Posted 26 February 2025

The legal industry thrives on knowledge—case law, statutes, contracts, legal opinions, and firm-specific best practices. However, managing and retrieving this vast amount of information efficiently has long been a challenge for law firms. Enter artificial intelligence (AI), which is transforming knowledge management by streamlining how law firms organise, retrieve, and share critical legal information across the firm.

The Knowledge Management Challenge in Law Firms

Law firms generate and rely on enormous amounts of in-house knowledge - most of which has been traditionally stored within the firm’s document management system (DMS), a Sharepoint repository, or a knowledge management system (KMS). Though many of these systems offer robust search capabilities, they rely on keyword-based searches and lack the ability to understand the context behind the search. That means legal professionals may find themselves spending countless hours searching for the information they need, rather than spending valuable time advising on their cases.

However, by leveraging AI, law firms can optimise knowledge management, leading to increased efficiency, improved client service, and a competitive edge. 

How AI Can Transform Legal Knowledge Management 

One way that law firms can leverage AI to transform knowledge management is by employing AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT to improve knowledge retrieval. Take for example, Sysero’s unique chatbot solution which enables law firms to pair their in-house knowledge bases with ChatGPT to enable secure, smart, knowledge retrieval. Using the tool, legal professionals can instantly surface relevant legal precedents, case summaries, or documents using natural language queries in an intuitive chatbot. 

For example, a lawyer could prompt the chatbot to answer questions such as “what clauses is this document missing?” or “is this document buyer biased?”. By instantly cross-referencing in-house knowledge documents, the chatbot can verify facts and provide reliable information, while ensuring the firm’s valuable knowledge stays safe and secure. Lawyers and staff can also leverage the tool to draft new content, automate document summarisation, and uncover more relevant information using semantic searches. 

Built specifically for use by law firms, Sysero’s chatbot puts data security at the heart of its search. Unlike public-facing AI tools, Sysero’s AI solution only leverages in-house knowledge documents to generate new content and guarantees that in-house knowledge is never exposed to public search engines or other AI systems. Firms can opt to store their knowledge within their own infrastructure, or enhance scalability with the power of a private cloud. 

By ensuring that only approved, in-house knowledge is referenced, Sysero’s chatbot ensures accurate content generation and minimises “AI hallucinations” - a phenomenon that occurs when AI produce outputs that are incorrect or fabricated, despite appearing plausible. 

Creating a Competitive Advantage with Sysero AI

AI is no longer a futuristic concept for law firms - it’s a necessary tool for those looking to maintain a competitive edge in today’s market. By leveraging AI-powered tools and chatbots, firms can:

• Drastically reduce research time, allowing lawyers to focus on high-value work.

• Improve accuracy, ensuring high-quality client deliverables.

• Enhance efficiency, streamlining case preparation and decision-making.

• Increase client satisfaction, delivering faster and more precise legal counsel.

As AI technology continues to evolve, firms that embrace these advancements will position themselves as industry leaders, offering unparalleled efficiency and strategic legal expertise. To learn how you can bring the power of Sysero’s AI-driven chatbot to your firm, please get in touch. 

Posted 31 January 2025

In today’s fast-paced legal landscape, workflow automation has become an indispensable tool for law firms looking to stay competitive. However, no two firms operate the same way—each has unique processes, client needs, and practice specialties. This is where customisation comes into play. Tailored workflow automation solutions allow firms to design processes that fit their specific requirements, maximising efficiency and improving outcomes.

In this post, we’ll explore some key ways law firms can customise workflow automation to streamline operations and enhance productivity.

Automating Client Intake Forms and Processes

The client onboarding process is often one of the most time-consuming tasks for law firms. Fortunately, customisable workflow automation tools can simplify this process by automating client intake forms, engagement letters, and initial data collection. By combining well-developed compliance policies with the right technology solution, firms can create a streamlined and integrated client onboarding process that is tailored to the firm’s requirements. 

