Forbes Lawyers highlights ECIJA for leading the humanisation of artificial intelligence in the legal profession
ECIJA has established itself among the five largest Spanish firms, after surpassing 100 million euros in revenue in 2014 and reporting over 60% growth in the last five years. This growth has been possible due to a strong corporate culture and a strategy based on innovation, which acts as a true lever of transformation for its teams and clients.
The commitment to innovation allows the firm to anticipate challenges, rethink models, and provide legal solutions that not only solve complex legal problems but also add value to its clients. “Without innovation, the legal profession has no future,” says Hugo Écija, founder and executive president of the firm.
This vision has been crucial for ECIJA to position itself as a strategic partner for many companies in the IBEX 35, which have trusted the firm to tackle the legal challenges of the digital economy.
However, innovation is not a single factor. The greatest asset of ECIJA lies in the talent of its teams. It is now and will increasingly be in the future. Technology is not a change driver by itself. Technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), is an accelerator that only makes sense when combined with other components such as the human aspect.
Hugo Écija, founder and president of the firm, has held this firm belief since 1997, the year ECIJA was founded, and asserts that true transformation is led by the people that make up the firm. “At ECIJA, we believe that technology will never replace a human being. Our purpose is to lead the transformation of the legal profession, demonstrating that it is possible to grow with talent and technology as differential elements.”
Connecting diverse and multidisciplinary talents allows us to offer more robust and creative solutions
ECIJA is the Spanish firm with the greatest presence in Latin America, currently in 18 countries (Spain, Portugal, and LATAM), and with over 1,400 professionals worldwide. “Each member of the #EcijaTeam brings legal knowledge, proximity, and an increasingly pronounced international vision. This combination allows us to advise with the precision of the local and the strength of the global, something that clearly distinguishes us in the market.” In fact, they continue to expand, and this is their differential value. They view the opening of offices as a lever to reinforce proximity, excellence, and global response capability. Their priority remains Latin America and Iberia, where their position places them as benchmarks in digital law.
In tune with this innovative spirit, ECIJA is the first Full AI Firm in the European market, integrating AI not only into its internal processes but also in client relations, operations, and knowledge. “Our goal is not to buy AI, but to train our lawyers in the new critical judgment skills that AI demands. Under the Full AI Firm model, we seek for technology to enhance human talent.” In addition to applying it ethically, with governance and responsibility, to ensure that it is an ally for lawyers, clients, and the legal profession in general, they seek a commitment to their professionals. To fulfill this commitment, ECIJA Academy, the educational project of the firm, dedicates a high percentage of training in these skills. Together with Microsoft and Harvey, they have jointly developed Copilot 365 Agents and RAG systems, which translates to a 40% productivity increase and a 70% knowledge recovery. Their intention is to “lead the governance of AI in the legal sector.”
ECIJA has multidisciplinary and diverse teams. Thanks to the perspectives provided by lawyers, engineers, and consultants, real, global, and sustainable solutions are designed. “Connecting diverse and multidisciplinary talents allows us to offer more robust and creative solutions. At ECIJA, we believe that teamwork is the true engine of our transformation.”
Regarding diversity, this is for ECIJA a competitive advantage and a pillar of its culture. “Diversity is what allows us to anticipate, innovate, and connect with different realities in each country. The more diverse the teams, the greater the creativity, resilience, and the legal profession becomes more inclusive and closer to society.” Thanks to their commitment to the sum of talents over individual excellence, it has been possible to develop a collaborative project that addresses complex challenges and anticipates in a sector where reinvention is necessary.
The new talents joining ECIJA must be open to change, curious, passionate, ambitious, and bring new ways of understanding law. Leadership in the firm is human, collaborative, and digital. Currently, ECIJA is the Spanish firm with the highest percentage of female partners. More than 50% of management positions are held by women, and they strongly advocate for “cognitive diversity” as a true engine of transformation and a competitive advantage for the future of the legal profession.
Read the full news published in Forbes here.
