Slaughter and May is a leading international law firm, advising clients on a variety of corporate and financial matters. Slaughter and May’s blue-chip client list includes a broad range of organizations, over 100 Fortune 500 clients, and more FTSE 350 clients than any other law firm. 

Slaughter and May’s ‘Collaborate’ is a cohort-based program open to innovators and entrepreneurs in the legal technology sector. It was created to help Slaughter and May explore and unearth innovation in the legal tech market, expose lawyers to the newest technology, and test tools to see how they could enhance firm systems and processes.

DraftWise joined Slaughter and May’s 2023 Collaborate cohort for a pilot including more than 50 lawyers over 3 months. The goal of the pilot was to harness the power of new technologies to enhance Knowledge Management documents and processes, in particular the ability to easily surface precedent clauses while drafting.  

“The purpose of DraftWise and the problem it is trying to solve is one that exists at every law firm…and exists specifically in that point where you want to make the best use of your data.” Stella Laver, Knowledge Systems Manager

Functionality drives adoption: integrating into lawyer workflows for immediate value

The legal technology industry is a concentrated space, where solutions that truly stand out are those that address the core pain points of legal professionals.

Slaughter and May lawyers were drawn to DraftWise because of its functionality, ease of use, and accuracy. The platform quickly proved its value by seamlessly integrating into existing workflows, offering immediate benefits without the need for extensive training or adjustments.

“I was skeptical until I got in and saw that actually I can type in a couple of words here and get something back that’s really useful, that would have taken hours for someone on my team or myself to look through to comprehend and understand.” Associate, Slaughter and May 

As a result, Slaughter and May lawyers found that DraftWise delivered instant utility, allowing them to shift time spent from a search and discover process to a higher-level strategic process:

“It was very easy to use, quick and intuitive to see what positions we had taken previously and apply higher-level thinking to that – packaging it up and putting that into the document that I was working on” Associate, Slaughter and May 

Connecting lawyers with the right language at the right time

Running redlines against previous document versions 

Slaughter and May lawyers found that the typically time-intensive process of running redlines against previous document versions was greatly improved when using DraftWise. The platform centralizes document versions in a single view panel for simple and clear comparison – streamlining the process of locating and sorting through multiple document versions.

“I think what I found really, really helpful was the ability to run redlines against previous versions of the same document very quickly.” Associate, Slaughter and May 

Enabling quick document iterations

Associates at Slaughter and May reported that DraftWise significantly simplified their drafting workflow, eliminating the delays and inefficiencies typically encountered with standard redline software, which often requires document closures, saving, and re-downloading due to poor system integration:

“It streamlined a lot of my drafting workflow. With normal redline software you can’t do anything else while the redline is running and it doesn’t integrate well into the system, so often you have to close the document, save it, re-download it. [DraftWise] sped up the process a lot.” Associate, Slaughter and May 

Increasing visibility into firm deal history

In centralizing relevant language from Slaughter and May’s deal history, lawyers achieved better visibility into the best language available. DraftWise mobilized Slaughter and May’s Know How database – empowering lawyer with highly relevant, curated content. Lawyers felt that the increased visibility into the firm’s precedent provided a clear roadmap from which to navigate strategic decisions:

“Whether it was just checking a familiar point or understanding other perspectives, because it was so quick and easy to use, I was able to check things that I normally wouldn’t go into that improved the overall work product.” Associate, Slaughter and May 

Surfacing relevant language 

DraftWise users at Slaughter and May reported that the platform quickly addressed a common frustration among lawyers: the inability to easily locate known language. This improvement in content accessibility not only saved time, but also empowered lawyers to leverage the firm's knowledge base more effectively, enhancing their ability to make informed decisions and apply best practices.

“One of the things that came out quite quickly was people were saying ‘ I knew this content was in there but I haven’t been able to find it quickly and easily before.” Stella Laver, Knowledge Systems Manager

Enhancing strategy and learning at Slaughter and May

DraftWise quickly aligned with the specific needs of Slaughter and May lawyers by addressing a critical pain point: reducing the time spent on information finding and consolidation.

DraftWise enabled Slaughter and May lawyers to significantly reduce the time spent finding and consolidating information. By streamlining these processes, the platform allowed lawyers to save valuable time, which they could reallocate to strategic tasks, such as applying data insights to improve client outcomes. 

The platform’s ability to present a more comprehensive view of firm data not only accelerated workflows but also boosted lawyer confidence in making precise and well-informed drafting decisions:

“With having DraftWise available, I felt more confident that I would land on a precedent set that was more relevant. I could pull together multiple sources and use things that already existed rather than having to work through it manually.” Associate, Slaughter and May 

“You could see [the data/an inquiry] from several different angles which builds up a fuller picture and gave me more confidence in putting together a suggestion.” Associate, Slaughter and May 

Supporting lawyer learning & confidence

DraftWise also enhanced learning opportunities by surfacing information that might otherwise have remained hidden, allowing lawyers to familiarize themselves with relevant Slaughter and May precedents. This improved their drafting decisions and overall strategy, helping them leverage the firm’s institutional knowledge more effectively.

​​“An example here is we were presented with a legal opinion in one context and I typed in certain terms and wording in DraftWise and it threw up legal opinions and research in other areas that talked about the same concepts that if I were to do a manual precedent search I would never have come across. And I could therefore use it to find and answer and to learn that this applies in a broader context and changes my understanding of how it works.” Associate, Slaughter and May 

Purpose-built tech unlocks strategic insight and efficiency

DraftWise seamlessly integrated into the firm’s workflows, allowing Slaughter and May lawyers to access a richer, more complete picture of firm data. This not only streamlined drafting processes but also enhanced their strategic application of data, driving greater visibility into deal history and improving client outcomes.

“They were very responsive and really listened to feedback. The DraftWise team were really good at proactively suggesting ways to help and they actually came in and conducted some onsite feedback sessions which got great feedback out of the users” Emily Lew, Head of Client & Practice Solutions 

By surfacing relevant language and historical precedents quickly and accurately, DraftWise empowered Slaughter and May lawyers to engage in more critical thinking and learning. The ability to run redlines, enable quick document iterations, and explore firm knowledge in greater depth helped lawyers feel more confident and informed in their decision-making. 

Ultimately, DraftWise proved to be a platform designed with a deep understanding of lawyer pain points, enabling Slaughter and May to improve efficiency and strategic insight, and client success.

“It was that ability to produce something that felt very Slaughter and May and very me and not just a generic response. In contrast to other software, you could see where the data was coming from and it wasn't just giving you some suggestions without context or sources, it was all founded in documents that you could then go and explore and look into and see what role and side we were on, which agreements and which jurisdiction would be used.” Associate, Slaughter and May 

To learn more about how DraftWise is purpose-built to improve lawyer visibility into a complete data picture to inform strategic work, connect with the DraftWise team. 

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