Take for example, how Wikborg Rein automated its client onboarding process with a digital intake solution from Sysero that uses a built-in risk matrix to automatically assess a new client or case against Money Laundering Act requirements. Client information is automatically checked against various public registers and information databases and their identity authenticated through their Bank Identifier Code. All client data is then stored (and deleted) in accordance with GDPR legislation.

By streamlining client intake with a customisable workflow automation solution, firms can minimise errors, speed up onboarding, and establish an onboarding process that suits their requirements. 

Integrating Knowledge Management into Contract Drafting with AI

Another time-consuming aspect of legal work is the drafting and revision of contracts. Traditionally, this process involves manually editing and rephrasing clauses to ensure clarity, compliance, and alignment with client needs. However, law firms can now integrate the power of AI into their contract drafting workflows, thanks to new solutions like Sysero’s ChatGPT API. 

Sysero’s API leverages an AI framework called Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to enable firms to pair ChatGPT with their internal systems in a secure and reliable way. Accessible directly from within Word, Sysero’s AI tool allows users to quickly and easily rewrite and revise contract clauses and drafts. If a party requests specific revisions to a contract, a lawyer could leverage Sysero’s chatbot to redraft the contract based on the specific requirements, without having to seek out various subject matter experts or worry about drafting conflicting clauses. 

Unlike public AI tools, Sysero prioritises in-house knowledge documents to generate new content and guarantees that in-house knowledge is never exposed to public search engines or other AI systems. 

By leveraging AI to seamlessly share in-house knowledge as part of an automated contract drafting workflow, law firms can significantly enhance efficiency and quality. 

Personalising Client Communication Automations

Effective communication is essential to maintaining strong client relationships. However, managing emails, follow-ups, and document exchanges can become overwhelming, especially for law firms handling multiple clients and cases simultaneously. Workflow automation tools, like Sysero, allow firms to streamline these communication processes, ensuring that client interactions are timely, organised, and consistent.

For instance, automated client intake forms can collect essential information from clients without the need for back-and-forth emails. This information can then be automatically routed to the relevant legal team for review, reducing delays and errors. Additionally, automated reminders and notifications can be set up to ensure that clients are kept informed about key deadlines, meetings, and case updates. 

For example, Spoor & Fisher Jersey leveraged Sysero’s low-code platform to build a robust workflow system designed to help its trademark formalities team quickly process and respond to trademark status updates. The Sysero Trademark Enquiry Handling Workflow pulls in data from the firm’s IP system to make it easy for team members to automatically access and aggregate the data they need to keep clients informed of their trademark status progress. 

By automating routine communication tasks, law firms can deliver faster, more responsive service while reducing overhead costs. This improved efficiency translates into greater value for clients, who benefit from a more streamlined and organised legal process.

Conclusion

Customising workflow automation isn’t just about improving efficiency; it’s about creating solutions that align with a firm’s unique needs and goals. From client intake to communication, tailored automation tools empower law firms to streamline processes, reduce costs, and deliver better outcomes for clients.

Ready to explore how workflow automation can transform your law firm? Contact Sysero today to learn more about our customisable solutions.

Posted 30 October 2024

The legal industry is increasingly intersecting with innovative technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). In recent years, AI models like ChatGPT have shown significant potential to boost efficiency in legal workflows, from drafting documents to rewriting legal contracts. However, with these innovations come critical responsibilities such as upholding client confidentiality, ensuring accuracy, and maintaining transparency.

As AI tools continue to create new opportunities for law firms to streamline workflows, enhance productivity, and ultimately improve client service, we explore how firms can embrace ChatGPT, while also maintaining data integrity and high-quality work. 

The Role of AI in Legal Practice

Today’s law firms face an increasing demand for speed and efficiency in delivering high-quality services to clients. With the emergence of large language models (LLM) like ChatGPT, lawyers can now leverage AI tools to streamline an array of once time-intensive legal tasks, such as:

• Drafting routine documents and templates

• Revising clauses and rewriting legal contracts

• Generating summaries for case notes

• Assisting with client communications 

By incorporating AI tools like ChatGPT into everyday workflows, law firms can enhance efficiency by streamlining routine tasks for lawyers. However, using ChatGPT also poses significant challenges, particularly in maintaining data privacy and ensuring high-quality work.

