Law Firm A&O Shearman Boosts Efficiency with AI-Powered Tool on Azure
A&O Shearman has achieved a 30 percent improvement in efficiency since implementing a new artificial intelligence-powered tool on Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform.
Introducing ContractMatrix
The innovative solution, named ContractMatrix, was developed in collaboration with Microsoft and the OpenAI-backed firm Harvey. Its primary goal is to expedite the drafting, reviewing, and negotiating processes for contracts.
Widespread Adoption and Time Savings
ContractMatrix is currently utilized by 1,900 A&O Shearman lawyers worldwide and supports multiple languages. On average, the tool has reduced contract review times by about seven hours.
Azure’s Crucial Role
David Wakeling, partner and head of the Markets Innovation Group at A&O Shearman, emphasized the importance of Azure in this development: “It’s been essential having Azure as an environment. Without it, a tool of this flexibility and scale would have been unthinkable. Azure is designed perfectly for the robust scaling of a system like ContractMatrix and the secure hosting of data.”
Ethical AI Use and Governance
To ensure ethical AI usage, A&O Shearman has implemented significant governance principles and integrated risk management into ContractMatrix’s design. Wakeling explained, “You’re always going to have a lawyer who’s being augmented, not displaced. Our system is grounded in leveraging high quality data sets. There’s always a cross verification against what the AI is suggesting.”
Availability on Azure Marketplace
ContractMatrix is now also available on the Azure Marketplace, allowing other organizations to benefit from this advanced tool.