Global law firm Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer has appointed Ilona Logvinova as its first global chief AI officer. She joins HSF Kramer from Cleary Gottlieb, where she led the US firm’s transformation efforts as director of practice innovation.
An accomplished innovation leader, New York-based Logvinova has a strong track record of implementing AI and digital transformation initiatives in legal and corporate environments.
Logvinova has previously been global head of innovation for McKinsey Legal and managing counsel for McKinsey Digital. She was also senior counsel at Mastercard, focusing on technology builds and tech transactions.
Announcing the appointment, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer’s global CEO, Justin D’Agostino, said: “Ilona will drive the firm’s global strategy to further leverage the potential of AI and legal technology in the service of our clients.”
It’s almost 15 years since then Herbert Smith became the first international law firm to set up an alternative legal services hub. Since then the firm has grown through merger and in June this year officially launched at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer after the merger of Herbert Smith Freehills and Kramer Levin. D’Agostino said: “We have long pushed the boundaries of how we use technology responsibly in the service of our clients. And now with GenAI, the pace of change has never been faster. Technology is fundamentally reshaping how legal work is done, and our clients’ needs are evolving just as quickly.
“The question is no longer whether AI will disrupt the legal sector, but how fast and how well we can harness it to deliver value. This means having the best people using the best technology underpinned by robust oversight. Ilona is already known for her expertise, and her extensive experience in digital transformation and innovation make her an exceptional fit for this newly-created role. We are delighted to have her join us at this time of change.”
Logvinova will be joining HSF Kramer on 5 November 2025. She and her team will work closely with the firm’s practice groups globally.
Commenting on her appointment, she said: “HSF Kramer believes, as I do, that legal innovation isn’t about asking ‘what can tech do?’ but rather, ‘what do our clients and people need today and tomorrow?’ Innovation succeeds when it’s tied directly to client outcomes. It’s a critical time for embedding leading-edge AI into legal services. Having sophisticated emerging technologies, and the best trained lawyers to use them, will identify and differentiate the world’s leading global law firms.”
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer is the latest law firm to appoint a chief AI officer, started at the start of last year by the Department of Justice in the US appointing its first-ever CAIO. It is interesting and important as to how the role fits in with the head of IT and the head of knowledge management, to ensure collaboration and not competition.