Key Considerations in Leveraging ChatGPT for Law Firms

While ChatGPT presents exciting opportunities for law firms to boost efficiency and streamline workflows, there also are some important drawbacks that need to be considered. Some of these key concerns include:

• Data Privacy Risks: Public AI tools process input data on external servers, which could lead to unintended data exposure or leakage. Law firms must handle sensitive client information carefully, and public AI platforms can increase the risk of breaching confidentiality.

• Lack of Customisation for Legal: Public AI models like ChatGPT are trained on vast, but general datasets, not on legal-specific data, which can lead to responses that lack the depth or specificity needed in legal contexts. Additionally, public models may not fully understand or correctly use legal terminology, potentially leading to inaccurate or vague outputs, which require careful review and correction by legal professionals.

• Accuracy and Reliability Concerns: While ChatGPT is powerful, it can generate responses that are factually incorrect, outdated, or legally unsound. Relying on public AI without thorough review can risk the quality and accuracy of legal advice.

Solving AI Challenges with Sysero and ChatGPT

One way that firms can overcome the challenges of ChatGPT is through a tool like Sysero’s ChatGPT API, which leverages an AI framework called Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to enable firms to pair ChatGPT with their internal systems in a secure and reliable way. 

By leveraging RAG, law firms can pair ChatGPT with their own internal systems. In Sysero’s RAG-based system, the model first retrieves relevant documents or knowledge from the firm’s own knowledge management system. This information serves as a context or reference point for generating an answer. Then, using the retrieved content, the model generates a response. This process ensures that the generated response is both contextually relevant and grounded in reliable information, reducing the likelihood of “hallucinations” (or inaccurate or fabricated details). 

Additionally, a RAG model allows firms to limit the amount of data that’s shared with a LLM like ChatGPT, which is only retained for a short period of time. Access to the LLM can also be controlled and monitored by the law firm, offering security and auditing benefits.  

By opting for a RAG-based AI model like Sysero’s, firms benefit from:

• Minimised Data Exposure: RAG systems allow AI to pull from a secured internal database of documents, precedents, or client-approved materials, reducing the need to send sensitive data to an external AI model for processing.

• Improved Accuracy: By grounding responses in specific, retrievable data, RAG systems are less likely to generate incorrect information.

• Enhanced Relevance: RAG allows AI to provide more contextually appropriate answers, limiting the risk of errors.

• Cost-Efficiency: RAG systems only charge for the limited amount of data that is fed into the LLM, making it significantly less expensive to run than a dedicated chatbot. 

Bringing RAG-Based AI to Your Firm

The integration of ChatGPT into legal practice presents exciting opportunities for law firms to boost efficiency and streamline workflows. However, with these advancements come heightened responsibilities. By adopting a RAG model to leverage AI, law firms can use AI responsibly to support their services without sacrificing quality or trust.

To learn more about using Sysero to power secure and accurate AI solutions within your law firm, please get in touch. 

Posted 29 August 2024

The legal industry is always evolving, but the growing adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is bringing about one of the most significant transformations yet. As AI-powered tools become more sophisticated, they offer law firms and legal practitioners unprecedented opportunities to enhance efficiency, improve accuracy, and free up valuable time to focus on more complex and strategic aspects of their work. 

In this post, we'll explore how AI is revolutionising the legal drafting process, and more importantly, how you can take advantage of AI to boost your firm’s productivity.

Automating Routine Tasks: The Power of AI in Rewriting Legal Contracts

One of the most time-consuming aspects of legal work is the drafting and revision of contracts. Traditionally, this process involves manually editing and rephrasing clauses to ensure clarity, compliance, and alignment with client needs. However, AI-powered tools are now capable of taking on much of this burden by automatically rewriting and optimising contract language.

