CoCounsel Case Study: Primas Law

Flexibility and reliability 

It was important to choose GenAI solutions that could be used across the firm so that teams were not using disparate technologies. CoCounsel offers vital flexibility. According to Kerr, “The use cases are different for each team. Litigation uses CoCounsel differently than employment, who uses it differently to corporate, who uses it differently to real estate, and so on. But some of those use cases can be repurposed across the teams. And we’re finding new use cases all the time. It’s a very flexible tool.”

Reliability of outputs was also a critical consideration — and this was another key reason why Primas Law chose CoCounsel from Thomson Reuters. Given that the firm was already using Westlaw and Practical Law for legal research and guidance, using GenAI tools built on these trusted platforms made sense.

Kerr says, “CoCounsel will allow us to leverage our investment in Practical Law and Westlaw from Thomson Reuters, reducing research time and maintaining the quality of our work. The generative AI skills within CoCounsel will enable our lawyers to use their expertise more effectively, enhancing the client experience. We are particularly excited about the CoCounsel Drafting functionality which will transform the way we draft documents in conjunction with Practical Law. This increased efficiency and productivity will support Primas Law as we continue to grow our business.”

Recognising that some people have concerns about the accuracy of AI outputs, Kerr advises that human oversight remains just as important as ever, though neither he nor his colleagues have ever been given a wrong answer by CoCounsel. He gives the example that research undertaken by a trainee would be reviewed by a more experienced lawyer before being sent to a client — and points out that AI-generated work is no different.

Attracting talent and new business

Primas Law’s innovative approach as an early adopter of GenAI has enhanced the firm’s appeal to top talent and clients. Kerr dismisses the idea that AI will replace lawyers, pointing out that it will instead make them more productive and allow more time to focus on cognitive tasks. 

In his view, “Lawyers, particularly of a certain generation, are really attracted to the idea that we're doing this. Where we’re competing for talent against much larger firms, people might not think that we'd be at the cutting edge of GenAI — and we are. That's proved a useful recruitment tool for us.” 

“CoCounsel also makes it easier to pitch for and win new client work. You can get information about some of the issues the client might want to look at quickly so you can engage with them about the substance of the matter and navigate your way into a meaningful conversation much faster than would otherwise have been the case. It’s good to be able to impress clients early on with minimal time input. Clients also are attracted to the idea that we're a progressive practice.”

Kerr believes that although putting KPIs (key performance indicators) around the use of AI may not be straightforward, he expects core metrics such as realisation rates, profit margins, new business conversion, and — ultimately — revenue to improve over time as use cases become more embedded.

“The obvious upsides of GenAI are around efficiency, productivity, and being more agile and interactive with your clients. It gives us a competitive edge in that sense. We're able to do things a bit more cleverly and faster. And that will only increase,” Kerr says.

Successful implementation

Kerr adds, “This is the next evolution for the delivery of legal services. It felt natural to us to be at the forefront of that rather than playing catch-up. There are some important strategic advantages to being early adopters, but there are challenges to it as well.” 

For the successful implementation of GenAI solutions, he advises firms to:

• Articulate the business case before implementing any AI solution. 
• Interrogate potential products thoroughly with an in-depth trial.
• Phase the introduction — and start with the easy wins.
• Bring the team on the journey by ensuring people are using it and getting feedback as you go.
• Create super users in each team to push the boundaries and communicate the benefits. 
• Train people well and get them to talk about their experiences to promote best practices and solutions to issues. 
• Be realistic about expectations.

“When it comes to GenAI, you need to work with it. It's like any other tool. You need to develop how you use it, and you get out what you put in,” Kerr says. “I'm a big believer that if you buy into this new world, you'll reap the rewards.” He’s already been proved right.

Primas Law

Specialising in corporate and commercial work, commercial property, employment, commercial litigation, and insolvency, Primas Law provides a complete range of legal services for businesses. They offer quality as a priority, meaning clients can expect a first-class value for money service.

Challenges

With AI set to revolutionise the business of law, Primas Law aimed to stay ahead of the game, seeking to leverage AI efficiency gains and quality improvements to work outputs. 

Why Thomson Reuters GenAI solutions?

The firm wanted a flexible solution that could be deployed for a variety of use cases. The suite of tools available through CoCounsel offers adaptability. Building on the extensive knowledge and expertise of Practical Law and Westlaw, it offers all-important trustworthiness and reliability.

Benefits

• Accelerates key tasks, including research, document review, and drafting
• Delivers high quality outputs 
• Boosts productivity
• Offers flexibility to be used in different ways across the firm
• Builds on trusted Practical Law and Westlaw platforms