Anna R. Gressel Named to Forbes 2027 America’s Top Lawyers for AI List

Global Co-Head of Artificial Intelligence Anna R. Gressel has been named to the 2027 Forbes America's Top Lawyers for AI List. The inaugural list identifies the premier practitioners in the artificial intelligence field — the leading dealmakers, litigators, advisers and strategists who stand apart in an extraordinarily competitive field. America's Top Lawyers for AI honors those who are defining modern legal excellence in AI, as distinguished through their notable matters and deals, impressive advocacy work, wise counsel and respect from colleagues, arbiters and clients.

In a profile accompanying the launch of the inaugural America's Top Lawyers for AI list, Forbes sat down with Anna to explore why attorneys have become central to AI business strategy and how the technology is reshaping legal practice. As a leading advisor to boards and executive teams, Anna has worked on some of the earliest AI safety frameworks and now counsels corporate clients on the risks and responsibilities of increasingly autonomous systems. In the profile, she discusses the shift from generative to agentic AI and its implications for the law: "We are living in a world where AI itself is changing from a generative technology to an almost completely agentic technology… Now we have technologies that take action. And I think that's never been more clear than over the past few months where AI agents are in the news every single day, not for what they can produce, but for the kinds of actions they can take in the real world."

With no settled playbook, Anna counsels clients in real time on first-of-their-kind matters, including model releases, AI safety and governance frameworks, copyright exposure and liability for agentic AI. Anna's cross-functional practice is distinctive in translating deep technical fluency into practical guidance that helps companies anticipate product-specific risks before they reach the market. She is also part of the leadership of the Freshfields team responding to high-profile AI safety and security incidents, where she directs technical investigations into novel system alignment issues and advises on safety architectures.

Anna has consistently been recognized as a leading advisor on AI by numerous publications and legal directories. She is ranked Band 2 in Chambers USA's nationwide Artificial Intelligence 2026 ranking and is recognized by Chambers Global in the Spotlight as a "Global Market Leader" in artificial intelligence. In 2023, she was named one of the "Top 100+ Women Leading AI" by Re-Work — one of only three lawyers in private practice to receive the honor. Her clients describe her as "an absolute rockstar" and their go-to advisor for complex AI matters. She is also the host of the weekly podcast The AI Drop™ and a sought-after speaker on AI liability, governance, and regulation.

Freshfields was recognized as a Global Market Leader in Artificial Intelligence by the Chambers Global Guide 2025. Freshfields lawyers — including hundreds of data and technology lawyers based across the US, UK, Middle East, Europe and Asia — deliver practical and commercial advice across a wide variety of AI-related matters. The firm offers a truly integrated approach to AI, leveraging cross-disciplinary experts from across legal fields who collaborate efficiently and effectively to cover all client legal needs.