For Geir Lippestad, the law is closely tied to the way society functions - influencing how people live, work, and take part in democratic life. That perspective has shaped his entire career. As CEO of Advokatfirmaet Lippestad, he has long viewed the legal profession not only as a technical discipline, but as a social one. Lawyers, in his view, need to understand far more than statutes and case law. They need to understand the world those laws are meant to serve.
“I’ve always been very engaged in society,” he says. “How are people doing? How are the people around me doing?”
At first glance, law might seem distant from those questions. But for Lippestad, it is precisely where those questions are addressed.
“Law surrounds us every day,” he explains. “Think about Norway. Everyone has the right to a school place. If you become ill, you have financial security through the national insurance system. And in the workplace, you cannot simply be dismissed without a valid reason. There are rules that protect you.”
These everyday protections illustrate something larger. Behind them lies a legal framework that quietly shapes society.
“Our entire democracy is built on law,” he says. “It is the legal rules and our Constitution that ensure we can participate and influence decisions in our country in a proper way.”
His interest in politics and public life began early. Lippestad joined his first political party when he was just fifteen, and he has remained politically engaged ever since. Studying law felt like a natural continuation of that interest.
“In that sense, law suited me very well.”
Today, that same outlook shapes how he runs Advokatfirmaet Lippestad. When new lawyers join the firm, he offers them a simple piece of advice.
“If you want to be a good lawyer, you have to understand society.”
That means understanding more than legal doctrine. A lawyer working in business law must understand how companies operate. But they also need to see the wider picture - the relationship between business, politics, and social development.
“Legal rules do not simply appear out of nowhere,” Lippestad says. “They develop alongside society.”
Understanding those connections helps lawyers interpret the law - and sometimes even influence how it evolves.
At the same time, Lippestad sees a growing challenge within the legal system itself: access to legal assistance.
“One of the major challenges today,” he says, “is that legal help is incredibly expensive.”
The difference becomes particularly clear when comparing large corporations with smaller organisations.
“A company that turns over billions can hire large legal teams. But a start-up or a smaller business has to be extremely careful with spending.”
The result is an uneven playing field. Access to legal expertise can influence whether individuals or companies succeed.
“That affects people’s opportunities in society,” he says. “Both in business and in private life.”
For Lippestad, this is where new technology - particularly artificial intelligence - may help.
AI cannot replace lawyers, he stresses. But it can help lawyers work more efficiently, especially when dealing with large volumes of information.
“Gathering facts, reviewing materials, analysing the factual background - all of that can be done faster,” he explains.
If those tasks require less time, legal services may become more accessible.
“That allows us to spend more time on the real dilemmas,” he says. “Negotiating, discussing strategy, and working with the issues where the answer is not obvious - because very often it isn’t.”
Introducing AI into legal work, however, is not without risks.
“Everyone knows there are risks when law firms use AI,” Lippestad says.
Confidentiality is the most obvious concern. Lawyers regularly handle sensitive client information, and using open systems could expose that data.
“If you do not use closed, secure systems, you risk breaching confidentiality. Information can leak, and we cannot take that risk.”
For that reason, Advokatfirmaet Lippestad chose to work with Saga - a secured system designed to safeguard sensitive information.
“We need to know that if we feed confidential information into the system, it stays with us.”
Reliability is another key concern. One of the main criticisms of AI systems is their tendency to produce convincing answers that are not always accurate.
“One of the biggest problems with AI today is that you cannot always be sure whether it is inventing things,” he says.
In legal work, that uncertainty is unacceptable. Lawyers must always be able to trace where information comes from.
“That’s why it’s important that we can see the sources - where the information originates.” AI may assist with research, but the responsibility for verifying the result always rests with the lawyer.
The technology has already begun to change how work is carried out at the firm.
During a recent office meeting, Lippestad and his colleagues discussed exactly how they are using Saga in their daily work.
“Someone actually said that if one of the functions stopped working, they wouldn’t be able to get anything done,” he says with a smile.
The comment reflects how quickly new tools can become embedded in everyday routines.
The biggest change appears when dealing with large cases involving enormous quantities of documentation - particularly financial crime cases.
“You might have tens of thousands of pages,” he explains. “Accounting records, evidence files, documents - huge volumes of material.”
Traditionally, a lawyer might spend several weeks simply reading through the files before beginning to write a summary.
Now, much of that initial overview can be generated far more quickly.
“To produce a solid summary in one day instead - the difference is like night and day.”
Clients are increasingly aware of these developments.
“More and more clients ask us directly: how are you using AI in this case?”
Some expect law firms to demonstrate that they are working efficiently.
“They say, ‘We assume you are not billing four weeks simply to read documents.’”
As a result, the firm has begun discussing AI openly with clients - explaining how the technology is used, how security is maintained, and how work is priced.
The conversation around pricing is also evolving.
“I think hourly billing will gradually decline,” Lippestad says. “We will likely see more fixed pricing and alternative models.”
Despite its advantages, Lippestad is clear on one point: AI must never replace professional judgement.
“AI gives you a very solid starting point,” he says. “But you always have to use your own head.”
The responsibility for strategy and legal advice ultimately lies with the lawyer.
“Once you understand the facts and the law, the real question is: what should we do? How should we approach negotiations? How should we respond to a claim?”
That type of judgement cannot be delegated to a machine.
“You have to live with the case,” he says.
Still, he sees AI as a valuable companion in the process.
“It’s like having a very good assistant sitting next to you all the time.”
Looking ahead, Lippestad believes the legal profession is entering a new phase - one in which technology will become an expected part of legal work.
He notices it already when interviewing young lawyers applying for trainee positions.
“One of the first questions they ask is: what systems do you use? How do you work with AI?”
If a firm cannot answer that question, it may struggle to attract talent.
“If we said we did not believe in AI,” he says, “they probably would not choose us.”
In his view, ignoring the technology would be short-sighted.
“Saying AI isn’t important today is like saying the internet wasn’t important when it first appeared.”
Still, he emphasises that adopting AI requires responsibility. Law firms must ensure that systems are secure, that client confidentiality is protected, and that sources can be verified.
With those safeguards in place, technology can become a powerful ally for the profession.
Used carefully, Lippestad believes, it has the potential not only to make lawyers more efficient - but also to make legal services more accessible to society as a whole.
