By Jemma Slingo2021-05-17T09:51:00+01:00
Magic circle firm Clifford Chance has revamped its technology research and development efforts - as rival Allen & Overy declares that technology is now ‘top of the agenda’ for management.
At Clifford Chance a new ‘R&D Hub’ will develop digital products to sell to clients and to transform the firm’s own operations. Clifford Chance Applied Solutions – which was incorporated in 2018 and develops software applications for clients – will continue to exist as a subsidiary of the business.
Bas Boris Visser, global head of innovation, said: ‘The business of law is changing faster than ever, and pandemic disruption in the wider business world has set the stage for accelerating demand for digital legal products. By bringing together the research and development capabilities that we have developed both within the firm and in our successful subsidiary Clifford Chance Applied Solutions, we can boost the speed and scale to our digi
Clifford Chance launches new R&D hub to accelerate digital product development
17 May 2021
Innovation expert April Brousseau is named director of the new unit
April Brousseau Image courtesy of Clifford Chance UK Magic Circle firm Clifford Chance has appointed April Brousseau as director of its new research and development hub, with the coronavirus pandemic boosting demand for products that can help lawyers work digitally. Brousseau – who is based in London and was previously global lead for Clifford Chance Create & Innovation – will oversee the hub’s efforts to accelerate and scale the development of digital products for both clients and the firm’s operations. The hub will pool the firm’s product research and design and development capabilities – including expertise from its Clifford Chance Applied Solutions unit – making it quicker and more effective to roll out new digital products.
Freshfields Brings In Team From Closed Legal AI Company RFRNZ
Global law firm, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, has hired a team of machine learning experts who were previously at the German legal AI company, RFRNZ, which recently closed down – (see story).
Adriaan Schakel, Moritz Biersack, Fillipe Galiza and Ramesh Kumar have joined the firm’s Global Technology & Innovation team, and are located in the Berlin and Munich offices.
The firm said that all of the new hires are proven specialists in machine learning and were previously co-founders or management at legal tech pioneer, RFRNZ.
At Freshfields they will ‘contribute their unique knowledge and experience in developing innovative solutions as part of the firm’s wider digital transformation’ the firm said.