IBA Annual Conference Copenhagen 2026

4 Oct - 9 Oct 2026

Session information

What are clients really paying for? From hours to outcomes, AI and (the end of) traditional billing

Committee(s)

Alternative and New Law Business Structures Committee (Lead)

Description

As AI tools draft contracts, predict case outcomes and analyse vast datasets in seconds, clients are confronting a fundamental question: what are they actually paying for? This session examines how technology is transforming the essence of legal practice – shifting from time-based billing to value-driven partnerships, from individual expertise to human–AI collaboration, and from traditional service delivery to platform-based models. We’ll explore how forward-thinking firms are reimagining their business models, how clients are demanding unprecedented transparency and measurable outcomes, and how a new generation of lawyers is combining technological fluency with strategic insight. This is the new age of law: faster, smarter and fundamentally different from what came before.