Stakeholder Buy-In Kit

Proven templates and talking points to get executive approval faster

Version 1.0 | Updated October 2025

Executive Summary Template

Use this framework for your one-page executive summary or board memo. Focus on business outcomes, not technology features.

The Problem (Current State)

Template:
"Our legal department is operating at capacity with [X] FTE managing [Y] annual matters. We're experiencing:

[Metric]: Contract review times averaging [X] days vs. industry benchmark of [Y] days
[Cost]: $[X]K annual outside counsel spend, [Y]% higher than peer legal departments
[Risk]: [X]% of business requests delayed beyond SLA, impacting revenue recognition
[Morale]: [X]% attorney burnout on repetitive tasks, contributing to retention challenges

Bottom line: Current capacity constraints are limiting our ability to support business growth and creating competitive disadvantage."

The Solution (AI-Augmented Legal Operations)

Template:
"We propose implementing AI to augment (not replace) our legal team's capabilities:

Phase 1 (30 days): Pilot with [specific use case] involving [X] attorneys
Target outcome: [X]% reduction in processing time, [Y] hours/week capacity gained
Risk controls: Human oversight on all outputs, ABA-compliant governance, vendor DPA signed
Investment: $[X]K implementation + $[Y]K annual, with [Z]-month payback

This is not experimental. [X]+ legal departments have deployed similar solutions with proven ROI."

Expected Business Impact

Template:
"If successful, this initiative will deliver:

Operational: [X] hours/week capacity = [Y] FTE equivalent, redeployed to strategic work
Financial: $[X]K annual savings through efficiency + reduced outside counsel
Risk: [X]% improvement in SLA compliance, reducing business friction
Strategic: Position legal as innovation leader, improve talent retention

Success metrics: We will measure time savings, error rates, user satisfaction, and ROI monthly."

Key Message for Executives

Frame this as capacity expansion, not cost cutting. Executives care about enabling business growth, not just reducing headcount. Emphasize how AI frees attorneys to focus on high-value strategic work.

Talking Points by Stakeholder

Different executives care about different outcomes. Tailor your message to their priorities.

For the CEO / Board

What they care about: Competitive positioning, operational efficiency, risk management

Your talking points:

"Our competitors are already using AI in legal. [Company X] publicly reported [Y]% efficiency gains. We risk falling behind."
"This investment unlocks [X] FTE of capacity without adding headcount, enabling us to support [Y] business initiative."
"We've stress-tested this with governance controls that meet ABA requirements and protect client privilege."
"The alternative is continuing to scale linearly—hire more lawyers for every [X]% growth. That's not sustainable."

Lead with risk of inaction: "The cost of not doing this is falling behind peers who can close deals faster and operate more efficiently."

For the CFO

What they care about: ROI, budget predictability, cost per transaction

Your talking points:

"First-year ROI is [X]%, with payback in [Y] months based on time savings and reduced outside counsel spend."
"This reduces our cost per contract from $[X] to $[Y], improving unit economics as we scale."
"We're starting with a $[X]K pilot to prove value before scaling, minimizing financial risk."
"Alternative is hiring [X] additional FTE at $[Y]K each, with ongoing overhead and benefits."

Speak their language: Use NPV, IRR, or cost-per-unit metrics. Show the spreadsheet.

For the CTO / CIO

What they care about: Security, integration, vendor management, scalability

Your talking points:

"We've vetted vendors for SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 compliance. Security posture exceeds our standards."
"Integration uses standard APIs with our existing DMS. No custom development required."
"We've secured contractual guarantees that our data won't be used for vendor model training."
"Vendor has [X]+ enterprise customers in legal, proven track record of stability and support."

Address their concerns proactively: Security, data governance, and integration complexity are always top of mind.

For Business Unit Leaders (Sales, HR, etc.)

What they care about: Speed, responsiveness, removing friction

Your talking points:

"This cuts contract turnaround from [X] days to [Y] days, helping you close deals faster."
"You'll get real-time visibility into legal requests instead of wondering where things stand."
"We're not adding bureaucracy—AI handles routine work so lawyers can focus on your complex needs."
"You asked for faster legal support without sacrificing quality. This is how we deliver both."

Make them allies: Business stakeholders who've experienced legal bottlenecks are your best advocates with the C-suite.

️ Objection Handling Guide

Anticipate and address the most common concerns before they derail your proposal.

Objection: "AI will hallucinate and create legal liability."

Response: "You're right that AI can generate incorrect outputs—that's why we're implementing mandatory human oversight. Every AI output will be reviewed by a qualified attorney before use. We're using AI to flag issues faster, not to replace professional judgment. Think of it as a highly efficient research assistant, not a replacement lawyer. We've also stress-tested this with [X] contracts in our POC with zero undetected errors."

Objection: "This will eliminate jobs / lawyers will resist."

Response: "This augments our team, it doesn't replace them. We're using AI to eliminate the repetitive work that causes burnout—like reviewing the 47th identical NDA this month. That frees our attorneys to focus on strategic advisory work, complex negotiations, and high-value client relationships. Our team is already at capacity; this gives them breathing room. In our pilot survey, [X]% of attorneys said they'd welcome AI to reduce manual work."

Objection: "The technology isn't mature enough yet."

