Legal AI Procurement Has Shifted Upward — Decision Cycles Now 40–60% Longer at Mid-to-Large Firms

The Legal Stack published its Legal AI Procurement Decision-Maker Shift Report 2026 on August 10, documenting that procurement authority for AI tools has migrated upward significantly over 18 months. At mid-to-large firms, decision cycles have extended 40–60%, with buy authorization now reaching CTO, CIO, or managing partner level where it previously sat with practice group chairs or forward-leaning associates. At small firms, the attorney-owner or managing partner is the sole decision-maker in approximately 78% of AI purchases, and their decision timelines extended from roughly 11 days in early 2024 to roughly 19 days by late 2025. For legal AI vendors, the old pitch-the-enthusiast-partner playbook has closed: the sales motion now requires CFO-grade ROI documentation, security attestations, and executive-level access that most vendor GTM teams were not built to support.