In a first, AI law firm helps HR consultant win trial in England court

The world’s first artificial intelligence-powered law firm has won a trial against human lawyers before an English court in a £7,000 unpaid fees dispute.

The ruling was given Wandsworth County Court in London in favour of freelance HR consultant Tamires Camal Taquidir, who had sued a hospitality business for unpaid fees.

Taquidir pursued the claim with the help of Garfield AI, which is said to be the first pure AI law firm authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority in the United Kingdom.

Garfield's founder Philips Young took to LinkedIn to confirm the same.

"Garfield AI has won its first trial, and against a firm of human solicitors who instructed Counsel. It wasn't a simple small claim trial either - not a one hour hearing followed by an ex tempore judgment but rather a three hour trial with numerous witnesses, extensive cross-examination and then a reserved judgment. Garfield's user not only won her claim but defeated the defendant's counterclaim.

This is the first trial ever won by an AI lawyer against human opposition, anywhere, ever. It's the dawn of a new age of access to justice."

The AI platform handled much of the pre-trial work in the case. This included drafting pre-action correspondence, filing court proceedings, managing disclosure, preparing four witness statements and compiling the trial bundles.

The defendant, meanwhile, engaged a traditional law firm and also filed a counterclaim against Taquidir.

Garfield AI also prepared the responsive filings. According to the firm, Taquidir spent around £400 in AI fees to take the case to trial.

At the three-hour hearing, the defendant was represented by solicitors and a barrister.

However, the AI platform did not conduct the hearing by itself. Shortly before trial, Garfield AI instructed Dominic Li, a junior barrister from One Essex Court, to appear in court, make oral submissions and handle cross-examination.

The court eventually ruled in favour of Taquidir, awarded her the full £7,000 and dismissed the defendant’s counterclaim.

According to Garfield AI, it has processed over 600 claims and helped recover nearly £500,000 for clients so far. Most of these disputes were settled before trial.

The Wandsworth County Court ruling marks the first time the platform’s automated litigation framework was tested in a contested trial against a defendant represented by traditional lawyers.