The City lawyer behind Garfield AI: the UK’s first AI law firm

In this episode, we speak with Philip Young - a former City litigation partner, founder of boutique firm Cooke, Young & Keidan, and now co-founder of Garfield AI, the first AI-powered law firm to gain regulatory approval from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).

Young shares the origin story behind Garfield, which began as a personal frustration with how hard it was for small businesses to recover unpaid debts - even when the law was clearly on their side. After retiring from CYK and taking a road trip across America, he encountered the first wave of generative AI tools and quickly saw the opportunity to build something game-changing: an intelligent assistant capable of running an entire small claims case, from letter before action to trial bundle.

We go deep on how Garfield works, the SRA’s lengthy but supportive approval process, and what it means for the legal industry that a product like this now exists. Young also explains why concerns about overwhelming the small claims courts are misplaced, how he sees AI improving rather than replacing legal work, and why he remains cautious about VC money despite a flurry of inbound interest.

With candid insights on access to justice, the role of human oversight, and how legal services might be delivered in the next decade, this is a conversation about a whole new category of legal services as much as it is about a new AI tool.

Chapters

00:45 From Law to Entrepreneurship: Philip Young's Journey

11:57 The Birth of Garfield AI: Inspiration and Development

24:13 Access to Justice and AI's Role

28:21 SRA Approval Process and Regulatory Challenges

33:30 Garfield's Vision and Future Products

39:45 The Future of Law and AI's Impact on Junior Lawyers

43:30 Finding Garfield and the Story Behind the Name

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