Analysis published this month by ResultSense suggests London now accounts for a larger share of senior AI hires at leading global law firms than any other city, a position that likely reflects the reach of English law across international commercial markets as much as it does capital or proximity to Silicon Valley.
That matters because of what is flowing into the city alongside the hiring data. Two of the largest legal AI companies in the world, Harvey, now valued at $11 billion, and Legora, at approximately $5.6 billion, are both expanding their London presence. Legora is opening a dedicated AI engineering hub in the city.
What is less visible in the coverage is what these companies are building their London teams with. A large share of the hires are former practising lawyers. Legora’s legal engineering team, led by Alex Fortescue-Webb, formerly Ashurst’s global head of legal managed services, is reported to be around 70 people, with around 90% coming from private practice. Harvey has also recruited extensively from private practice and in-house legal teams.
These are not support roles. They are hybrid positions, developing AI products, advising firms on adoption, and acting as the technical layer between law firms and the tools they are increasingly expected to use. And, particularly where equity forms part of the package, total compensation can exceed the traditional law-firm track.
NQ salaries at US firms in London are generally around £165,000 to £180,000 base. Magic Circle rates are typically £125,000 to £150,000. The lawyers making the move into AI companies typically have several years of practice behind them. But the AI fluency that makes them viable for those roles is something they started building much earlier.
AI Legal Recruitment works with early-career lawyers who take AI fluency seriously.
London’s new legal AI track
