The First Million-Dollar Per-Hour Lawyer

A few weeks ago, I joined a panel of leaders from across the legal tech landscape. What began as a discussion about the billable hour quickly became a conversation about something deeper.   

The panelists and I agreed that the real question is not whether the billable hour survives. The real question is how legal will measure expertise and impact in a world where AI expands human intelligence far beyond traditional limits.  

 
We are already seeing a shift from time-and-materials to value-and-outcomes. A Fortune 200 customer told me recently that most of his new legal contracts are now fixed fee, a profound change from just a couple years ago.  

 
That doesn’t necessarily mark the end of the billable hour, but it is a sign that the time-based model is losing relevance everywhere except at the absolute top of the market. Elite partners will remain indispensable. The rest of the structure will face real pressure.  

 
Ryan Alshack, CEO, Laurel, made the bold claim that we will see the first million-dollar-per-hour lawyer. I completely agree. Not because anyone will charge that rate, but because one hour of expert judgment, amplified by AI and supported by institutional knowledge, can create that level of enterprise value.   

 
When decisions move faster, when friction disappears, and when clarity arrives at the exact moment the business needs it, the economics transform.  

 
We're seeing this shift inside global enterprises. The million-dollar hour is not a gimmick. It is the logical outcome of a world where human judgment remains scarce, AI becomes abundant, and value is measured by the outcomes that follows.  

Check out my full blog here.

Omar Haroun

CEO, Co-Founder, Eudia

We’re hosting a special LinkedIn Live exploring one of the biggest shifts coming to the enterprise: the rise of Augmented Intelligence. Join Omar Haroun and special guests, Gary Hood, Duracell and Mike Maples, Floodgate as they unpack how human-in-the-loop systems, Company Brains, and outcome-driven productivity are reshaping the labor market in 2026 and beyond.

LinkedIn Live: The Future of AI is Augmented: The Labor Market in 2026 and Beyond
When: Thursday, December 18 at 1 PM ET/ 10 am PT
Register: here

Expect bold predictions, real-world examples, and a candid look at why Augmented Intelligence will define the next decade.