Sam Nickless, Partner and Chief Executive Officer at Gilbert + Tobin, spoke about the firm’s approach to adopting artificial intelligence as part of the Executive Function series. Gilbert + Tobin is one of Australia’s leading corporate law firms, handling capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, disputes and technology work. The legal profession’s reliance on specialist knowledge, careful judgement and secure handling of confidential information shaped the firm’s AI rollout.
A phased, security-conscious rollout
The firm began by giving its people space to experiment with AI, then moved to deploy ChatGPT Enterprise, ChatGPT Work and Codex. Early guidance prohibited entering client or confidential data into public tools, creating a safe, constrained environment for experimentation.
The next stage provided a secure channel to more powerful AI. Introducing ChatGPT Enterprise in a controlled environment, and addressing Australian data residency, contractual protections, role-based access and administrative controls, allowed the firm to scale while meeting both its own and its clients’ requirements.
Governance and leadership by example
Gilbert + Tobin’s message was that governance should enable responsible use. AI is framed as another tool to support professional judgement: people must define tasks, check outputs and retain responsibility for the final product. Nickless emphasises that leaders should use the technology themselves—experiment, push boundaries and learn what works—because visible leadership sets the tone and encourages wider adoption.
Making AI relevant and practical
Instead of imposing usage targets, the firm made the technology relevant to different roles. The business transformation team demonstrated role-specific workflows; internal videos, showcases, challenges and an early AI bounty surfaced ideas from across the organisation. Nickless noted that creativity came from all parts of the firm, not only the technology group.
Concrete use cases and measured savings
Nickless described personal and firmwide examples. He created a "digital twin" through a custom GPT (moving toward Plugins) that incorporated his writing samples, feedback, firm context and working style. Initially a personal tool, it became more valuable when shared with direct reports, who could test ideas and get a sense of his feedback before meeting him. The digital twin does not make decisions or speak for him; it helps conversations start from a stronger place.
The firm also used ChatGPT Work in a confidential annual review process covering 120 partners. Nickless asked the system to update files from a spreadsheet, create PDFs and bundle the finished materials; the work completed in minutes. With appropriate admin controls and detailed usage data, he checked the dashboard afterwards: the AI usage cost for that annual review was roughly $62, a trade-off he considered worthwhile given the time saved and the alternative—several people working over multiple days.
Advice for other leaders and the broader opportunity
Nickless’s advice to other CEOs is to start by using the technology themselves: experiment with real work, understand limitations and show staff that learning matters. Pair visible leadership with clear governance and practical enablement—provide role-tailored examples, safe ways to test ideas, and keep people responsible for outcomes.
He argues the opportunity goes beyond doing the same tasks slightly faster. When used well, AI can raise the quality and volume of what an organisation produces and free professionals to focus on the complex, strategic work where their expertise and judgement create the most value.
Key takeaways
- Gilbert + Tobin introduced AI in phases: experimentation, controlled enterprise deployment and workflow integration.
- The firm prioritised data residency, contractual protections and role-based administrative controls.
- A concrete result: automating an annual review for 120 partners with ChatGPT Work, with an AI usage cost of about $62 for the task.
- The firm’s emphasis is on responsible use, leadership-led adoption and using AI to free people for higher-value, human-centred work.
Nickless’s account provides a practical example of how a legal services firm can scale AI adoption while managing confidentiality, governance and the need for human oversight.
