The firm issued its first sustainability report in May with pre-emptive legal requirements to do so in Ukraine. It includes a record of how the firm operates its own business and contributes to the community through dedicated work, and how it advises clients on incorporating environmental, social and governance ESG standards into investment and operations. The firm s Chief Innovation Officer Kristina Dziadevych pushes practitioners to work in new ways. These include introducing new design principles to make due diligence reports more user-friendly, and launch an alternative legal services team that has developed unique solutions, such as a case management tool for litigation.
Under the leadership of Partner Nuno da Silva Vieira, the firm has created a technology intelligence department that experiments with offering creative solutions to contemporary challenges faced by lawyers. Projects include: the exploration of smart contracts where blockchain technology automatically fulfils obligations; a unique new intelligence project with technology company IBM; and a knowledge management application that standardise the firm's knowledge, making it easier for junior lawyers to train.
Lean designers: 'Monte Di Meier has made hiring Lean sites a game.
Helsinki is considered as the European center of the global design movement and Dottir is one of the law firms that are leading the way in integrating design principles with legal practice. Focusing on the user is a core strategic principle in the firm. It has employed lean working principles, whereby lawyers work with clients to reach a legal solution faster than they would otherwise, building and improving as they go along. They also work from documents that are accessible and user friendly. This model is particularly effective for start-up financing work, as the firm handles about half of all start-up financing rounds in Finland.
Digital movers the world over.
Ellex lawyers have seen the benefits of thinking digitally in their practice, from using technology to simplify case management to reaching clients via social media for a class action case. Partner Ants N mper led a comprehensive response to problems that have arisen from the pandemic, such as advising the Estonian government on policies to promote vaccine uptake and helping to compile guidelines on the distribution of medical resources. Digital expertise proved invaluable with Ellex lawyers drafting terms of service for an occupational health provider s app, aiding a medical centre to set up a digital clinic to host remote appointments and helping high tech start-up Certific launch an application process for digital national immunity passports.
As a specialist in large complex projects for clients that include Istanbul Airport, Goksu Safi Isik identified a benefit in using digital platforms to manage cases. The firm is a separate technology business called Mecellum that worked closely with lawyers to create a tech platform called Newmind. This uses Artificial Intelligence and Automation to assist with project management, due diligence and document drafting. Design at the core of design.
Partner and serial innovator Marco Imperiale has led the creation of a legal design practice at the firm, providing training to clients as well as consulting on projects such as making privacy policies and other documents more user-friendly. LCA's innovation team is experimenting with different techniques such as artificial language processing for bibliographic searches and blockchain for applications in intellectual property protection.
After launching NGL Legal in 2018, rather than trying to expand the firm in the traditional way — through new hires and acquisitions — managing partner Krzysztof Wiater founded NGL Symbio: a partnership between six independent law firms in central and eastern Europe. This alliance covers 50 jurisdictions and communications are shared between the firms, enabling clients to go wherever the resources and expertise are and for the firms to collaborate when needed. Firms in the network are working in special working groups for practices including banking and finance and joint topics such as cannabis law.
Under managing partner Morten Goller, the firm restructured its practice groups by the financial sector rather than legal practice expertise. Lawyers are trained in approaching the most agile processes and using agile methodology to innovate more quickly on projects — such as creating a new contract automation tool in collaboration with Media client Schibsted. The business development and client development functions have been expanded to help the firm build deeper relationships with clients.