Ford Robertson, Managing Partner, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP

In an interview with Invest:, Ford Robertson, managing partner of Kilpatrick Townsend’s Raleigh office, emphasized the firm’s embrace of AI to boost efficiency and improve client service, including building a proprietary AI engine. He highlighted Raleigh-Durham’s appeal, citing its strong talent pool and life sciences growth: “We’re now one of the top four or five life sciences markets in the country.” The office is targeting strategic growth in IP and M&A to align with regional trends.

What major changes have impacted your clients and Kilpatrick’s operations in the Triangle over the past year?

I serve as Kilpatrick’s managing partner for the Raleigh office, so I have a chance to observe some of the broader conversations in the legal market, especially with our clients.

We’re one firm, and what happens in Raleigh often reflects what’s happening across our larger firm footprint. One major theme — and I’m sure I’m not the first to mention it — is the rise of artificial intelligence. It has been a central focus of ours to determine how best to implement AI and use it to improve how we deliver services to clients.

We’re a technology-forward firm, and many of our clients are technology leaders. They are already using AI and are asking how their law firms are doing the same to become more efficient and effective. We’ve embraced that challenge. We have five different firm-wide committees dedicated to AI, covering everything from legal implications and client advisories to the development of our own proprietary internal AI engine — our version of ChatGPT, if you will — that helps us protect client confidentiality and improve our research, drafting, and analysis capabilities.

We’re also looking at ethical issues related to AI and how they intersect with our work as attorneys. It’s been a hot topic this year across all sectors of the firm.

What distinguishes the Raleigh-Durham market from your other office locations, and what makes it compelling for business investment?

We’re a somewhat unique market. Our calling card, as many will tell you, starts with the workforce. We have a highly educated, knowledge-based labor pool, largely due to the presence of three Tier 1 research universities — NC State, UNC-Chapel Hill, and Duke — all within the region. That’s a rare combination for a metro area of our size.

Each year, those institutions produce new graduates, many of whom stay in the region. Add to that a low cost of doing business, a collaborative and business-friendly environment, and a high quality of life, and it’s clear why companies want to be here.

We have a diverse economy, but life sciences has emerged as a real ecosystem in the area. We’re now one of the top four or five life sciences markets in the country, competing with much larger hubs like Boston, San Jose, and San Diego. That growth has been fueled by our workforce, business climate, and lifestyle — and we don’t face the same challenges, or at least not to the same degree as some bigger cities, like traffic congestion or extremely high housing costs.

Where are you seeing the greatest demand for legal services, and how are you evolving to meet that demand?

We’ve been fortunate to support many life sciences companies in standing up or expanding operations in North Carolina. We also advise them on a range of legal matters relevant to their growth and success.

Speaking from my own background as a real estate lawyer, I’d highlight the surging interest in data centers. There’s a kind of gold rush underway, driven by the massive computing power required for AI applications. That’s creating huge demand for land and electricity in and around our region. Some towns on the outskirts of Raleigh-Durham are re-evaluating whether they want data centers, given the limited job creation and high energy usage they typically involve. It’s an active conversation.

Are there any recent or upcoming real estate developments in the Carolinas that stand out?

There’s been a surge in industrial, distribution, and light manufacturing projects. Historically, Raleigh wasn’t a major hub for industrial or distribution development; cities like Atlanta and Charlotte were ahead of us there.

But that’s changed. I’m seeing strong demand and success in building, leasing, and selling industrial and light manufacturing facilities. Some of these developments touch the life sciences sector, but more broadly, it’s a regional trend that’s gaining traction. Industrial developers who never looked at Raleigh before are now making significant investments here.

What challenges are your real estate clients facing, and how are you helping them respond?

The biggest challenge by far is the cost of capital. Interest rates have stayed high longer than many expected, and that’s dampened traditional real estate development, which relies heavily on debt.

Many developers are still sitting on the sidelines, waiting for rates to fall. While 2024 has been better than 2023 — which I’d call the low point of the development cycle — there’s still a ceiling. Traditional lenders remain cautious, and sectors like office are seeing little activity.

That said, I don’t think the office market is dead. As we move further away from COVID and into a lower interest rate environment, I expect to see new office development, though it’s probably still a year or more away.

How is Kilpatrick using AI to create a better work environment and attract top talent in the region?

That’s a priority for us. We’re a people business, and attracting, retaining, and developing talent is essential.

We present ourselves as a technology-forward firm, and we’re making that real by embracing tools like AI. That resonates especially with younger talent, who are often more tech-savvy and want to work at a firm that’s evolving alongside its clients.

On top of that, entry-level recruiting at law schools has changed dramatically. The traditional timeline — campus interviews, summer programs, and post-grad offers — has been upended. Larger firms started making offers earlier and earlier, and we realized we needed to rethink our own approach.

We’ve implemented callback weekends, bringing top candidates together at one of our office locations for more personal interactions. That’s worked well, and our summer and entry-level programs have been well-received.

Do you have any partnerships with local educational institutions to support the talent pipeline and professional development?

We maintain strong relationships with UNC and Duke Law, among others. We host on-campus events and work to identify and engage students early, especially those with technical backgrounds who might be interested in intellectual property law. IP makes up about a third, maybe half, of our lawyer base. We look for students with science degrees or doctorates who self-select into this path early. That’s been a major area of focus for our Raleigh office.

We also have a long-standing relationship with Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem and work with institutions in each of our markets. These days, it’s less about following a playbook and more about being proactive and creative in how we engage students.

You’ve been recognized with the North Carolina Bar’s Citizen Lawyer Award. How does civic leadership fit into your business strategy and office culture?

As for the Citizen Lawyer Award, it was a nice recognition, tied to a combination of my pro bono work and community leadership. I’ve been involved with the Boys & Girls Club for many years, both as a board member and by providing legal support for acquisitions and mergers to help the organization grow. It aligned well with my real estate background and allowed me to contribute in a meaningful way.

In terms of civic engagement generally, it’s a big part of who we are. As Raleigh’s office leader, I strongly encourage community involvement. Giving back is important on a personal level, but it’s also valuable professionally. Being active in the community helps our lawyers grow and build relationships. I often say we’re out there flying the Kilpatrick flag in ways that reflect well on our people and our firm.

Pro bono work is a major part of that culture. We have a dedicated pro bono partner who helps lawyers across the firm find meaningful opportunities. We encourage everyone, including those outside their regular practice areas, to get involved. For example, a real estate lawyer might assist with an immigration matter, or a litigator might help with a landlord-tenant hotline. It’s an opportunity to stretch, learn, and make a difference.

Ultimately, I think people who come to Kilpatrick — or who are already here — quickly realize there’s a strong spirit of engagement. And as a firm, we do a good job of making it easy for people to get involved and stay connected to causes that matter to them.

What are your top goals for the Raleigh office over the next few years?

We’re in a dynamic, fast-growing market, and we want to grow with it. That means adding talent in high-demand areas: intellectual property, life sciences, cybersecurity and privacy, and corporate work, especially in mergers and acquisitions.

We’re focused on targeted growth that aligns with the region’s economic trajectory. We also recently completed a firm-wide strategic planning effort, and one takeaway is that we feel we’re uniquely well-positioned in this market. There are excellent local and regional firms here, but not many Wall Street-level firms. We think Kilpatrick sits in that sweet spot — a full-service, international law firm, but with deep local roots. We’re excited about the future in Raleigh-Durham and confident in our role within it.