United Airlines GC Sees AI Cutting Need for Outside Counsel
United Airlines’ Chief Legal Officer says AI will reduce reliance on outside counsel.
Why it matters: This signals a shift in how corporate legal departments operate and engage law firms, reflecting growing AI adoption to handle legal work internally and optimize costs.
- Robert Rivkin, United Airlines’ CLC, predicts AI use internally before outside counsel will become ubiquitous.
- 87% of general counsel used AI in 2026, nearly doubling from 44% in 2025.
- Over half (52%) of in-house counsel actively use generative AI, up from 23% in 2024.
- 70% of corporate legal departments plan tech investments in the next year, highlighting AI’s growing strategic role.
Robert Rivkin, Senior VP and Chief Legal Officer at United Airlines, stated that maximizing AI use internally before sending matters to outside counsel is likely to become a common practice across legal departments.
This trend is supported by data showing a significant rise in AI adoption within corporate legal teams. According to FTI Consulting, 87% of general counsel reported using AI tools within their teams in 2026, up from just 44% in 2025.
Generative AI, in particular, is becoming a staple: over half of in-house counsel (52%) now actively use it in their practice, more than doubling since 2024, as revealed by ACC’s survey.
Reflecting the confidence in AI’s impact, nearly 70% of corporate legal departments plan to invest in new technologies within the next 12 months, underscoring a strategic pivot to technology-enhanced legal operations.
However, there is a transparency gap. Almost 59% of in-house counsel say they don’t know whether their outside counsel use generative AI on their matters, Corporate Counsel Now reports. This gap may influence decisions around outside counsel engagement as legal teams push for more control via AI-enhanced internal workflows.
As AI becomes standard internally, legal departments appear poised to shift tasks traditionally assigned to outside counsel, elevating expectations for law firms to adapt or risk diminished roles.
By the numbers:
- 87% — General counsel using AI in 2026, up from 44% in 2025
- 52% — In-house counsel actively using generative AI, up from 23% in 2024
- 70% — Corporate legal departments planning tech investments within the next year
- 59% — In-house counsel unaware if outside counsel use generative AI
Yes, but: Despite rising internal AI use, many legal departments remain unclear about AI use by outside counsel, indicating ongoing uncertainty in law firm adaptation.
What's next: Expect continued growth in AI adoption within corporate legal teams and increasing pressure on law firms to be transparent and integrate AI in their services.