AI-first: What it actually means and how we work at Hansen

What AI-first looks like at Hansen

Hansen is an AI-first law firm, meaning AI is integrated into how we work from day one, not bolted on as an afterthought. That matters because it removes much of the administrative drag that has traditionally sat around legal work and allows us to spend more of our time where clients actually need us: in senior analysis, judgement and advice.

AI-first means using AI to pressure-test your own thinking, to structure a problem before you’ve fully formed your view, to explore angles you might otherwise skip, and to sharpen your analysis as you go. The lawyer is still driving. The AI is a thinking partner, not a shortcut.

In practice, we use AI throughout our work, drafting, research, stress-testing arguments, scanning documents, but always with senior judgment in the loop. We don’t use AI to replace the thinking. We use it to do more of it.

Two tools sit at the core of how we work. Vesence lets us work directly with large volumes of documents: checking contracts for inconsistencies, drafting and redlining, and extracting the specific clauses or information a matter requires. Legora is built for legal reasoning and helps us conduct legal research, navigate complex regulatory frameworks, and structure legal analysis without losing the nuance that matters.

These aren’t general-purpose chatbots. They’re purpose-built for legal work, and using them well requires exactly the kind of judgment we are trained to apply.

Why this matters for our clients

Our clients don’t just need answers. They need judgment. As AI takes on more of the routine work, what’s left is exactly what matters most: senior expertise, clear advice, and a lawyer who understands your business. At Hansen, we call this engaged legal counselling, and AI is how we spearhead it.

The legal advice is still best in class. AI is how we make sure it stays that way. That’s what it means to work with Hansen.