In a profession built on precedent, Laina Chan is setting one of her own. The barrister, author, and CEO of MiAI Law didn’t just build a tool for legal research, she built a platform designed to redefine it. And while MiAI Law was created to serve the uniquely complex needs of the Australian legal system, its first major launch wasn’t in Sydney, it was in London.
For Chan, this wasn’t a detour. It was a deliberate, calculated move to position MiAI Law at the epicenter of global legal influence.
“We launched last July at a conference in the UK,” Chan explains. “It was always part of our roadmap, not just for the UK, but to gear up for the U.S. rollout by May 2026.” The UK version is slated for completion by the end of this year, and U.S. jurisdictions, including New York, California, Delaware, Texas, and federal law, are next in line.
Why London first? For Chan, it comes down to lineage. “To do Australian law properly, you have to understand UK law. Our legal system is derived from it,” she says. By bypassing other common law jurisdictions like Hong Kong, due to language complexities, Chan stayed focused on what she calls “evidence-grade legal intelligence.”
That’s more than just a buzzword. MiAI Law’s contract review and audit suite doesn’t just summarize documents. It flags risks, explains why they matter, links to relevant case law, and even proposes alternative clauses. Its dual-format reporting, one version for in-house counsel and another simplified for quick reviews, offers flexibility most legal tools can’t.
And it works. Chan personally put the tool to the test when reviewing a publishing contract. “It looked fine at first glance,” she says, “but the system flagged it as one-sided.” Armed with suggestions generated by MiAI Law, she negotiated better terms, and the publisher accepted every change.
Still, Chan is the first to emphasize that AI is not a replacement for lawyers. It is a force multiplier. “Junior lawyers are still essential,” she says. “Our tool gives you a head start, but it’s not a substitute for judgment.”
At the core of MiAI Law’s power is transparency. Every report lays bare the model’s legal reasoning, step by step, with direct links to cases and statutes. No commentary. No secondary interpretations. Just law.
That, Chan says, is the future—explainable AI that builds trust, not just speed. “Most tools compare documents to precedents. We explain the why, and we back it with legal logic.”
With Australia, the UK, and the US in her sights, Chan’s vision extends far beyond legal research. Upcoming features include comparative law tools, chronology builders, submission preparation aids, and in-depth policy analysis. For Chan, it’s not about disruption, it’s about deeper legal thinking, faster action, and fairer outcomes.
From the Supreme Court Library to international rollout stages, Laina Chan isn’t just keeping pace with legal evolution. She’s leading it.
