Shoosmiths has unveiled Project Apollo, a self-developed generative AI contract review tool built with support from Microsoft, as UK law firms move from informal AI pilots toward firmwide systems that can be supervised, audited and linked to legal training.
Launched on 24 June 2026, Project Apollo is being deployed across Shoosmiths after a year-long build and pilot programme with Microsoft. The platform runs in Microsoft Azure and is designed to review contracts against playbooks and gold-standard drafting drawn from the firm’s dealmakers.
Its central point is not only speed. Shoosmiths says the tool explains the reasoning behind proposed amendments, surfacing internal know-how and guidance notes so junior lawyers can see why a change has been recommended.
That structure gives the launch wider professional weight. David Jackson, chief executive of Shoosmiths, has presented Project Apollo as a way to scale the firm’s collective dealmaking expertise while helping developing lawyers learn faster.
Darren Hardman, chief executive of Microsoft UK & Ireland, has linked the tool’s value to its ability to make experienced lawyers’ knowledge available inside the firm. The emphasis on explanation matters because contract review is rarely a mechanical task; commercial context, risk appetite, drafting convention and client instruction all affect the answer.
Shoosmiths’ launch sets a new benchmark for legal AI adoption across solicitors’ firms, chambers, in-house legal teams and law firm management. The question is no longer whether firms permit generative AI, but whether they can prove that systems are trained on appropriate material, kept within secure environments, reviewed by qualified lawyers and aligned with professional obligations.
Barristers may also see these systems become relevant where AI-assisted drafting, negotiation history or contract interpretation later feeds into advisory work or disputes.
The regulatory context is also tightening. The Solicitors Regulation Authority has told firms that technology use remains subject to its principles and standards, with leadership oversight, risk assessment, policies, training and monitoring all expected when new systems are introduced.
The Law Society of England and Wales has also warned that generative AI creates technology and data risks, while cases such as Ayinde v London Borough of Hackney and Hamad Al-Haroun v Qatar National Bank have sharpened concern over inaccurate AI-generated legal material.
Project Apollo also sits beside a broader legal technology race involving Harvey, CoCounsel, Luminance, Legora and other contract review or knowledge tools. For in-house counsel, the appeal will be faster turnaround and more consistent drafting.
The harder test for law firms will be proving that AI improves supervision rather than weakening it. Shoosmiths’ launch suggests the next competitive phase will be won by firms that can combine secure systems, verified know-how and disciplined human review.