Australian Law Firm Gilbert + Tobin Maximizes Efficiency and Strengthens AI Governance with OpenAI Adoption

Major Australian corporate law firm Gilbert + Tobin has significantly improved operational efficiency by adopting OpenAI's ChatGPT Enterprise and Codex. The firm focused on raising the standards of the operational processes supporting legal advice while maintaining the quality of that advice.

Leadership-Driven Adoption and High Adoption Rate

CEO Sam Nickless defined AI as a tool to aid judgment rather than 'misconduct', encouraging voluntary use among staff. By providing customized training and workflows for various roles beyond the technology department, including marketing, finance, and recruitment, 87% of active users were using ChatGPT as of June 2026, which is more than double the adoption rate of other tools.

Metrics for Improved Work Efficiency

The adoption of AI resulted in specific time-saving effects.

• Recruitment research and data extraction: Reduced from approximately 4 hours to 20 minutes
• Conflict of interest, KYC, and AML checks: Reduced from 3–8 hours to 5 minutes
• Audit report preparation: Saved 1 day of manual work for 300 corporate entities

Data Sovereignty and Governance

To protect confidential information, the firm chose an OpenAI environment with Australian data residency. By establishing a trustworthy AI operational foundation through clear usage guidelines, role-based access controls, and contractual safeguards, the firm met both internal regulations and client expectations.