Lawyers can leverage an AI tool to analyse a contract's language, suggest improvements, and even rephrase clauses to meet specific legal standards. This is particularly valuable when dealing with boilerplate language that is commonly used across multiple contracts. Instead of manually revising these sections, lawyers can rely on AI to ensure that the language is consistent, up-to-date with the latest legal developments, and tailored to the specific needs of the client.

For example, Sysero’s legal workflow automation technology now includes an AI chatbot that can be accessed directly from within Word. This tool allows users to quickly and easily rewrite and revise contract clauses and drafts. So, if a party requests specific revisions to a contract, a lawyer could leverage Sysero’s AI tool to redraft the contract based on the specific requirements, without having to seek out various subject matter experts or worry about drafting conflicting clauses. 

Unlike public AI tools, Sysero prioritises in-house knowledge documents to generate new content and guarantees that in-house knowledge is never exposed to public search engines or other AI systems. This approach significantly enhances the accuracy of the generated content and minimises “AI hallucinations” -  a phenomenon where AI produces outputs that are incorrect, nonsensical, or fabricated, despite appearing plausible or confident.

By combining automation with AI, Sysero can reduce the time required to produce new content by up to 95% and ongoing redrafting time by 80%. To compensate for any reduction in billable hours, lawyers can increase their revenue by billing hours for continuously improving knowledge automation services, quality, and accuracy and dedicating more time to addressing the complex, unique aspects of each case and contract. This ultimately provides more value to clients. 

Enhancing Knowledge-Sharing: Using AI to Improve Knowledge Management 

Another area where AI is making a substantial impact is in the realm of knowledge management. Law firms often have vast amounts of information and knowledge spread across the firm in disparate systems, making it difficult to access. However, ensuring that knowledge is readily available is crucial in creating consistent and accurate legal documents. AI-powered tools can automatically cross-reference information and documents within a firm’s database, making it easier for lawyers to identify missing clauses, detect biases, and ensure the overall accuracy of a document.

Over the last 10 years, the size and complexity of legal documents has grown exponentially. AI tools that interact with in-house documents can reference huge documents and email chains to automatically generate answers to complex requests by clients and counterparties in seconds. Combined with Sysero’s ability to generate content using in-house contact and matter based data, complete, concise and accurate emails can be created almost instantly with minimal effort.

For example, Sysero’s AI tool enables law firms to pair their knowledge bases with ChatGPT, providing the AI tool with temporary access to select documents. Lawyers can then leverage Sysero’s chatbot to answer questions such as “what clauses is this contract missing?” or “is this contract seller biassed?”

This capability helps lawyers verify facts and access reliable information, while also benefiting from AI's efficiency.

Beyond Efficiency: The Strategic Benefits of AI in Legal Work

While the efficiency gains from AI are significant, the true value of AI in the legal industry lies in its ability to free up lawyers to focus on more strategic tasks. By automating routine drafting tasks and ensuring the accuracy of legal documents, AI allows lawyers to spend more time on activities that require deep legal expertise, such as developing case strategies, advising clients, and negotiating settlements. With AI handling the more mundane aspects of legal work, lawyers can leverage their skills and knowledge to provide higher-value services to their clients.

As AI technology continues to evolve, its role in the legal profession is likely to expand, offering even greater opportunities for innovation and improvement. For law firms looking to stay competitive in an increasingly digital world, embracing AI is not just an option—it’s a necessity.

To learn about bringing the power of AI to your law firm, get in touch with the Sysero team. 

Posted 21 June 2024

In the fast-paced legal industry, efficiency and accuracy are paramount. Legal professionals are often burdened with repetitive, time-consuming tasks that detract from their ability to focus on more strategic, high-value work. This is where workflow automation technology comes in. By automating routine processes, legal teams can streamline operations, reduce errors, and enhance productivity. Yet with a myriad of options available, how do you choose the right automation tool for your firm?

