Mishcon de Reya has launched a pilot with Legora – formerly Leya. The Stockholm-based genAI pioneer will be integrated into multiple workflows as part of a detailed evaluation. The move also follows Mishcon’s recent investment in agentic AI startup, CTRL AI.
Nick West, CSO, and Dan Sinclair, Head of Early-Stage Strategy, MDR Lab, explained that one key reason they had chosen Legora after looking at multiple genAI tools was ‘they want to sit next to people [in the firm] and co-build, rather than prescribe’. And that willingness to ‘co-develop’ is something Artificial Lawyer has heard before about Legora.
The Swedish company, which is rapidly expanding internationally including into the US and provides a suite of genAI ‘skills’ from drafting, to DMS search and more, has also been running a major PoC with Bird & Bird.
The firm said that the ‘pilot programme will allow Mishcon de Reya to evaluate and take advantage of best-in-class AI tools, empowering its legal professionals to explore and deploy AI in more impactful ways’.
Meanwhile, they will keep running their proprietary deReyAI, LLM-connected system, and see how they can combine the two for the most effective outcomes. Or, as West and Sinclair stressed, they’ll be maintaining a twin-track buy and build strategy.
And, as you’d expect from a law firm that has been a pioneer in legal innovation, such as creating its MDR Lab, Mishcon has scoped out a clear plan for what they seek to achieve:
- ‘Phase 1 will concentrate on optimisation of existing workflows.
- Phase 2 will delve into new opportunities, for example litigation-specific workflows.
- Also, the pilot programme will focus on integrating Legora’s AI solutions into Mishcon’s daily operations with clearly defined objectives and measurable outcomes, including:
- Optimising legal workflows by strategically transitioning users from deReyAI to Legora where appropriate and expanding AI capabilities across the firm.
- Enhancing efficiency and client service through tangible improvements in legal operations.
- Identifying and exploring future AI applications within the legal practice.’
Plus, the firm said that: ‘Crucially, the program will rigorously measure the impact of AI implementation, tracking efficiency and efficacy gains and operational enhancements to inform Mishcon’s long-term AI strategy.’
And that’s the way to go. No point bringing in a new legal AI tool and then just letting it flounder. The more a firm (or inhouse team) measures what is actually being done with a new tool, the more they can steer and improve its roll-out.
For example, maybe an area where they expected to see high use is not happening – which allows them to drill down and address that, perhaps with training, or some tweaks to the product via co-development. Or, maybe they see lawyers using the system very heavily for needs they had not expected, which opens up new ideas in terms of how to build out new AI-supported workflows. We will have to wait and see. But, as always, the first step is to begin. You can’t really evaluate in detail until your lawyers have got their hands on the tool and ‘deployed it in battle’, as it were. Then you’ll really see what it can and can’t do.
Mishcon’s Sinclair added: ‘We’re constantly evolving our AI capabilities to better support our lawyers and elevate client service. Partnering with Legora allows us to integrate best-in-class AI solutions while upholding our commitment to innovation and legal excellence. This pilot represents the next significant step in our AI journey, expanding our capabilities beyond our internal development.’
While Max Junestrand, CEO of Legora, concluded: ‘Legora is thrilled to partner with Mishcon de Reya to spearhead the next generation of AI-powered legal solutions. Legora’s mission is to empower exceptional lawyers. Our collaborative partnership perfectly aligns with that mission. By working closely with MDR’s teams to combine the leading AI-powered workspace with Mishcon’s market-leading legal expertise, we are not only co-developing AI tools for immediate impact but also laying the foundation for a long-term transformation of how AI supports legal professionals.’
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Conference News: Legal Innovators California – June 11/12 – San Francisco
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