Macfarlanes is one of the UK’s leading independent law firms, with offices in London and Brussels and a strong international network.

Known for its expertise, agility, and culture of innovation, the firm’s real estate practice is trusted to handle complex transactions across development, investment, office, and retail.

Macfarlanes has approached AI and technology adoption with the same rigor they bring to client matters, focusing not on hype but on solutions that address clearly defined challenges. For the real estate practice, that meant investing in Orbital’s real estate-specific solutions. In doing so, Macfarlanes has successfully demonstrated how thoughtful innovation can raise the standard of due diligence and deliver measurable value to clients.

Meeting the Demands of Large-Scale Transactions

Macfarlanes frequently advises on large-scale, time-sensitive real estate transactions where speed and accuracy are critical. These matters often involve reviewing high volumes of leases and title documents under tight timelines.

One recent example was the acquisition of a 155-pub portfolio, which needed to close in less than a month.

Partner Dan Marriott explains:

If we had not been able to use Orbital Copilot, we would probably have had to have a team of lawyers on it four or five times the number that we actually did have.”

Applying Real Estate-Specific AI 

To meet these challenges, the team uses Orbital Copilot to review documents and produce lender-ready reports on complex due diligence with fewer resources. Alongside Orbital Copilot, they rely on Orbital Witness and its mapping tools to present property information with greater clarity and precision for both lawyers and clients.

Together, these solutions help Macfarlanes scale due diligence and communicate findings to clients more effectively, precisely because they are purpose-built for English land law and real estate workflows.

As Partner Tania Barnes notes:

You can tell it’s been programmed by people that understand English real estate law and so it produces something that’s much more client friendly and needs a lot less intervention.”

Demonstrating Tangible Results 

The benefits extend across matters, from large portfolio acquisitions to day-to-day lease reviews. By embedding Orbital into their workflow, the team reduces the need for additional resourcing and accelerates transaction timelines without compromising quality.

Senior Associate Georgia Krell describes the impact:

Typically, I’d say we save probably about 45 minutes to an hour per lease review, which when you’re doing dozens if not hundreds, can speed up the transaction enormously.”

For Macfarlanes, AI has shifted from being a supporting tool to an integral part of due diligence.

As Partner Tania Barnes sums up:

You get a large-scale due diligence piece in and rather than choosing to use AI to help you, it’s just what you do.”

For Macfarlanes, adopting AI isn’t about chasing trends—it’s about serving clients better. The firm’s focus has always been on thoughtful growth, recruiting talented people for the long term, and operating differently to achieve the best outcomes. Orbital fits seamlessly into this philosophy, enabling the team to deliver complex transactions with speed and confidence.

We're always looking for what can save the client money and what can produce a product in a more time efficient manner. Orbital Copilot combined with Orbital Witness definitely does that.”

— Dan Marriott, Partner at Macfarlanes