Shoosmiths Launches AI Contract Review Tool With Microsoft

Shoosmiths has deployed Project Apollo, a self-developed AI contract review platform built with Microsoft, going live across the firm on June 24, 2026.

The launch marks a notable shift in how law firms are choosing to integrate AI. Rather than adopting off-the-shelf software, Shoosmiths invested over a year building a proprietary tool, a direction some other major firms have only recently begun to announce. The platform directly addresses a specific and persistent problem in legal practice: the gap between the expertise held by senior lawyers and the work being done by junior ones.

How It Works

Project Apollo reviews contracts against a playbook derived from Shoosmiths' own deal experience, marking up documents based on the firm's preferred language, client-specific risk profiles, and commercial positions. Every suggested amendment comes with a written explanation of the reasoning behind it, structured to mirror how a senior associate would justify a change to a partner.

The platform runs within Microsoft's Azure cloud environment and was developed in direct collaboration with Microsoft. A senior lawyer reviews and approves all output before it is acted upon.

The Upskilling Angle

One of the platform's stated goals is to function as a training tool for junior lawyers, not just a productivity one. The explanations embedded in every contract review expose junior lawyers to market context and deal rationale in real time, rather than leaving that knowledge to accumulate through years of observation.

David Jackson, chief executive of Shoosmiths, said: "With our platform, developing lawyers can learn more, faster. Our self-developed generative AI software enables the firm to deploy its collective dealmaking expertise at scale, allowing lawyers to not only see what amendments have been made, but most significantly, why."

Shoosmiths has advised on more mergers and acquisitions deals in the City of London than any other firm for four consecutive years, a record that forms the knowledge base embedded in the platform's playbooks.

Industry Context

Darren Hardman, CEO of Microsoft UK and Ireland, said: "Law firms hold enormous expertise and the challenge is always how to share it. Project Apollo is a strong example of AI doing what it does best: taking the knowledge of Shoosmiths' most experienced lawyers and making it available to everyone in the firm, at every stage of their career."

Hardman also noted the platform's transparency as a differentiating feature, pointing to its step-by-step reasoning as what makes it a learning tool, not merely a productivity one.

The legal sector has seen a growing number of firms move toward AI-assisted contract review, but most have relied on third-party vendors. Shoosmiths' decision to build internally, taken more than a year before this launch, places it among an early group of firms choosing proprietary development over licensed solutions.

What Comes Next

Project Apollo is one component of a broader technology strategy at Shoosmiths. The firm has also launched its AI Fluency Framework, a programme designed to measure and develop effective AI use across the business, with a focus on delivering outcomes for clients rather than adoption for its own sake.

About Shoosmiths

Shoosmiths is a UK law firm with a significant presence in the mergers and acquisitions market, ranking first for deal volume in the City of London for four consecutive years. The firm operates across multiple practice areas and has pursued an innovation-led growth strategy, investing in proprietary technology development alongside client service delivery.