With more than 200 years of history, Brethertons is a leading regional law firm operating across Warwickshire, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. Known for its deep legal expertise and client-focused approach, the firm continually invests in its people, processes and technology to deliver consistent, high-quality outcomes.
When artificial intelligence began to accelerate across the legal profession, Brethertons saw clear potential, but also clear risk. In a billable-hour environment built on accuracy and client trust, any AI solution would need to enhance legal work without compromising professional standards.
Balancing opportunity with risk
For Brethertons, the question was never whether AI would have a role in legal practice, but how it could be adopted safely, responsibly and at the right time.
This perspective was shaped by Craig Webb, Head of Legal Operations, who oversees operational strategy, technology and implementation across the firm. Working closely with partners, lawyers and support teams, Craig had a clear view of both the opportunity AI presented and the safeguards required to use it effectively.
As he explains, the firm wanted to “jump on the train that was leaving the station at the right time for us and doing that in the right way.”
Trust, security and jurisdiction as non-negotiables
From the outset, Brethertons focused on solutions that lawyers could genuinely trust. Security, data protection and reliability were central to the evaluation process. “We wanted a trusted legal library in a closed off model, that was going to give us the confidence that whatever it was outputting was going to be reliable,” Craig explained.
Only licensed AI models were considered, ensuring that client data and intellectual property remained protected. Jurisdictional relevance was equally critical. “Receiving responses limited only to England and Wales was really important to us,” Craig says. “We didn’t want to hear about the case law that was happening overseas because it had no jurisdictional relevance.”
Lexis+ AI stood apart by meeting these requirements. Built on the LexisNexis Legal Research and Practical Guidance content, and delivered within a closed and secure environment, it was designed specifically for legal professionals. For Brethertons’ lawyers, seeing responses grounded in recognised case law and statutes provided immediate reassurance.
“When lawyers see that outputs are grounded in case law that they recognise, that’s what really gave it credibility,” Craig noted.
A controlled and responsible rollout
Given the perceived risks around AI, Brethertons adopted a phased implementation approach. Rather than rolling the technology out firm-wide, the firm began with a small group of partners.
“We wanted to drip feed the AI to our users and have a clear policy that helped them understand how it could and could not be used,” Craig explains.
Once partners were confident in the quality of outputs and the governance around use, access was expanded to wider teams under partner supervision, supported by LexisNexis throughout the process. This structured rollout helped manage risk while building confidence across the firm.
Immediate impact on efficiency and productivity
The results were quickly evident. “Immediately we saw the use of the LexisNexis platform increase fourfold within one month and fivefold within two months”, Craig says.
For lawyers, the time savings were significant. In one example, a task that would previously have taken two days of research was completed in under an hour. As Craig notes, “Lawyers are busy. There’s no space in the day for stuff that doesn’t work.”
Ease of use played a key role in adoption. “One simple bar, four simple options, and people just get on with it.” With a simple interface and minimal training required, lawyers were able to integrate Lexis+ AI into their workflows almost immediately
The conversational interface also changed how lawyers approached research. As Craig explains, “you can ask ten levelled questions” and refine your thinking as you go, helping users reach the right answer even if they did not start with the perfect question.
Supporting judgement, not replacing it
Crucially, Lexis+ AI has been positioned as a support tool rather than a replacement for legal expertise.
“We badge it internally as an experienced paralegal you can just ask questions of,” Craig explains.
That framing has helped shape adoption. Lawyers remain fully responsible for their advice, but Lexis+ AI helps them validate their thinking, explore issues faster and move forward with greater confidence.
Feedback from across the firm has been consistently positive. “People are wowed and astounded by the quality of the responses,” Craig notes, adding that the ability to see sources and citations has been particularly reassuring.
Over time, the tool has become embedded in daily practice. As Craig says,
A partnership delivering long-term value
Asked what would happen if Lexis+ AI were removed tomorrow, Craig is unequivocal. “Our lawyers would be extremely disappointed. It’s not something we could consider taking away now.”
Reflecting on the decision to partner with LexisNexis, he adds: “We absolutely have no regrets about implementing it. We consider that we’ve made a really good strategic decision to partner with LexisNexis.”
For Brethertons, Lexis+ AI has delivered meaningful efficiency gains while reinforcing the firm’s commitment to quality, trust and client service.
“LexisNexis should be genuinely proud of what they’ve delivered to the legal market,” Craig concludes.
Key takeaways
- Trusted AI matters: A closed, licensed AI model built on a trusted legal library was essential to gaining lawyer confidence.
- Control reduces risk: A phased rollout, clear governance and a robust AI policy enabled safe and effective adoption.
- Efficiency without compromise: Lexis+ AI significantly reduced research time while maintaining legal accuracy and quality.
- Judgement remains central: Positioned as an ‘experienced paralegal’, Lexis+ AI supports judgement rather than replacing it.
- Embedded value: Rapid uptake and sustained usage show that Lexis+ AI has become an essential part of everyday legal work at Brethertons.
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