Kilpatrick Launches Kilpatrick Labs, a Dedicated AI Research and Development Program

Program Operates More Than 15 AI Initiatives Spanning Patent & Trademark Prosecution,
Litigation Monitoring, and Client-Facing Legal Applications

ATLANTA (June 5, 2026) — Kilpatrick announced the launch of Kilpatrick Labs, a dedicated innovation program focused on developing, deploying, and operating AI-powered tools for the Firm's attorneys, professional staff, and clients. The program currently operates more than 15 initiatives across production, pilot, and early-stage development, spanning patent and trademark prosecution, litigation monitoring, billing automation, and client-facing legal applications.

"We didn't want to bolt AI onto the practice—we wanted to rebuild around it. Standing up Kilpatrick Labs as its own program, with engineering inside the Firm, was the only way to do that without losing control over our clients' data or our attorneys' judgment," said Charles Gray, Partner at Kilpatrick and leader of Kilpatrick Labs.

Built and operated on the Firm's on-premises infrastructure, Kilpatrick Labs is powered by an in-house Model Context Protocol (MCP) platform that connects 17 of the Firm's enterprise systems as standardized, AI-callable tools. This architecture keeps client and matter data inside the Firm’s secure environment while giving attorneys access to the best available technology, whether sourced externally or built internally. Several Labs tools are already in use on active client engagements, and the program operates an open intake channel for attorneys and staff to surface new automation candidates—an organizational design that reflects a growing trend of large law firms standing up software engineering functions alongside their traditional practice groups.

Kilpatrick has also begun building custom, client-facing AI applications as part of its engagements, including productized legal applications co-developed with clients that go beyond traditional document automation. This emerging service model reflects Kilpatrick's position as a leader at the intersection of legal counsel and technology.

"Our clients increasingly want software, not just memos. Tools like our clearance triage app are where the line between legal counsel and legal product starts to blur—and we'd rather be the firm building those products with our clients than the one explaining why we don't," said Mr. Gray.

The Firm's design principle is "human-in-the-loop at every gate," with AI performing extraction, scoring, drafting, and audit work while attorneys retain decision authority. This posture reflects Kilpatrick's commitment to responsible AI deployment that augments—rather than replaces—attorney judgment.

"The point isn't to take attorneys out of the loop. The point is to give every attorney a senior associate's worth of leverage on the parts of the work that benefit from it so they can spend their judgment where it actually matters," said Mr. Gray.

Kilpatrick's approach to AI combines leading industry platforms, including Harvey and Gemini, with proprietary tools developed in-house by the Firm's own engineering team. In mid-2023, well ahead of broader industry adoption, the Firm launched Kwery, a secure internal generative AI platform within its Microsoft Azure environment. Nearly three years of hands-on experience with this technology has given Kilpatrick's attorneys and professionals the expertise to move beyond simply using AI tools to build them. All usage of AI technology at the Firm abides by Kilpatrick's Generative Artificial Intelligence Ethical & Responsible Use Policy, which includes requirements for situations involving client consent and the responsibility to understand and utilize technology in the representation of clients.

About Kilpatrick

Kilpatrick is trusted counsel to the world’s most innovative companies. With recognized strength in the technology sector and a full range of service offerings, we deliver practical, business-centric solutions built upon strong and enduring connections. To serve our ground-breaking clients, we strive to be at the forefront of client service and on the cutting edge of law and technology.

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Media Contact:

John Page | Director, Communications

jpage@ktslaw.com