How law firm Gilbert + Tobin governs and scales AI with OpenAI
2026-09-02 · OpenAI
Background
Gilbert + Tobin is a law firm exploring how artificial intelligence can be applied safely and at scale within professional services. OpenAI has featured the firm's approach as a case study: how ChatGPT Enterprise and Codex can be rolled out across an entire law firm, moving beyond isolated pilots to firm-wide adoption.
Three Pillars for Scaling AI
According to the source, Gilbert + Tobin's experience rests on three core elements:
1. CEO-Led Commitment
The firm's AI adoption is not a bottom-up, fragmented experiment. It is backed by direct commitment from the CEO, which means:
- AI adoption is elevated to a strategic priority rather than remaining a side project of a technology team;
- Top-down sponsorship provides the momentum needed for firm-wide deployment.
2. Rigorous Governance
Alongside scaled deployment, Gilbert + Tobin has established rigorous governance over how AI tools are used. For an organization like a law firm — where professionalism, accuracy, and compliance requirements are demanding — a strong governance framework is a prerequisite for expanding AI usage across the business.
3. Human Accountability
Even with AI in wide use, the firm maintains human accountability: work produced with AI assistance ultimately remains the responsibility of people. This principle ensures that AI use in legal work stays under the supervision and ownership of qualified professionals.
Tools Deployed
The OpenAI enterprise tools being scaled across the firm include:
- ChatGPT Enterprise: OpenAI's enterprise-grade version of ChatGPT;
- Codex: OpenAI's AI tool for coding-related work.
Conclusion
Gilbert + Tobin's case shows that in highly specialized organizations such as law firms, scaling AI is not purely a technical challenge. CEO-level commitment supplies direction and drive, rigorous governance sets boundaries and rules, and human accountability preserves professional responsibility. Combined, these three elements form the foundation that has allowed the firm to roll out ChatGPT Enterprise and Codex across the entire organization.