A major Australian law firm is rethinking how it works with AI

Gilbert + Tobin, a major Australian law firm, is thinking hard about how AI could change the way it does business. OpenAI News published a conversation on November 12, 2026 with Sam Nickless, the firm's Partner and Chief Executive Officer, about what that could mean for the business of law.

What we know

Very little detail is public from the material available. Nickless holds two roles at once. He is a partner, which means he is an owner of the firm, and he is also its chief executive, which means he runs it day to day. The piece is a conversation, not a product launch or a rule change.

Why it matters

Many people pay lawyers by the hour. If AI helps lawyers finish tasks faster, the time on a bill could shrink. Firms may then need to rethink how they set prices. That is the question this conversation points toward, though the material does not say what Gilbert + Tobin plans to do.

What is not known yet

• Which AI tools the firm uses, or how widely
• Whether prices or billing methods will change
• Which kinds of legal work AI will touch first
• What the firm says about risks and client privacy

Anyone who hires a lawyer can ask a simple question now: how does the firm use AI, and does it change what I pay? The full conversation may offer more answers once it is read in detail.