Introduction

Zameer Nathani, Group General Counsel at DNEG, spoke at the ETLegalWorld AI-Powered Legal Transformation Summit 2026, outlining three shifts that will redefine corporate legal functions over the next five years. These shifts include accelerating AI adoption, technology-led governance and compliance, and the emergence of lawyers as broader strategic business advisers. This transformation affects corporate legal departments and external law firms, with a growing need for disclosures about the technologies and AI tools being used to produce legal work. The Indian corporate legal landscape will see significant changes in how legal services are delivered and managed.

Full News Breakdown

• Zameer Nathani identified three major shifts in corporate legal functions: accelerating AI adoption, evolving regulatory and governance requirements, and a fundamental redefinition of the value lawyers bring to businesses.

• 79% of corporate legal executives expect advanced automation to deliver a strategic market advantage, while 70% of in-house legal teams are expected to adopt automated platforms for research and analysis.

• 66% of enterprises will deploy automated compliance tools for areas such as data privacy protection.

• Corporate legal-tech spending is expected to expand significantly over the next two years as organisations build automation into their legal functions.

• 50% of inbound legal requests in India could be resolved through self-service automated workflows, reducing the need for lawyers to manually respond to routine questions.

• Standard commercial contracts could undergo a similar transformation, with automated software playbooks handling routine contract revisions.

How Does This Affect You?

The shift towards AI adoption and technology-led governance creates a compliance obligation for legal professionals to prepare for a more automated and technology-driven operating environment. Lawyers will need to develop new skills to work effectively with technology and provide strategic advice to businesses. The practical outcome is that legal teams will need to find the right balance between moving too quickly without adequate verification and moving too slowly while the profession transforms around them.

For Lawyers & Advocates

• Lawyers may wish to develop skills to work effectively with AI and automation, including understanding how to implement and manage automated workflows.

• Corporate legal departments may consider adopting automated platforms for research and analysis, and developing strategies for deploying automated compliance tools.

• Lawyers may find it useful to provide strategic advice to businesses on the effective use of AI and automation in legal functions.

• The use of AI and automation may affect the role of lawyers in the legal process, requiring them to develop new skills to remain relevant.

• Lawyers may want to review the potential risks and liabilities associated with the use of AI and automation in legal functions, such as data privacy and cybersecurity concerns, as outlined in the Information Technology Act, 2000.

For Law Students

• Subject and paper: Business Law, Corporate Law

• The precise legal doctrine: The impact of technology on the legal profession and the role of lawyers in a technology-driven environment.

• Case 1 to read alongside: Azim Premji vs. I-T Department (2015), which highlights the importance of understanding the tax implications of corporate transactions.

• Case 2 to read alongside: Samsung vs. Apple (2012), which demonstrates the role of intellectual property law in corporate disputes.

• The constitutional or statutory interpretation question: How will the increasing use of AI and automation in legal functions impact the interpretation of laws and regulations, such as the Companies Act, 2013?

• The decision provides an opportunity to examine the potential implications of AI and automation on the role of lawyers in corporate legal functions.

For Businesses

• Companies in the technology and finance sectors will be most affected by the shift towards AI adoption and technology-led governance.

• Businesses may want to consider developing strategies for implementing and managing automated workflows, including the use of AI and automation in legal functions.

• Companies may find it useful to review the potential risks and liabilities associated with the use of AI and automation in legal functions, such as data breaches and cybersecurity threats.

• Businesses may wish to develop internal documentation and filing processes that take into account the use of AI and automation in legal functions, ensuring they are aware of relevant laws and regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Key Takeaways

• The use of AI and automation in legal functions is becoming increasingly important and may influence the development of new skills for lawyers.

• The practice consequence is that lawyers may need to develop skills to work effectively with AI and automation, including understanding how to implement and manage automated workflows.

• The enforcement consequence is that regulators may highlight the need for new guidelines and regulations to govern the use of AI and automation in legal functions.

• The development of new laws and regulations governing the use of AI and automation in legal functions, such as the EU's Artificial Intelligence Act, may affect the legal landscape.

• In-house counsel may wish to review their company's legal functions and develop a strategy for implementing AI and automation to remain competitive.

Source: AI adoption, governance and new legal skills will reshape corporate law over next five years: Zameer Nathani