Leaving a firm used to mean another firm, an in-house seat or a government role. Now there is a fourth option, and it does not come with a script. In the first half of 2026, 46 Am Law 200 lawyers moved to AI companies, most of them associates and many in roles that barely existed a few years ago. This edition breaks down who hired them, what they actually do once they get there, why firms are now competing with their own vendors for talent, and the questions worth answering before anyone follows them out the door.