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Law firm tech: Tech trumps

working in a lightbulb

Allen & Overy

  • Most senior IT/tech professional: Andrew Brammer, IT and shared services director, reporting to managing partner Andrew Ballheimer
  • Other senior tech personnel: Kevin Oliver, head of advanced delivery; Jonathan Brayne, partner and chair of Fuse; Richard Punt, chief executive of Peerpoint; Marc-Henri Chamay, chief executive of aosphere
  • Size of tech team: 264
  • Main providers and tools: Kira; iManage – document management system; Thomson Reuters Elite – 3E business management system; Intapp – tool for data integration across multiple systems

‘Someone within their PR team must have been given the direction that any press release they issue has to have the word “innovation”,’ quips one partner at a City firm. Yet despite claims that the firm makes more noise than is justified, Allen & Overy (A&O) deserves its reputation of top tech and innovation team among the UK elite.

‘We feel we have given ourselves a competitive advantage on other law firms because we have a proposition that is more mature, so it results in us winning more work of the kind that we want from the clients that we want,’ says Brayne.

As well as a six-year-old, 100-strong legal services centre in Belfast, since 2014 the firm has fielded its 300-strong, flexible interim resourcing business Peerpoint, led by highly rated chief executive Punt.

Meanwhile, incubator Fuse hosts and supports legal tech start-ups. It first selected eight companies out of 84 applicants in September 2017. The second round, in April this year, saw five more established names, including Kira, join three of those from the first cohort. Kira co-founder Noah Waisberg says A&O wanted younger companies to learn from more established ones.

Fully-owned separate company aosphere has developed and sells banks and asset managers online subscription products covering recurring legal and compliance queries in the derivatives and data protection spaces.

Ashurst

  • Most senior IT/tech professional: Noel Jordan, chief technology officer, reporting to Jan Gooze-Zijl, chief financial and operations officer
  • Other senior tech personnel: Mike Polson, director of Ashurst Advance
  • Size of tech team: 160
  • Major technology providers and tools: Kira; iManage – document management system Continue reading “Law firm tech: Tech trumps”
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Disputes tech: A rich market for e-discovery but predictive tools face data hurdle

Paul Baker

 

It is hard to overstate the rise in disputes-focused technology in recent years – a trend underwritten by the dire need to streamline burdensome and expensive disclosure processes.

A major milestone was reached in June, when Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP) declared it had become the first firm to win a significant court victory on the back of using document review technology. A notable result, but the real victory came with the cost savings: BCLP partner Oliver Glynn-Jones said that the technology could save as much as a third of the costs of a normal disclosure exercise. Simmons & Simmons litigation partner Ed Crosse added to the hype when he told Legal Business this tech had saved his client somewhere in the region of £2m in a single matter. Continue reading “Disputes tech: A rich market for e-discovery but predictive tools face data hurdle”

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CISOs, clouds and response plans: cyber security in the post-DLA era

Isabel Parker

 

While quick to trumpet their tech capabilities, law firms are coy when it comes to cyber security policies. Making a defence strategy public could play into the hands of hackers, of course. But considering how devastating an attack might be for a law firm and its clients, one would expect at least some publicity of their initiatives on that front.

The issue gained notoriety last summer after a malware attack on a third party compromised DLA Piper’s systems and made the dangers to law firms as collateral damage a reality. Even according to the most conservative estimates, the disruption cost the firm $10m at the very least. But it could have been a lot worse if the attack had led to the disclosure of confidential client information, as with the email hack on Panamanian firm Mossack Fonseca & Co (the so-called Panama Papers) and the breach of offshore firm Appleby’s data in 2016 (Paradise Papers). Continue reading “CISOs, clouds and response plans: cyber security in the post-DLA era”

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Legal technology sponsored briefing: Legal IT – standing still is not an option

Peter Owen

 

Legal IT is going through a period of unprecedented change and CIOs need to be leading from the front. Peter Owen of The Intuity Alliance/Lights-On explains

Since the 1990s, IT in legal has been relatively steady and split between volume and traditional legal services, with volume areas consuming most of the technology and time.

