Futuristic tech gets the green light after 18-month pilot
Addleshaw Goddard has followed in the footsteps of magic circle duo Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Clifford Chance, putting pen to paper on a deal that will see it embrace artificial intelligence (AI) system ‘Kira’.
In a statement released earlier today, the firm revealed that after piloting a range of AI systems over 18 months, it had punted for Canadian software provider Kira Systems. Partly owned by ex-Weil, Gotshal & Manges lawyer Noah Waisberg, Kira is basically a paralegal on steroids which can quickly scan contracts and accurately spot any potential legal pitfalls.
The futuristic tech can even learn on the job thanks to its ‘Quick Study’ feature. Lawyers can highlight to Kira which parts of a document are particularly important, so next time round the system can handle the matter automatically. Legal Cheek gives it a month before Kira is being taught how to fetch lunch for the partners from the local Pret.
Having tested out Kira within its corporate banking and real estate teams, Addleshaw Goddard — clearly impressed — has now signed up Kira on a permanent deal. Singing its praises, Kerry Westland, a managing associate in the firm’s Transaction Services Team (TST), commented:
We chose Kira because of the quality of the information it extracts and the flexibility of the Quick Study facility which enables us to build our own legal expertise into the system. All of this helps us to deliver work accurately, quickly and efficiently whilst helping us to manage risk. We’ve been able to integrate Kira into our other technology solutions to enable us to continue to transform the way we deliver services to our clients.
Back in September magic circle outfit Freshfields revealed that Kira had been rolled out across its low-cost legal support hub in Manchester. This followed the news that both Clifford Chance and DLA Piper — hoping aboard the AI bandwagon — had punted for the same system earlier this summer.