Clifford Chance adopts Microsoft 365 Copilot for smarter ways of working

Transforming work with Copilot

To achieve this, Clifford Chance expanded its use of AI technologies with the adoption of Microsoft 365 Copilot and Microsoft Viva, rolling them out across the firm globally. From business professionals and junior associates to partners, employees are finding that Copilot has streamlined tasks, automated routine processes, and improved collaboration. “We’re already getting a lot of value from Copilot, but we’re just scratching the surface of what it can do,” said Paul Greenwood, Chief Technology Officer at Clifford Chance. “It’s not just about productivity but also about generating greater business value for our clients.”

Clifford Chance uses Microsoft Teams and Viva Engage to tailor communication and support managers through business changes. As Greenwood puts it, “We’re focused on enhancing the employee experience with tailored messaging and equipping managers to support their teams through business changes.”

The firm deployed Viva to enhance productivity and wellbeing. Features like reducing distractions in meetings and aiding focus have proven particularly beneficial for employees with accessibility needs. Together, Copilot and Viva Suite help employees experience AI’s impact in meaningful ways.

Using Copilot, “My go-to prompt is actually to summarize emails in a table format from time sent, sender, actions for me or my team,” explains Jenni Polson, Senior Associate at Clifford Chance. “With that time saved, I can be more creative and effective in client interactions.” Anthony Vigneron, Director of Legal Technology Solutions at Clifford Chance, takes it a step further, emphasizing that AI isn’t just about speeding up current tasks. “We have to reimagine how we’re going to be working—focusing on the outcomes.”

Balancing innovative technology with risk management has been a key focus for Clifford Chance, particularly when precision, rigor, and maintaining the highest ethical and responsible standards is at the heart of everything it does. Bahare Heywood, Chief Risk and Compliance Officer at Clifford Chance, explains, “Before deploying tools, we worked very closely with our Legal, Tech, and Risk teams to develop AI principles and policies, giving ourselves the space to try new things within our firm’s risk appetite.” This collaborative approach allowed the firm to adopt tools like Copilot while ensuring ethical and responsible use.

Clifford Chance is also exploring Microsoft Copilot Studio to create, manage, and connect agents to Copilot. Some of these agents could, under the supervision of subject matter experts (and in line with our AI principle and policies), autonomously perform tasks or make decisions based on triggers like data and user inputs tailored to specific needs. “The concept of having an agent focused on compliance is incredibly powerful. It could allow me and my team to be more available to deal with much more complex issues,” Heywood adds.

Copilot strengthens collaboration and knowledge sharing, helping lawyers tap into the firm’s collective expertise more effectively. “It’s like having an extra team member who never sleeps,” Greenwood adds. “Copilot helps our lawyers to focus more time on delivering deeper, value-added insights and the strategic input that really matters to clients.”

Optimizing service delivery with Copilot

Since adopting Copilot, Clifford Chance has seen gains in productivity when undertaking routine tasks. “For example, with Copilot, teams can track new legislation more effectively than ever,” says Greenwood. This should further improve client satisfaction and business value while also easing administrative loads.

While the benefits of Copilot and Viva are already clear, Clifford Chance is progressing on its AI journey. “This is not just about embracing change,” Greenwood says. “It’s about strategically positioning Clifford Chance for the future while maintaining our core mission of delivering superior legal service.”

The firm is exploring how to involve additional agents in more complex workflows to automate entire processes. Greenwood concludes, “The next step is to examine how we move beyond task automation and use agents to deliver outcomes. This would allow our teams to focus even more on what they do best—providing exceptional legal advice.”