Here are five must-have capabilities for any legal workflow automation technology.

1) Exceptional User Experience

A seamless and intuitive user experience is paramount for any workflow automation tool. Legal professionals are typically not software engineers, so the technology they use must be user-friendly and easy to navigate. 

When evaluating a legal workflow automation technology, be sure to ask the following questions: 

• Does the platform offer an intuitive interface that non-technical users can easily navigate? 

• Does it offer user-friendly tools, such as drag-and-drop functionality and flexible searching capabilities? 

• Does the platform empower seamless, yet secure, collaboration between internal users and external contributors?

An exceptional user experience ensures that legal professionals can adopt and utilise the automation tool efficiently, leading to higher productivity and user satisfaction. Workflow automation tools like Sysero provide users with an intuitive visual designer which enables lawyers and staff to quickly and easily build workflows, without the need for IT assistance. Lawyers can easily and accurately construct custom applications to fit their unique requirements, eliminating the need for extensive training. Sysero’s flexible Hybrid Cloud workflow automation technology also enables firms to host workflow forms on the public cloud to make them easily available to clients, whilst storing the data they provide on the private cloud for maximum security. 

2) Customisable Workflows

Every legal practice has its unique processes and requirements. Workflow automation technology must offer customisable workflows to accommodate these specific needs. Important features include:

• Drag-and-Drop Workflow Builder: Simplifies the creation and modification of workflows without needing technical expertise.

• Conditional Logic: Allows workflows to adapt based on specific criteria or triggers, ensuring that processes can handle various scenarios.

• Flexible Templates: Customisable templates that can be aligned to fit the firm’s specific tasks and processes.

Customisable workflows enable legal teams to tailor the automation tool to their exact needs, ensuring that it enhances rather than disrupts their existing processes. For example, when Spoor & Fisher Jersey tested its new Sysero workflow system, the firm discovered that around 1 in 10 cases in the IP system had sub-cases, which were not supported by the firm’s DMS system. Fortunately, Sysero’s low-code platform made it possible to add additional code to allow for the successful handling of these edge cases.

3) Real-Time Updates

Workflow automation is often used for template management systems within law firms, where collaboration is essential. By leveraging workflow automation for template management, legal professionals can work together on document creation and revisions, yet any update made to a template must instantly be reflected across the template management system to eliminate the risk of outdated or conflicting versions. 

When evaluating a legal workflow automation technology, be sure to ask how quickly updates and revisions are reflected across the system to ensure that your firm is providing up-to-date and informed services. 

4) Seamless Industry Integrations

Legal professionals rely on a variety of tools and systems to manage their work. Workflow automation technology must seamlessly integrate with these existing tools to provide a unified and efficient working environment. To be effective, workflow automation tools should be able to capture and pass data from applications such as Microsoft Word, CRMs, DMS and more. 

Fortunately, automated template management solutions like Sysero integrate seamlessly with in-house legal systems, such as iManage, CRM, case management, and other internal systems. Through improved internal integrations, law firms can simplify the client experience and demonstrate a commitment to providing excellent and cutting-edge legal services. 

5) Enhanced Security Features

Given the sensitive nature of legal work, data security is a top priority for any workflow automation technology. The tool must provide robust security features to protect client information and comply with regulatory requirements. Essential security capabilities include:

• Data Encryption: Ensures that data is encrypted both in transit and at rest to protect it from unauthorised access.

• Access Controls: Granular user permissions and role-based access controls to ensure that only authorised personnel can access specific information.

• Compliance Certifications: Adherence to industry standards and regulations, such as GDPR and KYC, demonstrating a commitment to data security and privacy.

Enhanced security features ensure that legal teams can trust the automation tool to safeguard their sensitive information and maintain compliance with regulatory requirements. 

Cloud-based technologies like Sysero can go a long way toward ensuring data security and mitigating compliance risk. By embedding compliance into every day processes, digital workflows can be the key to minimising compliance risks and enforcing compliant behaviours. Plus, tools like Sysero also enable you to enforce data protection policies and securely store data using data security best practices, such as pseudonymisation and encryption.

