ACC/Everlaw Survey: 59% of GCs See No Noticeable Savings from Outside Counsel AI Use; 42% Want Equal Sharing of AI Cost Savings

LinkedIn commentary (July 31, citing ACC/Everlaw joint survey) found 59% of in-house counsel report seeing no noticeable savings from their outside counsel's use of AI. Of the minority who saw any benefit, only 13% pointed to fewer billed hours. 42% of GCs say AI cost savings should be split equally between firm and client. The framing captures the pricing tension precisely: firms are investing in AI and capturing the efficiency gain internally; clients are increasingly aware of this and beginning to formalise their position on who benefits. For law firm BD and pricing leads: the 42% "equal sharing" expectation is the beginning of a formal pricing negotiation about AI productivity gains, not a client-side aspiration. The firms that proactively disclose AI use and develop a transparent position on AI cost-sharing — even if the position is "we pass through the savings via fixed fee arrangements" — will manage that negotiation from a position of credibility. Firms that stay silent face the same conversation from a less favourable position when the client initiates it.