Legal tech

Big Four AI chief’s advice to firms: Develop your own software

A Big Four global leader in legal AI believes firms should build their own software to develop their competitive advantage. Speaking to The Lawyer, Saskia Vermeer de Jongh, global law AI leader at EY Law, said: “It’s important to start your journey with AI embedded in the lifecycle rather than using a standard product. Start […]

Roundtable: Navigating the ethical questions of genAI technologies

Generative AI will have transformative implications for the legal sector. As the capability of the technology increases, questions inevitably arise including the impact on the lawyer-client experience, disruption to the law firm business model, and others. What will be the biggest change? Empowering more work to be done by individual lawyers? A shift in the […]

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GCs are embracing AI more than law firms are

Appetite for generative AI tools that manage menial, yet important, tasks has risen rapidly, with new data showing that adoption rates have doubled in the last six months. But it isn’t just private practice lawyers who are embracing the latest tech explosion, clients are too. There’s no denying that, while appetite is high, law still […]

Pinsents expands in Middle East with NewLaw launch

Pinsent Masons has doubled down on its Middle East offering with the launch of its NewLaw business Vario in Dubai. The move will see senior legal counsel Britta Spachtholz relocate to Pinsents’ Dubai office, which is where Vario will be based. The Middle East launch comes after a period of expansion for Vario. Since launching […]

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Ashurst picks Poland for third delivery centre launch

Ashurst is to launch a global delivery centre in Krakow, following on from NewLaw offerings in Glasgow and Brisbane. The firm is opening in the Polish city’s business district with a staff headcount of 15. Ahead of the launch, Ashurst partnered with Elevate to help design the premises and sort operational logistics. Talking to The Lawyer […]

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Speed over precision: Clients give feedback on OC’s genAI strategy

Osborne Clarke has designed a generative AI strategy hinged on involving clients in the testing and tech development process. Client feedback following the initial rollout of the firm’s GPT compliance chatbox ‘Coco’ is leading Osborne Clarke to prioritise speed over precision for users of this tool and other practice-specific AI currently in the works. According […]

Dentons

Dentons taps Mishcon for next innovation boss

Dentons has found a new innovation lead after its previous incumbent moved to Charles Russell Speechlys towards the end of last year. Rowena Rix has filled the position, making the move on 8 January 2024 from Mishcon de Reya, where she was head of legal solutions. Rix has spent the last five years in legal […]

From dabbling to investing: Deal lawyers prepare for GenAI

Do you trust the tech yet? Do your clients? That’s what lawyers across the industry are trying to figure out a year after OpenAI launched ChatGPT and brought Generative AI firmly into our lives. In a roundtable session held by The Lawyer and software provider Litera, corporate partners gathered to discuss this topic. While artificial […]

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Pinsents tasks 11 teams with genAI testing

Pinsent Masons is appointing AI champions within every office, creating 11 different “communities” of employees participating in data product testing.  The firm wants to make support around AI-related initiatives locally accessible by establishing advanced delivery teams for each practice group, as well as function-focused communities to test the capabilities of Microsoft 365 Copilot. The 11 […]

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“Prepare for the new world:” Simmons debuts genAI tool

Simmons & Simmons has developed its own generative AI (genAI) tool, with its workforce encouraged to train up and think about how new technologies can help in their daily life. The firm has called its genAI tool “Percy” – named after one of the twin brothers who co-founded Simmons in 1896. While Percy is powered […]

GenAI is an open door for cyber-criminals

Last week’s artificial intelligence (AI) summit at Bletchley Park perfectly highlighted just how rapidly the landscape around this technology is morphing. The headline from the conference was the first-ever international declaration on AI safety, aimed at heading off the risk of “catastrophic harm” caused by AI. The sub-text is that the world, never mind the […]