Transactional and advisory practice areas have been content with a solid IT platform, thin laptops, smartphones, a strong document management system and a client portal. Litigation adds ‘discovery’ to this if they transact large matters, but in the main, this status quo has been maintained for many years. Today and in the future, all practice groups will be knocking on IT’s door demanding legal tech in order to compete in the age of digital legal services. Continue reading “Legal technology sponsored briefing: Legal IT – standing still is not an option”

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Legal technology sponsored briefing: Successful law firms in the digital age

Derek Southall

 

Derek Southall of The Intuity Alliance/Hyperscale Group assesses how successful law firms are adapting to the new digital reality

More has happened in legal tech in the last three years than in the 20 that went before. It is now a $15.9bn market with only 20% market penetration. Many law firms are shell shocked by the rate of change. What steps are the successful digital firms (SDFs) of tomorrow taking? Continue reading “Legal technology sponsored briefing: Successful law firms in the digital age”

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Legal technology sponsored briefing: The anatomy of a digital-age legal service business

Chris Bull

 

Chris Bull of The Intuity Alliance/Kingsmead Square considers the structure, funding and skills needed for a legal service business in the digital age

Note I am talking about ‘legal service business’, not ‘law firm’. ‘Law firm’ suggests a partnership – too outdated and narrow a term in an era when very few new partnerships are being created, and more existing firms are converting to corporate structures. Continue reading “Legal technology sponsored briefing: The anatomy of a digital-age legal service business”

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Legal technology sponsored briefing: Four ways to slash IT support costs

Stone Group

Stone Group’s Paul Flack explains how to reduce maintenance costs without sacrificing support quality

How much are you spending to support all the equipment in your company? Depending on your company size, IT hardware support costs can potentially consume up to two-thirds of the IT budget. So how can you drastically reduce the costs of maintaining your hardware without sacrificing the quality of support you receive? Continue reading “Legal technology sponsored briefing: Four ways to slash IT support costs”

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Legal technology sponsored briefing: Pillars of cyber security

Typing on a laptop

 

Andrew Stanton of Palisade Secure outlines the steps law firms should be taking to reduce threats

According to a 2017 PwC law firm survey, 60% of law firms reported an information security incident in the last year, up from 42% in 2014. The financial and reputational damage of a cyber incident is significant. Continue reading “Legal technology sponsored briefing: Pillars of cyber security”

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Legal technology sponsored briefing: Cross-border e-discovery in an age of change

touching digital globe

 

Brian Stuart of FTI Consulting details the challenges facing legal teams and how they can be overcome

Technology in the legal industry has advanced to such a degree that the global e-discovery landscape today would be unrecognisable to a lawyer from five years ago. New licensing deals offered by the mature software vendors (eg ‘software as a service’ and cloud hosting) have made it attractive for law firms to bring e-discovery software in-house. With automation, e-discovery processes have become more scalable and repeatable. Market pressure will often draw clients to the cheapest vendor rather than the right partner for the circumstances. Whether it is e-discovery in support of a legal dispute, an internal investigation or a regulatory inquiry, conducting such an exercise across international borders brings added complexity. Continue reading “Legal technology sponsored briefing: Cross-border e-discovery in an age of change”

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Legal technology sponsored briefing: Like it or not, voice technology is changing the way we work

Voice recognition graphic

 

It is no secret speech recognition is a valuable channel to drive efficiency and advance your firm’s performance

Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the way people produce and access information. Speech recognition and the understanding of language by software are key to the future of information management. The voice technology market is changing fast, with people using speech-activated applications on a variety of devices, such as smartphones and tablets, not only to consume data but also to interact socially and professionally, and produce wealth. Continue reading “Legal technology sponsored briefing: Like it or not, voice technology is changing the way we work”

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Legal technology sponsored briefing: RPA in legal – be cynical of the hype and do not get left behind

Scott Littlehales

 

Scott Littlehales of Littlefish on the importance for law firms of investing in automation

Picture the theatre of high-profile legal cases that feature in the mainstream media and on television dramas, and you can see why law remains an attractive profession. Continue reading “Legal technology sponsored briefing: RPA in legal – be cynical of the hype and do not get left behind”

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Offshore disputes: Big fish, small pond

Carlyle, Tchenguiz and Crociani are cases repeatedly cited by the leading players in Jersey and Guernsey as shorthand for big disputes and big fees. These cases just keep on giving: all three are now subject to further appeals or related proceedings, prolonging their life in litigation terms. Elsewhere, the mood among local dispute resolution and insolvency lawyers is generally upbeat. Although less high-profile litigation might not deliver the big headlines, there is enough going on below the radar for revenues to remain healthy.

