Gilbert + Tobin deploys ChatGPT Enterprise across legal ops

Gilbert + Tobin, one of Australia's premier corporate law firms, has integrated ChatGPT Enterprise and Codex across its operations under the steady hand of chief executive Sam Nickless. From the outset the firm framed the rollout not as a replacement for legal judgment but as a means to elevate the operational work that underpins its advice. CEO-led commitment, rigorous governance structures, and a focus on human accountability have been the pillars of the deployment. The firm avoided mandatory usage quotas, instead showcasing concrete use-cases and keeping staff answerable for outcomes. As of June 2026, 87 percent of enabled seats were active, a rate more than double the firm's typical adoption for other software tools.

The firm's first wave of adoption targeted operations teams, where practical experiments could be vetted in a controlled setting. Once confidence grew, ChatGPT Enterprise spread to marketing, business development, recruitment, finance, technology and parts of the legal practice. Each function received role-specific enablement: the business transformation team held tailored meetings, produced internal videos and ran use-case challenges. A custom GPT, trained on Nickless's writing, priorities and business context, acts as a 'digital twin' that helps executives pressure-test ideas before involving the CEO. Meanwhile, Codex has been employed to finish defined, multi-step operational tasks under human review.

Concrete results illustrate the time savings. A recruitment research and data-extraction job that previously took about four hours now finishes in roughly 20 minutes. A reference-processing workflow for each candidate saves an estimated 25 minutes, supporting a team that handles high hiring volumes. In the audit arena, Codex prepared reports covering 300 entities, eliminating a full day of manual work across the entire workflow. The tool also renamed 1,100 files for system upload, a task that would formerly have required days. For compliance-related checks - conflict, KYC, AML and know-your-customer - selected processes that once needed up to eight hours can now be completed in minutes.

Governance and data-security were woven into every layer of the rollout. Clear guidance defined which tasks were approved, what information employees could input, and how outputs should be reviewed. The firm examined contractual protections, role-based access, data-processing requirements and administrative controls before moving to an OpenAI environment with Australian data residency. This localisation gave the firm greater confidence to broaden access while meeting internal policies and client expectations. Human oversight remains mandatory: every AI-generated result must be constrained by the task, checked for accuracy, and signed off by a qualified professional before it is used.

When compared with other firms' AI experiments, Gilbert + Tobin's approach stands out for its structured enablement and measurable adoption. Many organisations pilot generative AI in isolated teams, but the law firm's firm-wide programme, backed by senior-leader participation and role-specific training, achieved an active-user rate that outpaces typical software uptake. The combination of a digital-twin GPT for strategic questioning and Codex for operational automation provides a template that balances innovation with the professional judgment expected in legal services. Competitors have yet to publish comparable metrics that combine such high adoption with such rigorous governance.

Potential limits and risks remain. Output quality from ChatGPT and Codex still depends on careful prompt design and human verification; errors could affect client matters if not caught. The firm's reliance on OpenAI's platform introduces cost considerations, especially as usage scales beyond the current enabled seats. Moreover, the legal sector's regulatory environment is still catching up with AI-assisted workflows, and ongoing compliance reviews are needed to ensure that data-privacy obligations are met across jurisdictions. The firm acknowledges these open questions and is monitoring them as it expands access.

Looking ahead, Gilbert + Tobin plans to extend access to ChatGPT Work and Codex as the necessary controls mature. The longer-term vision is an interconnected working environment where employees can draw on approved organisational context, run operational tasks and deliver finished outputs without jumping between disparate systems. Stakeholders should watch for policy updates from regulators, the firm's next round of governance refinements, and any broader market shifts that influence how professional services adopt generative AI at scale.