Six Partners Depart Herzog Fox Neeman to Launch AI-Native Law Firm

Six partners, including department heads Guy Neeman and Lilach Kinan, have left the Israeli law firm Herzog Fox Neeman to establish a new, AI-native law firm named 'Neeman Kinan & Co.' This new venture, which was an independent firm founded in 2011 before merging with Herzog Fox Neeman in 2023, aims to revolutionize the traditional law firm structure. Instead of the common pyramid model with few partners managing many junior lawyers, the new firm will operate with approximately 80% of its legal staff as partners or senior lawyers.

The firm's AI-native approach is designed to equip senior staff with advanced research, analysis, and information processing capabilities, reducing the need for extensive human resources. Alongside the law firm, a technology company called CIDAH will operate, developing AI infrastructure, intelligent agents, Big Data processing systems, and business intelligence tools. CIDAH will offer advanced technological products and services to corporate, legal, and financial sectors.

Professor Barak Orbach, an expert in law, business, and AI governance, will join as a senior advisor and Chief AI Officer. The firm will focus on corporate and commercial litigation, corporate governance, securities, white-collar defense, and specialized solutions for both Israeli and international clients.

This move reflects a global trend in the legal industry, exemplified by major firms like Kirkland & Ellis investing heavily in proprietary AI platforms. Neeman and Kinan stated that their firm was built from the ground up with AI as a core component, not merely an add-on, enabling unprecedented speed, depth, and scale in legal work, combined with the expertise and strategic judgment of senior partners.