Move underscores rapid shift toward legal AI and signals new phase in legal technology competition
By Staff Reporter | Legal News Desk | VOICE OF THE LAW
A former top leader at Sidley Austin is stepping into an experimental law firm built around artificial intelligence, a move that reflects how quickly legal technology, legal AI, and new delivery models are reshaping the business of law.
Mike Schmidtberger, who previously served as executive committee chair at Sidley Austin, has joined Norm Law LLP as chairman and head of investment funds and regulatory practices. The firm markets itself as an “AI-native” law firm -a structure that integrates automation and software into the core of legal production rather than treating legal technology as a back-office tool.
The transition is among the most prominent examples in recent legal news of a senior Big Law figure aligning with a legal AI-focused startup model, signaling growing confidence among experienced attorneys that the next era of legal services will be shaped by software-driven workflows.
An AI-Native Law Firm Built on Legal Technology
Norm Law operates alongside an affiliated technology company that develops automated legal and compliance systems. These legal AI tools are designed to generate first-pass regulatory analyses, draft documents and structure compliance workflows, with lawyers supervising the process.
The firm’s founders argue that traditional law firms adopt legal technology incrementally, while AI-native practices embed legal AI into every stage of work -from client intake to document creation and regulatory reporting.
Rather than relying primarily on hourly billing, Norm Law emphasizes structured workflows and repeatable compliance services, a model its leaders say aligns with how clients increasingly want to buy legal services.
In recent legal news, investors and financial institutions have shown heightened interest in AI-enabled compliance systems, especially as regulatory burdens increase across banking, private equity and fintech.
A New Career Path in Legal AI
The firm’s approach reflects an emerging role sometimes called “legal engineering,” where lawyers help design automated workflows and oversee machine-generated work products. This hybrid role has become a growing topic in legal technology discussions, as law firms look for ways to integrate generative AI into routine work.
Industry analysts note that senior hires like Schmidtberger bring institutional credibility to experimental models that might otherwise struggle to win large corporate clients.
The shift also reflects a broader trend highlighted in recent legal news coverage: experienced partners leaving traditional firms to join legal AI ventures that promise new economic structures and faster innovation cycles.
Pressure Mounts on Traditional Firms
Norm Law’s strategy is to focus on standardized regulatory and documentation work, positioning itself as complementary rather than directly competitive with traditional litigation and advisory practices.
Still, the rise of AI-native firms adds competitive pressure on established players to accelerate their own legal technology investments. As legal AI tools improve, firms face growing client expectations for faster turnaround times and more predictable pricing.
Observers say the experiment could test whether AI-driven law firms can deliver consistent quality while maintaining ethical and professional standards -a question increasingly debated across the legal news landscape.
The Bigger Picture for Legal Technology
The launch of Norm Law and the recruitment of senior Big Law leadership underscore a broader industry shift: legal services are moving from a labor-intensive model toward software-assisted production.
Whether AI-native firms become a dominant force or remain a specialized niche remains unclear. But one thing is certain — the combination of legal technology, legal AI, and new law firm structures is rapidly changing how legal work is delivered, priced and staffed.
