Womble AI Labs embeds engineers with practice and client teams

On October 20, 2026, Womble Bond Dickinson launched Womble AI Labs, led by Chief AI and Technology Officer Chad Ergun and embedded in the firm’s IT function. The firm says forward-deployed engineers will work with lawyers and client teams on structured, repeatable tasks including regulatory monitoring, document generation, contract review and early case assessment; it also reported more than 200 participants in its AI Champions network. These are firm-provided descriptions rather than independently measured outcomes, but the model gives BD teams a defined path from client problem discovery to bespoke delivery. The commercial test will be whether the lab records reusable components, client feedback, matter economics and expansion opportunities rather than operating as a series of unpriced pilots.