents and certificates. After selling AirWatch to VMware, I co-founded OneTrust, which focused on enterprise privacy, GDPR compliance, and consent management. When AI became mainstream, I founded Airia because I anticipated similar challenges as we saw with mobility, in that AI is powerful, but needs an infrastructure that is secure, integrated, and easy to adopt for end users. Our experience uniquely positions us to provide the enabling technology law firms need to leverage AI.
AriKaplan: Tell us about your background and the unique legal aspects that appeal to Airia.
Dan Quinta’s: I started my career at AirWatch and later moved to OneTrust. Like other industries, legal services is facing a broad spectrum of AI adoption, driven by the complexity of its use cases. Currently, the focus is on document-driven applications, which is a sweet spot for AI adoption. Document-heavy workflows naturally benefit from AI-driven efficiencies, especially in the areas of discovery and contracts.
AriKaplan: What hurdles do law firms and legal organizations need to overcome to drive AI adoption?
John Marshall: The first hurdle is getting started. Many companies are already using AI without realizing it through tools like Microsoft Copilot or integrated AI features into more comprehensive legal technology solutions. The next two obstacles are fear and uncertainty related to security and governance. I recommend starting small with public information use cases such as document comparison or case law research. By starting with low-risk tasks, companies can see the benefits of AI without overwhelming security concerns.
AriKaplan: How much progress have law firms made in leveraging generative AI?
Dan Quinta’s: We are seeing impressive progress, especially among the early innovators in the legal field. While some companies are experimenting with AI to gain a competitive advantage, others are using tools like Copilot for specific use cases. However, most companies are still in the early majority phase and are looking for high-quality applications that they can roll out to their professionals with confidence. This group needs the most guidance in identifying the best use cases and developing a robust AI strategy.
AriKaplan: What mistakes do legal teams make when deploying generative AI?
John Marshall: I wouldn’t call them mistakes. Rather, they are learning opportunities. Companies should avoid burying their heads in the sand and instead take small, calculated steps to experiment and learn. The worst mistake is inaction. Like others, the legal industry will see rapid adoption as AI becomes a standard tool. As I often say: you will not lose your job to AI, but to a colleague who uses AI.
AriKaplan: How can people keep up with the rapid changes in generative AI?
Dan Quinta’s: It is overwhelming to follow all the developments in the field of AI. With new models and updates coming out regularly, companies need to understand how these changes affect them. The key is working together with the right tools and platforms focused on AI, combined with a clear leadership strategy. Our mission at Airia is to make AI accessible to everyone, so that companies can stay one step ahead of these developments.
AriKaplan: How do you see the future of AI evolving in the legal sector?
John Marshall: The legal sector is competitive and no company wants to be left behind. AI adoption will increase because of its competitive advantage – from faster processes to more accurate results. We will see the adoption of generative AI start with simple tasks, such as discovery or case law research, but eventually tasks will be combined into more complex workflows. Law firms will likely adopt a variety of domain-specific and regional AI models and tailor them to their needs, leading to an exciting evolution in the ecosystem.
Listen to the full interview on Reinventing Professionals.
Ari Kaplan regularly interviews leaders in the legal industry and in the broader professional services community to share perspective, highlight transformative change, and introduce new technology on his blog and on iTunes.
This column reflects the views of the author and not necessarily the views of the ABA Journal – or the American Bar Association.