Response: "That was true 2-3 years ago. Today, legal-specific AI tools have been battle-tested by [X]+ law firms and corporate legal departments. [Company/Firm Name] reduced contract review time by [Y]% with zero quality issues. We're not being early adopters—we're catching up to peers. The risk now is falling behind competitors who are already gaining efficiency advantages. We're proposing a controlled 30-day pilot to validate this with our own workflows before scaling."

Objection: "We can't afford this right now / budget is tight."

Response: "The pilot costs $[X]K with [Y]-month payback based on documented time savings. The real question is: can we afford not to do this? We're currently spending $[Z]K annually on outside counsel for work we could handle in-house with more capacity. Delaying this means continuing to operate inefficiently while competitors move ahead. We're not asking for a blank check—we're proposing a small, measurable pilot that pays for itself within [timeframe]."

Objection: "What about data security and client confidentiality?"

Response: "Data security is non-negotiable. We've required vendors to sign Data Protection Agreements prohibiting use of our data for training their models. All vendors are SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certified. Data is encrypted at rest and in transit. We're implementing role-based access controls and audit logging for every AI interaction. Our approach exceeds ABA Model Rule 1.6 requirements for client confidentiality. We've also consulted with [Risk/Compliance team] and they've signed off on our governance framework."

Objection: "Why don't we just hire more lawyers instead?"

Response: "Hiring works for strategic work, but not for repetitive tasks. Each additional lawyer costs $[X]K+ in salary, benefits, and overhead. AI augmentation costs $[Y]K annually for similar capacity gains. More importantly, hiring doesn't solve the problem—it just adds more people doing manual work. AI lets us redeploy existing talent to higher-value work. We're not proposing AI instead of hiring; we're proposing AI to maximize the value of the team we already have."

Pro Tip: The "Agree and Redirect" Technique

Start by validating their concern ("You're right that..."), then redirect to your mitigation strategy ("...which is why we've built in..."). Never dismiss objections—address them head-on with specifics.

Executive Presentation Structure

A proven slide structure for a 15-20 minute board or executive presentation.

Slide 1: Executive Summary

Problem → Solution → Ask (budget/approval) in 3 bullets. Keep it to one slide.

Slide 2: Current State Challenges

Quantify the pain: capacity constraints, SLA misses, outside counsel costs, competitive gaps. Use charts/metrics.

Slide 3: AI Solution Overview

What AI will do (specific use cases), how it works (high-level), and what won't change (human oversight, quality standards).

Slide 4: Proven Results from Peers

Show 2-3 case studies from similar organizations. Include company names if possible, or "Fortune 500 Financial Services" if confidential.

Slide 5: Financial Analysis & ROI

Investment required, expected benefits (time savings, cost avoidance), payback period, 3-year NPV. CFO-friendly metrics.

Slide 6: Risk Management & Governance

How you're addressing security, compliance, quality control, and professional responsibility. Show the guardrails.

Slide 7: Implementation Plan

30-day pilot → 90-day evaluation → scaling decision. Clear milestones, owners, and success metrics.

Slide 8: The Ask & Next Steps

Specific approval requested (budget, timeline, resources). What happens if approved vs. if we delay.

Sample Opening (Slide 1)

"Our legal department is operating at capacity, and it's creating business risk. Contract turnaround times are [X]% longer than our competitors, and we're spending $[Y]K annually on outside counsel for work we should be able to handle in-house. We're proposing a 30-day AI pilot to automate routine contract review, which will free up [Z] hours per week of attorney capacity. This requires a $[A]K investment with [B]-month payback. I'll walk you through how this works, the results other companies have achieved, and the governance controls we're putting in place. Let's start with the current state challenges..."

Pre-Meeting Email Templates

Start building support before the formal presentation. Use these email templates to socialize the idea.

Template: Initial Outreach to Executive Sponsor

Subject: Proposal to improve legal capacity without adding headcount

Body:
"[Executive Name],

I'd like to discuss an opportunity to significantly improve our legal department's capacity without increasing headcount.

We're currently operating at capacity, with [specific pain point: contract turnaround, SLA misses, outside counsel costs]. I've been researching how peer legal departments are using AI to augment their teams, and the results are compelling: [X]% time savings, [Y]% cost reduction, with proper governance and risk controls.

I'd like 20 minutes to walk you through:
- Current bottlenecks and their business impact
- How AI could address these (with real examples from peers)
- A proposed 30-day pilot with clear success metrics
- Required investment and expected ROI

Are you available [date/time options] for a brief discussion?

[Your Name]"

Template: Securing CFO Buy-In

Subject: ROI analysis: Legal AI pilot proposal

Body:
"[CFO Name],

I'm proposing a legal AI pilot and wanted to share the financial analysis for your review before presenting to [CEO/Board].

Investment: $[X]K one-time implementation + $[Y]K annual licensing
Expected benefit: $[Z]K annual savings (time redeployment + reduced outside counsel)
Payback period: [X] months
3-year NPV: $[Y]K

This is a small, controlled pilot to validate assumptions before scaling. Attached is the full ROI model with sensitivity analysis.

Two questions for you:
1. Does this financial case make sense from your perspective?
2. Any concerns I should address before the executive presentation?

Happy to discuss at your convenience.

[Your Name]"