P2P

P E E R T O P E E R M A G A Z I N E · F A L L 2 0 2 5 57 ALEXANDER LIMA is Vice President & Associate General Counsel at Wesco International, a Fortune 200 company, advising on global transactions, M&A, governance, legal operations, and compliance across over 50 countries. His work spans multibillion-dollar business segments and sectors including infrastructure, AI, and high-growth international markets. Alexander also serves as Board Advisor and Corporate Secretary at Judy Security, a cybersecurity AI firm, and is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Miami School of Law. A MIDSIZE FIRM FINDS ITS INFLECTION POINT A midsize Illinois firm faced mounting pressure as corporate clients required AI strategies and disclosures in RFPs. The firm had invested in a generative platform, but adoption languished. Skepticism dominated as legal professionals ignored or mistrusted the tool. Leadership launched a phased readiness program: 1. Function-Driven Pods: Multilevel practice teams addressed everyday matters, including non-disclosure agreements, depositions, and policy drafting. 2. Peer Coaching: Associates demonstrated workflows to skeptical partners in real-time. 3. Practical Templates: Prompts mirrored active matters. 4. Weekly Office Hours: A recurring forum allowed attorneys to share wins and troubleshoot obstacles. 5. Client-Focused Metrics: Pods reported improvements in turnaround time and cost savings tied directly to engagements. Results were immediate. Within six weeks, usage rose 140%. Litigation teams cut transcript review time nearly in half. An employment partner who had resisted became a vocal champion. Corporate teams reduced diligence review time by more than 40%. Adoption shifted from obligation to advantage. The firm now markets AI-enabled workflows as part of its client value proposition. FROM NOVELTY TO COMPETENCE Generative AI is no longer speculative; it is a baseline competency. Firms and legal departments will not differentiate themselves by licensing platforms. They will be measured by how deeply belief, training, and practice permeate their cultures. Leadership cannot delegate adoption to IT. They must model usage, sponsor experimentation, and reward initiative. The competitive edge is behavioral, not technical. AI augments judgment; it does not replace expertise. Clients are not waiting. Competitors are not pausing. The advantage is not the tool. It is the lawyer who wields it with precision, confidence, and conviction. That distinction separates organizations that are tolerated by clients from those that are trusted with their most critical matters.

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