Law Tech Daily

Welcome to your briefing for Aug 21, 2023. Here's what happened in Legal Tech recently.

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Stay informed, stay ahead. "Law Tech Daily" delivers daily insights from yesterday's legal tech news. Discover innovations, transformative changes, and emerging trends reshaping the legal profession. Listen on to stay ahead.

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In today's episode, we'll cover legal tech trends including generative AI, contract collaboration, and digital marketing, along with concerns about accuracy, privacy, and bias. We'll also discuss the merger of HBR Consulting, LAC Group, and Wilson Allen to form Harbor, a leading legal tech service provider. Additionally, we'll explore how London-based firm Genie AI has received a two hundred thousand British pound grant for their advanced AI legal assistant, revolutionizing accessibility and comprehension of legal services.

Here is what happened in legal tech recently...

Discussions surrounding the utilization of large language models (LLMs) and generative AI in legal tasks, such as document creation and advice, have persisted despite concerns regarding accuracy and privacy. Notably, there have been several significant developments in the legal tech landscape. For instance, the merger of HBR Consulting, LAC Group, and Wilson Allen has resulted in the establishment of Harbor, a global legal services provider. Additionally, Best Lawyers acquired Good2bSocial, a digital legal marketing agency, expanding the range of services available to their clients. Artificial intelligence remains a major focus for investment, as demonstrated by The Contract Network securing $8 million in seed funding and Genie AI receiving a two hundred thousand British pound grant from Innovate UK. Compliance issues have also arisen, with Google potentially facing substantial sanctions for violating the Federal Rules of Procedure.

Legal firms are increasingly embracing generative AI, particularly for tasks like document generation and research. This signifies a gradual shift towards automation to enhance efficiency. However, it is crucial to maintain human intervention to ensure the accuracy of outcomes. The investment in The Contract Network showcases the growing interest in AI-powered contract collaboration to expedite negotiations. Moreover, Best Lawyers' acquisition of Good2bSocial highlights the value of digital marketing strategies within the legal industry.

The increasing adoption and integration of AI, particularly in contract collaboration processes, demonstrate an industry striving for heightened productivity and efficiency. However, concerns surrounding accuracy, reliability, potential bias, and privacy issues necessitate robust governance frameworks to mitigate these risks. By combining AI capabilities with traditional methods, legal firms can augment human expertise, indicating that a hybrid model may represent the future of legal services.

Digital marketing is proving to be a successful trend within the legal sector, with firms recognizing the importance of strengthening their online presence to bolster business growth. Best Lawyers' approach of acquiring a digital marketing agency underscores the growing significance of creative digital strategies in industry competition. Additionally, Google's potential sanctions highlight the key challenge tech companies face – the need for robust data retention to ensure legal compliance. These sobering lessons present opportunities for legal tech to offer effective solutions, emphasizing that the industry is driven by both advancements and pressing challenges.

The merger of HBR Consulting, LAC Group, and Wilson Allen has given rise to a new entity known as Harbor. With an extensive team comprising more than 650 professionals specializing in strategy and legal technology, Harbor has established itself as a leading service provider in the legal tech and operations domain. Clients can now benefit from an all-encompassing solution provided by Harbor, leveraging their "end-to-end" approach.

The company has further augmented its capabilities through the acquisition of Aurora North and Younts Consulting, firms with expertise in legal technology applications and cloud migration. Additionally, the inclusion of KP Labs, renowned for its prowess in business process automation and contracts intelligence, has further strengthened Harbor's service offerings.

Harbor's core objective is to furnish clients with comprehensive, personalized, and tailored legal tech services while placing a strong emphasis on cultivating long-term relationships. Their commitment to client satisfaction is evident in their impressive client outreach, now serving over 80% of global 200 law firms as well as 50% of Fortune 500 companies.

With this collaborative merger, Harbor has solidified its position as a robust and reliable partner, capable of meeting the diverse needs of clients in the legal tech and operations landscape.

London-based legal AI firm, Genie AI, has recently been awarded a two hundred thousand British pound grant from Innovate UK, fueling the launch of its advanced AI legal assistant. This cutting-edge technology represents a convergence of legal services and AI innovation, as Genie AI's conversational assistant is able to break down intricate contracts and provide immediate legal advice to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Harnessing the power of open-sourced contracts, this revolutionary solution has the potential to transform the accessibility and understanding of legal services.

Since receiving the grant, Genie AI has made remarkable progress, with approximately 13,000 firms utilizing their platform and benefiting from over 10,000 legal documents. The substantial user base is a testament to the trust and confidence placed in Genie AI by businesses, as sign-up rates have reached an impressive 200 daily. As AI capabilities continue to evolve and match those of human experts, Genie AI combines this advanced technology with intuitive UI design and the SuperDrafter legal document editor. This comprehensive approach enables businesses to efficiently navigate complex legal agreements.

With the support of the Innovate UK grant, Genie AI is well-positioned to drive innovation in the legal sector. By leveraging AI to simplify and streamline legal processes, this London-based firm aims to revolutionize how legal services are accessed and understood, ultimately providing SMEs with the tools they need to navigate the complexities of the legal landscape.

And that's a wrap.

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