A.J. Bahou Quoted in Managing IP on How AI Is Changing the Search for Outside Counsel

Bradley partner A.J. Bahou was quoted in Managing IP discussing how law firms should prioritize substantive, authoritative content over keyword-heavy marketing tactics as AI reshapes how clients search for outside counsel.

“The content is more important because the LLM as an inference engine tends to pull in the full scope of information compared to just keywords,” he said.

Bahou added that Bradley is working with its marketing and technology teams to better showcase the breadth of the firm’s capabilities rather than relying on “token words” embedded in website metadata.

He also argues that developing a strong media presence and becoming a recognized source on specific IP topics are critical. Drawing on his experience as in-house counsel, Bahou explained that online searches have always been only the first step in selecting outside lawyers.

“I can tell you from experience that a web search at that time would just be my starting point. The matters that I dealt with were about company litigations and a variety of different IP issues, so the decision on external counsel always came down to further personal analysis, interviews, and conversations.”

Bahou said AI is changing how firms are discovered but not how hiring decisions are ultimately made. “AI doesn't replace the [human] decision to hire a firm, but it increasingly decides who gets considered on that list.”

He believes this shift presents a significant opportunity for smaller IP boutiques.

“There's smaller boutique firms that might not be on the considered list, but they could make that list by optimizing their content on the website and getting placed on the LLM result,” he said, suggesting GEO could help level the playing field with larger, full-service firms.

The full article, “Winning AI Visibility: Shifting From SEO to GEO,” was published by Managing IP on June 29, 2026. (login required)