The evening opened with welcome remarks from Yuhua Yang, founding and managing partner of Thornhill Legal, and Shuab Kunwar, R&D tax partner of S&W. 

Yang introduced newly appointed partner Elsie Lin to the participants and shared the purpose and aspiration for Thornhill Legal, a law firm aimed at providing China-centric cross-border solutions, and Thornhill Academy, a non-profit entity aimed at driving the internationalisation of the Chinese legal profession via community building. 

“We’re on a journey to address a clear gap in the legal services market. Chinese companies and entrepreneurs expanding internationally face increasing pressure to operate not only globally, but in a way that’s compliant, robust, and aligned with local market norms and business culture. That need remains underserved, as large global firms often prioritise high-end, high-margin work and come with higher rates,” said Yang. 

“We’re exploring different ways of meeting that need. That’s why events like this, and Thornhill Academy’s monthly AI and Law forum, are necessary for building a community of like-minded practitioners from different areas of professional services. It offers a meaningful space for open conversations and exchanging ideas, experiences and best practices. We look forward to growing the community and sharing the ‘journey’ with more like-minded peers to find alternative solutions,” she added. 

During his welcome speech, Kunwar noted that S&W has been growing strongly and has recently undergone a rebranding – reviving the historic S&W name in tribute to its roots when Smith & Williamson was founded in 1881. He also highlighted that the firm has set up a new China desk, through which the firm looks to serve more clients from China and Asia and working with Thornhill Legal and other professional services providers in the region. 

The formal part of the event featured a panel discussion titled “AI in professional services”. Moderated by Thornhill Legal’s director of international markets, Yun Kriegler, the panel brought together five leading minds from across the technology and professional services landscape: Candy Liu, strategic global account lead at Microsoft; Frank Jennings, partner at HCR Law; Paul Schwartfeger, barrister at 36 Stone; Shuab Kunwar, R&D tax partner at S&W; and Moya Hayhurst, corporate governance expert and researcher at the Centre for AI in Board Effectiveness.

The panel explored how AI is reshaping professional services, such as legal, accounting, tax advisory and corporate governance practices. Key themes included the mindset required to embrace opportunities in the age of AI – seeing it as a “thinking partner” that amplifies human expertise and judgment; the need for new skill sets and AI literacy, like prompt engineering, and how AI may disrupt and redefine jobs; the true potential of AI, which goes beyond improving efficiency and productivity and lies in transforming saved time into strategic, value-added activities to benefit clients; the risks and ethical issues when using AI, for example, hallucination, bias, regulatory compliance, pricing and disclosure of AI involvement, confidentiality, and data security; and the importance of understanding and utilising the UK’s R&D tax incentives to support AI development and integration. 

The audience played an active role, with interactive moments woven throughout the discussion. Lively exchanges and the dynamic Q&A session brought a strong sense of community and shared interest in this topic.

The evening concluded with a networking drinks reception in S&W’s modern and welcoming office. Guests continued conversations sparked by the panel over refreshing beverages and canapés, catching up with familiar faces and forging new connections. 

If you are interested in attending future events organised by Thornhill Legal, or the monthly AI and Law forum by Thornhill Academy, please get in touch with us: academy@thornhill-legal.co.uk

#AI #AIandlaw #AIinprofessionalservices #legalcommunity #UKRandD
 

Key contact:
 

Yun Kriegler

Director of international markets, Thornhill Legal

Email: yun.kriegler@thornhill-legal.com

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