In Conclusion

Choosing the right workflow automation technology can revolutionise the way legal firms operate, enabling them to work more efficiently, accurately, and strategically. By focusing on these five must-have capabilities—exceptional user experience, customisable workflows, real-time updates, seamless industry integrations, and enhanced security—firms can ensure they select a solution that meets their needs and drives meaningful improvements.

Investing in workflow automation is not just about keeping up with technology trends; it's about empowering your legal team to focus on what they do best: delivering exceptional legal services to their clients. To learn more about Sysero’s legal workflow automation technology, please get in touch.

Posted 29 April 2024

In today's fast-paced legal landscape, staying ahead requires more than just legal expertise—it demands that firms strategically leverage cutting-edge technology tools. One way that law firms can gain a competitive advantage is by combining the power of AI-driven technology tools with those designed by human experts. While AI tools like Microsoft Copilot excel in analyzing vast amounts of data and providing valuable insights, human-designed technology tools bring a nuanced understanding of legal processes, regulatory considerations, and client needs. 

By integrating these two types of technology, law firms can strike the right balance between the speed and convenience of AI with the contextual understanding and strategic decision-making of human experts. This allows for enhanced efficiency, improved decision-making, and the delivery of high-quality legal services that meet the evolving needs of clients.

Here, we look at how law firms can combine Microsoft Copilot with Sysero’s Knowledge Management and Workflow Automation features to drive enhanced efficiency and client service. 

What is Microsoft Copilot?

Microsoft Copilot is “an AI companion designed to assist users by providing information, answering questions, and engaging in conversation” according to Bing.com’s free-to-use version of Copilot. Copilot is the result of Microsoft’s investment in OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT, and provides users with a natural language Chatbot experience using the Internet as its source of data.  A second variant of Copilot, and the reason for Microsoft's investment, is the Pro version. 

Copilot Pro does everything Copilot does, but adds the ability to “build your own Copilot GPTs tailored to your individual needs and interests”. A GPT is a natural language interface for a software application and Copilot Pro allows firms to integrate their existing applications with Copilot.  

Copilot Pro can be programmed to complete tasks such as retrieve information from your ERP system, summarise your in-house expertise on a subject, or guide you through a process. In order to do this, firms need to either develop their own GPT’s, which requires advanced technical knowledge, or use a software platform that integrates with Copilot Pro.

Creating AI-Driven Workflows with Copilot and Sysero 

Sysero is a platform that enables firms to build knowledge libraries, automate processes and integrate with existing applications. By combining Copilot with Sysero, law firms can leverage natural language capabilities to provide a chatbot that guides users through the maze of in-house systems and processes.

To make this magic work, firms need to define key phrases that activate a specific GPT.  For example “Get me a client's account balance” could be a trigger phrase for a GPT that asks for the client’s account number and uses that to retrieve the balance from the accounts system.  “Create an employment contract for Mr Joe Bloggs” could respond with a series of questions that use a standard template to create a perfect contract. More advanced automations could summarise the status of a specific matter or guide users through a series of steps to complete a complex task.  

AI systems like Copilot can sometimes make mistakes or take guesses because they're not perfect. However, when you create a workflow using Sysero, a human expert designs the questions. This expert knows how to set rules about what kind of answer is needed and how it affects the next steps in the process. These questions make up a Metadata Model that can be matched with the data in internal systems and databases. For example, if a prompt asks a user to “Please enter your name,” Copilot understands the response as two separate metadata elements: first name and surname. Sysero then checks this information against the data in internal systems to make sure it's correct. 

With Sysero’s Knowledge libraries, firms can also build internal classification systems for proprietary knowledge. So, when a user requests an example of an internal document or a specific account record, Copilot can be directed to search a specific in-house data source, rather than the entire internet. 

