The certification establishes a formal framework for the responsible development, deployment, and oversight of artificial intelligence systems. Following a comprehensive independent audit, the certification confirms that K&L Gates’ AI program operates with robust controls around accountability, risk management, ethics, transparency, data protection, and regulatory compliance.
This milestone validates that governance principles are embedded across K&L Gates’ AI lifecycle—from evaluation and implementation to ongoing monitoring and improvement. As regulatory scrutiny and client expectations surrounding AI continue to evolve globally, the certification reinforces K&L Gates’ leadership in responsible AI adoption within the legal industry.
“This certification reflects our commitment to combining innovation with accountability,” said Stacy Ackermann, Global Managing Partner of K&L Gates. “Clients are embracing AI to transform their businesses, and they expect their law firms to responsibly do the same. Achieving ISO/IEC 42001:2023 certification demonstrates that we have built a governance framework that prioritizes risk management, transparency, and trust while enabling us to deliver valuable insight and legal services to our clients.”
Harpreet Suri, Chief Technology Officer of K&L Gates, added: “As organizations across industries implement or evaluate AI technologies, they increasingly expect the same discipline and transparency from their legal advisers. Achieving ISO/IEC 42001:2023 certification is a direct result of the dedication and rigor of our technology, security and information governance teams, whose work ensures that AI is deployed responsibly, securely, and in alignment with our professional obligations. This certification enables K&L Gates to provide enhanced confidence in how AI is thoughtfully and responsibly integrated into our client service delivery.”
In 2023, K&L Gates established a cross-disciplinary AI Solutions Group to guide its firmwide AI strategy, advising clients on developing, deploying, and investing in AI technologies. The firm also implemented a comprehensive Generative AI Policy and AI Forward℠ framework that mandates approved platforms, transparency with clients, verification of AI outputs, and mandatory training, all guided by principles of responsible innovation and human-centric excellence.
As an early adopter of generative AI, K&L Gates employs centralized governance to oversee AI deployment across its global platform, ensuring alignment with confidentiality obligations, data-governance requirements, and professional standards. AI enhances legal research, drafting, contract review, due diligence, and discovery through vetted AI platforms including Legora, Vincent, Westlaw Precision AI, Relativity Analytics, CoCounsel, and Microsoft 365 Copilot.
Firmwide adoption is supported by role-specific training with AltaClaro, as its first law firm partner, and Hotshot Legal, emphasizing AI literacy, prompt engineering, and partner supervisory oversight. The firm’s leadership extends beyond internal operations through the K&L Gates Endowment for Ethics and Computational Technologies at Carnegie Mellon University in 2016 and a founding sponsor for the AI Access to Justice Summit. In 2025, K&L Gates was named an “Innovation Icon” by BTI Consulting Group for integrating AI into its global client-service strategy.