‘Insolvency-related disputes are still a significant source of work globally,’ says Jeremy Wessels, Mourant’s head of litigation and dispute resolution. ‘Other areas where we have seen increased activity include trust-related litigation, regulatory, debt restructuring, cross-border enforcement and go-private transactions.’ Mourant remains the biggest Channel Islands firm for disputes with 25 lawyers in Jersey (five partners and 20 other fee-earners) and 23 (six and 17 respectively) in Guernsey. Continue reading “Offshore disputes: Big fish, small pond”

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Gordon Dadds to become largest listed firm with £43m acquisition of Ince

Adrian Biles

Gordon Dadds is set to become the UK’s largest listed law firm by revenue after acquiring Ince & Co for an expected £43m.

An announcement to the London Stock Exchange today (29 October) confirmed Gordon Dadds had agreed to acquire all of Ince, including its international LLP. The new firm, to be called Ince Gordon Dadds, will jump into the UK top 40 with revenue of more than £110m, and have 100 partners across offices in nine countries. Continue reading “Gordon Dadds to become largest listed firm with £43m acquisition of Ince”

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London calling for Latham as it makes up nine partners in the City

latham ship illustration

Latham & Watkins has promoted 31 lawyers to partner across all five of its departments globally, with 29% of those getting the nod in London.

The promotion round, effective of January next year, sees a notable increase in associates making the cut in London, with just two being made up last year in the City. Globally the firm’s 31 promotions equal last year’s round, which saw New York receive the lion’s share of promotions. Continue reading “London calling for Latham as it makes up nine partners in the City”

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‘Fit like a glove’: Gordon Dadds brings Ince into the modern era, says leadership

Ince & Co

The lack of overlap between Gordon Dadds and Ince & Co made the tie-up an ‘overwhelmingly attractive proposition’, the firms’ leaders say.

Gordon Dadds will be become the UK’s largest listed law firm by revenue after an announcement this morning (29 October) confirmed its acquisition of Ince for an expected £43m. The new firm, to be called Ince Gordon Dadds, will jump into the UK top 40 with revenue of more than £110m, and have 100 partners across offices in nine countries. Continue reading “‘Fit like a glove’: Gordon Dadds brings Ince into the modern era, says leadership”

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Sponsored briefing: An asymmetric approach to litigation PR

Press conference graphic

Tim Maltin of Maltin PR on the importance of getting the balance right between winning the court case and winning over the public

King Pyrrhus of Epirus famously said: ‘If we are victorious in one more battle with the Romans, we shall be utterly ruined.’ He was talking in 279 BC about the large number of soldiers he had lost in the Battle of Asculum, but today he could just as easily have been referring to the high cost of litigation, or the pitfalls of winning the legal battle inside the courtroom at the expense of losing the communications war outside it. Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: An asymmetric approach to litigation PR”

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‘Legal catching up’: TLT launches £500k fund to improve tech and consulting lines

business operations

TLT has created a £500,000 investment fund to help test technology and other ideas more quickly before providing them to clients.

The initiative, called Future Law, is expected to generate revenue this year and will be led by digital sector head James Touzel. The firm has ring-fenced the fund as part of its budget for this year. Continue reading “‘Legal catching up’: TLT launches £500k fund to improve tech and consulting lines”

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EasyJet GC completes ITV round-trip for head of legal job

ITV has appointed easyJet group general counsel (GC) Kyla Mullins as its new head of legal, filling a role vacated by the experienced Andrew Garard in July.

Mullins returns to ITV having previously been its group legal director between 2000 and 2007. She also had spells as GC at EMI Music and energy company Mitie before joining budget airliner easyJet in 2015. Continue reading “EasyJet GC completes ITV round-trip for head of legal job”