Ex-Sidley Austin leader brings Big Law background to AI law firm

By Sara Merken

NEW YORK, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Norm Law, a recently launched “AI-native” firm, said on Thursday that it hired the former executive committee chair of prominent law firm Sidley Austin to serve as its first chairman and lead its investment funds and regulatory practice.

The law firm, which is affiliated with investor-backed legal and compliance technology startup Norm Ai, said that along with longtime Sidley lawyer Mike Schmidtberger, it had brought on David Sorin, a former Brown Rudnick partner, as head of its private equity and venture capital practice, and Mike Rupe, who most recently led Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft’s special situations practice, as head of private credit and business development.

Norm Law launched in November as a New York-based, independent law firm. Norm Ai's CEO John Nay said at the time that lawyers at the new firm would use its artificial intelligence technology to do legal work for Blackstone and other financial services clients. Blackstone also invested an additional $50 million in the tech company, whose other backers include Coatue, Bain Capital and Vanguard.

Schmidtberger served as chair of the executive committee at Chicago-founded Sidley, which has more than 2,100 lawyers, from 2018 until April 2025. He previously co-led its investment funds practice and was managing partner of its New York office. He retired from the firm at the end of 2025.

"For lawyers, it's a rare opportunity to help build the law firm of the future from the ground up," Schmidtberger said in an emailed comment on his decision to join Norm Law. Sorin and Rupe did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Other lawyers have left established firms in recent months to join or launch their own AI legal ventures. Another so-called AI-native law firm, Soxton AI, was created last year by a former Cooley associate. Former Holland & Hart lawyers launched another such firm called Landfall IP in December.