First court case win for AI-powered law firm

The use of AI in Court proceedings has hit the headlines for the wrong reasons recently. Pinsent Masons found itself in the spotlight before the High Court in Cork v Smith [2026] after misleading the court based on search results produced by an AI system and subsequently referred itself to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (“SRA”). Earlier this year, the Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) in Munir reiterated the need for lawyers to carry out rigorous checks on the accuracy of AI-produced work following incorrect citations being put before the Tribunal in two cases, warning that failures to properly supervise the use of AI are likely to result in referrals to the SRA and that uploading confidential documents into open-source AI tools should be referred to the Information Commissioner’s Office. Munir also provided the first published comments in an English judgment on the application of privilege to the use of AI. We have covered Munir in further detail in a separate Lens blog (here).

However, in more positive news for the use of AI before the courts, last week saw Garfield. Law Ltd’s (“Garfield”) first reported victory in what its founder and CEO, Phillip Young, claims to be the first victory of an AI-powered law firm before any court in the world.

Who is Garfield? 

Garfield was authorised by the SRA in May 2025 and was the first law firm providing legal services through AI to be so authorised. Garfield focuses on the recovery for its clients of unpaid debts of up to £10,000. 

Garfield operates by enabling users to upload invoices and contracts to its web-based platform, which then uses AI to generate documents, handles correspondence and guides users through each step of the claims process. Garfield claims that, using its AI-driven platform, clients can start their debt recovery claim in minutes and at minimal cost.

Garfield has publicly indicated that more than 600 claims have been started by clients on its platform, and that in just over a year, the firm has recovered or resolved more than £500,000 for users. 

Garfield’s stated mission is to make justice accessible, affordable and hassle-free. Its founder and CEO, Philip Young, has said that “[a]ccess to justice is a fundamental human right” and that “[h]istorically SMEs did not always collect their debts because the time and cost were prohibitive”, adding that “Garfield solves this”. 

What was the case? 

Tamires Camal Taquidir, a freelance HR consultant, used Garfield to pursue a claim against one of her clients for £7,000 in unpaid fees and was successful before Wandsworth County Court. 

Whilst the court’s judgment has not been reported, Garfield has made public that Ms Taquidir used its AI platform to support the case from the pre-action stage through to trial preparation. This included generating the letter before claim, preparing and issuing the claim, responding to the defence and counterclaim, assisting with the directions questionnaire, drafting four witness statements and preparing the trial bundle.

Mr Young has said that the judge must have been aware of Garfield’s role because its involvement was apparent from the court papers, although the judge did not comment on that point.  

Shortly before trial, Garfield instructed Dominic Li, a junior barrister at One Essex Court, to conduct advocacy. Mr Li has publicly stated that the case was “hard-fought” and turned on the existence and terms of an oral agreement, adding that Garfield’s preparation helped ensure the case was presented clearly and efficiently, while the advocacy itself remained “a fundamentally human exercise.”

There is currently no public indication that the defendant intends to appeal the judgment.