It's no secret that the Nordic countries are trendsetters when it comes to technological innovation. Their entrepreneurial cultures, supported by consistently high quality life of ratings and high social stability, have made them a cultural hub for start-ups and disruptive technology.
So, it should be no surprise that the Nordics' also are leading the way in reinventing legal services. While the legal industry generally tends to have a strained relationship with technology, Nordic firms are embracing technology as a transformative tool in delivering better client service. More specifically, they're tapping into the power of automation to ignite innovative change in the way clients are serviced.
Though not much has changed in the field of law in the past decades, there's now mounting pressure from the clients' side for greater efficiency, transparency and quality. And forward-thinking firms across the Nordics are taking it upon themselves to reinvent service delivery to meet the demands from clients to evolve.
Automating to Innovate
Many firms already are using technology to share information and know-how within legal teams. However, leading firms across the Nordics are taking technology to the next level by automating work to free up time for their lawyers to focus on more strategic, high value work.
For example, top-tier rated international law firm Wikborg Rein recently partnered with Sysero to develop a new knowledge management system that will integrate and automate internal knowledge, process management and document assembly. By combining knowledge management and automation, the firm can start to shift its lawyers' focus from searching and drafting to creating value for clients right from the start.
So, while automation remains a hotly debated topic in many legal circles, leading Nordic firms are already tapping into its benefits and bringing its advantages closer to clients.
Transforming the Way Lawyers Work
As clients demand faster, more consistent and higher quality work, firms need to find new ways of working. Firms across the Nordics already are equipping their lawyers with smart tools to help them do more with less and drive greater efficiency.
Castrén & Snellman (C&S), Finland's oldest law firm, has transformed the way its lawyers work by automating much of the document drafting process. The firm's knowledge management system, aptly named Transformer, enables lawyers to search for a document, such as a Share Purchase Agreement, and complete it by answering a series of questions via an online form. The system also enables the firm to merge different model versions, such as languages or buyer and seller side, into a single automated model document.
Using automation, C&S has reduced its document drafting time in half, while also minimising risk. Automation also has enabled the firm's lawyers to spend more time producing benefits for clients.
Focusing on the Future
As shifting client demands continue to reshape the modern legal landscape, firms might want to look to their Nordic counterparts for inspiration. Perhaps the best place to start is by adapting the Nordics' problem-solving mindset – identify a problem and find a simple way to fix it.
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