Sarah Tyler

When our firm closed a $4.2 billion cross-border acquisition last year, the partner leading the deal told me something I'll never forget: the AI tools we deployed saved us from walking away from a deal that became one of the most successful integrations in our client's history. That moment crystallized a truth many of us in corporate law are still grappling with—the transformation of M&A practice isn't coming; it's already here, reshaping how we approach everything from initial target screening to post-close integration oversight. The evolution of AI in M&A has moved beyond theoretical promise into tangible value creation across the deal lifecycle. Having worked on dozens of transactions over the past eighteen months where AI played a central role, I've witnessed firsthand how these technologies fundamentally alter the economics, velocity, and quality of corporate transactions. The stories from these deals—both the successes and near-misses—offer valuable l...

Three years ago, our corporate law practice stood at a crossroads. Client expectations were evolving faster than our traditional service delivery models could accommodate. Firms like Latham & Watkins were experimenting with new approaches, and we knew that continuing with conventional client interaction methods would eventually cost us competitive ground. The pressure to reduce billable hours while maintaining service quality had never been more intense, and our junior associates were drowning in routine client communications that pulled them away from substantive legal work. That's when we made the decision to explore what would become a transformative journey into modern client service delivery. Our exploration began with understanding how AI Client Engagement could fundamentally reshape our practice. We weren't looking for incremental improvements—we needed a complete rethinking of how we communicated with clients, managed expectations, and delivered value beyond the tr...