Enhancing Efficiency & Accuracy with Legal Processes

Within the world of legal technology, there’s often a challenge in understanding how “fuzzy logic” systems like AI fit into the meticulous practice of law. Contrary to AI, Sysero workflows are built by human subject matter experts, ensuring that processes and outcomes rely on precise and reliable data sources. By integrating Copilot with Sysero, firms can gain access to a unified, natural language interface that effectively guides both in-house and client users through precise processes, resulting in consistently accurate deliverables. 

To learn more about bridging the gap between AI and workflow automation for your firm, get in touch with the experts at Sysero. 

Posted 30 January 2024

As we enter 2024, an array of challenges lie ahead for law firms and legal professionals. A growing sense of uneasiness surrounds firms, as the continued cost of living crisis and inflationary pressures put the profitability of firms at risk. The good news is that game-changing technologies like workflow automation can be leveraged to help firms navigate the challenges ahead through strategic efficiency. By seamlessly integrating technology into day-to-day operations, law firms can not only streamline their processes, but also unlock new avenues for revenue growth. 

Increased Efficiency, Decreased Costs

At the heart of workflow automation lies the promise of increased efficiency. Mundane, repetitive tasks that once consumed valuable billable hours can now be executed seamlessly with automation tools. Document drafting, case enquiries, and even routine communication with clients—these processes, when automated, free up precious time for legal professionals to focus on higher-value tasks.

Consider a scenario where document creation and review are automated. This not only accelerates the pace of work, but significantly reduces the likelihood of errors, ultimately translating into time and cost savings. As the old adage goes, time is money, and in the legal realm, every minute counts.

Spoor & Fisher Jersey unlocked efficiency gains for its trademark formalities team by leveraging workflow automation to streamline once-manual tasks like responding to client requests for status updates. By employing a low-code workflow from Sysero, Spoor & Fisher Jersey achieved consistently improved response times, which led to obvious benefits for its clients and also improved team morale by easing their workload. 

Improving Client Service for Profitability

Workflow automation plays a pivotal role in optimising client service, a cornerstone of legal practice. From initial client intake to transactional work, workflow automation can be employed to ensure that each stage of the process is handled seamlessly. Timely responses to client queries, efficient collaboration among legal teams, and automated client intake are just a few examples of how workflow automation can transform client service. 

By reducing the turnaround time for transactional work and enhancing collaboration, law firms not only improve client satisfaction, but also position themselves for increased workloads. More cases and transactional work, handled with the same or even fewer resources, directly contribute to the bottom line.

Empowering Profitability through Low-Code Platforms 

Low-code workflow automation helps law firms bolster profitability by putting the task of application development into the hands of their internal IT support staff and lawyers. Non-technical staff can quickly, easily and accurately construct custom applications to fit their unique requirements, without relying on outside IT expertise. This not only enhances operational efficiency, but also allows law firms to allocate resources more strategically, directing financial investments toward legal expertise rather than extensive technical support.

Leveraging Data for Informed Decision-Making

Workflow automation tools generate a wealth of data on how processes are executed, the time taken for each task, and potential bottlenecks. Analysing this data provides law firms with valuable insights into their operations. By identifying inefficiencies, firms can make informed decisions to further optimise workflows, eliminating unnecessary steps and costs.

Future-Proofing Profitability

In a dynamic legal landscape, the adoption of workflow automation isn't just about staying competitive; it's about future-proofing profitability. Law firms that embrace automation position themselves as agile, client-focused entities capable of delivering high-quality services in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

As we navigate the intricacies of modern legal practice, the role of workflow automation in driving profitability becomes increasingly evident. By embracing these technologies, law firms not only adapt to the evolving demands of the industry, but also carve out a path towards sustained growth and financial success. The future of legal practice is automated, and the dividends it pays in profitability are significant.

To learn more, please get in touch with our team. 

