Shoosmiths unveils its self-developed generative AI platform, built with support from Microsoft and trained on the firm’s legal know-how to bring market-leading insight to every contract review - all while accelerating the development of the next generation of lawyers.
Published: 24 June 2026
Law firm Shoosmiths today unveiled Project Apollo, its self-developed generative AI contract review tool, which is now being deployed across the firm following an extensive year-long build and pilot programme with support from Microsoft. Uniquely designed to explain its reasoning and surface Shoosmiths’ know-how and guidance notes, the AI tool enhances transparency and gives junior lawyers the opportunity to accelerate their learning with every contract.
What makes the Project Apollo platform different:
- built in collaboration with Microsoft: Project Apollo was developed by Shoosmiths with input and support from Microsoft, and it runs in Microsoft’s secure Azure environment.
- upskilling by design: Curated explanations and guidance create a real-time learning environment, enabling junior lawyers to understand the market context and rationale behind edits, accelerating their development.
- playbook-driven intelligence: Contracts are marked up against a playbook and gold-standard drafting derived from Shoosmiths’ market-leading dealmakers, rather than opaque ‘black-box’ models.
- transparent and auditable reasoning: Designed to mirror the way a senior associate would justify changes to a partner, every step of the contract review process is accompanied by a clear explanation of its reasoning grounded in the underlying know-how, providing full visibility into how recommendations are reached, supporting confident review and oversight.
David Jackson, chief executive of Shoosmiths, said: “With our platform, developing lawyers can learn more, faster. Our self-developed generative AI software enables the firm to deploy its collective dealmaking expertise at scale, allowing lawyers to not only see what amendments have been made, but most significantly, why.”
With the cumulative experience of Shoosmiths’ lawyers embedded directly into its architecture, including its market-leading M&A know-how*, Shoosmiths’ AI platform allows lawyers to review contracts more quickly, apply market standards more consistently and make market-informed recommendations at scale. Through the playbooks generated in line with client expectations, the platform ensures each mark-up also reflects the preferred language, risk profile and commercial position of each client. A senior lawyer reviews and signs off all output from the AI tool.
“We have advised on more M&A deals in the City than any firm for four years running. This puts that experience in the hands of every lawyer in the firm, from day one”, added Jackson. “Our best-in-class tool will not only cut time in the contract review process for all our lawyers, but it will also enhance the quality and consistency of advice, accelerate deal delivery and fast-track the development of the next generation of lawyers.”
Darren Hardman, CEO, Microsoft UK & Ireland, said: "Law firms hold enormous expertise and the challenge is always how to share it. Project Apollo is a strong example of AI doing what it does best: taking the knowledge of Shoosmiths' most experienced lawyers and making it available to everyone in the firm, at every stage of their career. The fact that it explains its reasoning at every step makes it a genuine learning tool, not just a productivity one. That's what good AI adoption looks like, and we're proud to have supported them in building it."
Shoosmiths’ decision, taken over a year ago, to invest in building its own AI technology was an early example of the shift away from off-the-shelf solutions announced by some other firms recently, and underpins Shoosmiths’ innovation-led growth strategy. Shoosmiths’ AI contract review tool is one of a range of solutions developed by Shoosmiths and strengthens its position at the forefront of legal technology adoption. Building on this commitment to innovation, the firm has recently launched its AI Fluency Framework, a strategic initiative designed to encourage and assess the effective application of AI in delivering meaningful business and client outcomes.