Linklaters has announced that it has recruited a team of 20 AI Lawyers to deploy across its global network. This first cohort of dedicated AI Lawyers will give Linklaters’ practices direct access to specialist AI legal expertise, supporting the delivery of innovative solutions for clients. The team comprises external hires from a range of backgrounds and experienced Linklaters lawyers who have chosen to supplement their legal expertise with additional knowledge of AI delivery. The AI Lawyers will attend a bespoke “bootcamp” training covering everything from Linklaters’ strategic thinking on AI to the power user features of the firm’s tools, change management, and effective prompt and workflow creation. Following the in-depth training, they will work in practice groups and offices globally, leveraging their combined expertise to support Linklaters’ client-facing lawyers in the development of prompts and workflows, and advise on the use of AI to deliver for clients. This follows Linklaters’ firmwide roll-out of Legora’s generative AI platform as the firm continues to equip its lawyers with the best AI-enabled tools and further strengthen its capabilities to enhance the support it provides clients on their most complex, cross-border mandates. Sarah Barnard, Director of AI Delivery at Linklaters, said: “We are excited to launch our first cohort of dedicated AI Lawyers to drive our ambitious programme of work globally. By combining recently practising Linklaters lawyers and highly skilled tech experts in a single collaborative team, we will gain the versatility and depth of knowledge to deliver even more innovative solutions for our clients and our people.”

The German government has agreed to introduce an industrial electricity price starting in 2026. The target price is to be 5 cents per kilowatt-hour for half of the electricity consumption and will be limited to the years 2026 to 2028. It is positive to note that the federal government is addressing the problem of Germany's high electricity prices compared to international standards. However, we are skeptical whether the planned subsidized electricity price will actually lead to a structurally better competitive position for the favored industries in Germany.