Posted 4 January 2024

As we prepare to step into 2024, the legal technology arena is poised for transformative changes that promise to continue to redefine the way legal professionals operate, collaborate, and deliver services. While technology propelled law firms to operate in new ways in 2023, the emergence of a new year will continue to see legal professionals adopt advancing technology to create a competitive advantage.

From cutting-edge advancements in workflow automation to the dynamic shift towards cloud-based solutions, we unveil the key trends that will influence the legal landscape in 2024 and beyond. 

Greater Adoption of Automation

While 2023 proved to be a strong year for UK law firms, it was also a turbulent one. As we head into 2024, increasing cost pressures and high inflation continue to be a challenge for firms. As such, more firms will be pushed to embrace innovative technologies such as advanced automation to manage rising costs.

Not only do we expect to see greater adoption of automated solutions, we also expect to see it applied to a wider range of use cases within firms. For example, how Wedlake Bell leverages workflow automation for automated supply chain checks or how Spoor & Fisher Jersey unlocked automation to power more efficient trademark enquiry processes. 

Continued Rise of Low-Code/No-Code Solutions

In the last year, the emergence of low-code/no-code solutions has proved to be a transformative force. These innovative platforms are empowering law firms to streamline and customise their processes with unprecedented speed and agility. 

By minimising the need for extensive coding expertise, legal professionals can take the reins of application development, creating tailored solutions that meet the unique demands of their practice areas. Whether it's automating routine tasks, developing client-centric portals, or optimising case management workflows, low-code/no-code solutions enable law firms to swiftly respond to changing requirements without sacrificing precision. 

As we head into 2024, we anticipate this democratisation of technology to not only accelerate the pace of innovation within legal operations, but also help position those firms that adopt it at the forefront of a tech-enabled future, where adaptability is key, and efficiency is non-negotiable.

Extended Use of Cloud-Based Solutions

Law firms are moving to the cloud in droves, and it’s easy to see why. Cloud-based solutions provide unparalleled flexibility, enabling legal practitioners to work seamlessly from anywhere, fostering a new era of remote collaboration and flexibility. As law firms navigate the complexities of a digital age, the scalability, productivity, and accessibility of cloud-based solutions have become indispensable. 

As move firms move to cloud-based technologies in 2024, IT leaders will need to prioritise data security. Fortunately, cloud-based technologies like Sysero already have integral data security elements built in, such as pseudonymisation, and can be integrated seamlessly with applications like iManage.

Enhanced Data Security 

With cybercrime on the rise, data security is increasingly important within today’s law firms. In 2023, major law firms fell victim to cybersecurity ‘incidents’, and Britain and France's cyber watchdog agencies warned that hackers are increasingly targeting law firms in an attempt to steal data that could tip the balance in legal cases. Heading into the new year, firms have the opportunity to better secure their data - and their reputations. 

Cloud-based technologies like Sysero can go a long way toward ensuring data security and mitigating compliance risk. By embedding compliance into every day processes, digital workflows can be the key to minimising compliance risks and enforcing compliant behaviours. Plus, tools like Sysero also enable you to enforce data protection policies and securely store data using data security best practices, such as pseudonymisation and encryption.

Exploration of AI and Machine Learning

No legal technology trend list would be complete without a mention of AI and machine learning. Though incorporating AI into legal practice is no longer a new frontier, thanks to the emergence of tools such as OpenAI, we’re still a far cry from AI replacing lawyers and powering significant processes within the law firm. 

According to recent research from PwC, 69% of Top 100 firms believe GenAI will have a positive impact on revenues. Despite this, 38% of Top 100 firms have not yet done anything with regards to this new technology. 

Heading into 2024, we expect to see more firms explore the possibilities of AI, while embracing automation to solve the challenges of the immediate future. 

The Year Ahead

The legal landscape is continually evolving and is certainly due for more change in the year ahead. There’s no doubt that technology will play a significant role in the law firm of 2024, and we expect it will be all about tapping into new ways to drive enhanced efficiency, deliver better client service and ensure tighter data security. 

To talk about evolving your firm in 2024, get in touch with our team!