With the solution, the firm is at the forefront of using Artificial Intelligence to improve daily processes with a high level of security.
Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to be a co-pilot for lawyers in law firms, assisting legal professionals with a variety of tasks.
However, the implementation of AI also raises ethical and privacy concerns around ensuring the security and confidentiality of customer data.
To address this, leading Brazilian law firm Machado Meyer Advogados adopted the Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service to develop a safe and effective tool that uses AI as a complement to the work of legal professionals.
Since December 2023, the solution has been assisting the day-to-day activities of the office in five main demands: translations, revisions, summaries and research.
After the official launch, other functions will be added according to the future demands of the office teams.
“The project with Microsoft brings more innovation to our environment and allows us to extract knowledge faster and easier for our lawyers, enhancing our information base and making the work even more effective,” explains Paulo Silvestre de Oliveira Junior, Head of Innovation and Development at Machado Meyer Advogados.
The development of the solution is part of a larger strategy of the firm, which has been expanding the narratives of innovation internally with initiatives that integrate its expertise with the latest technologies, in order to ensure an increasingly effective and complete work, extracting value from a collection of documents produced over the more than 50 years of Machado Meyer’s history.
Among the projects, Machado Meyer has also advanced with a collaborative portal for the internal public, initially, which is in the testing phase and should reach maturity in early 2024.
For Silvestre, with these actions it is possible to use Artificial Intelligence and new technologies in an ethical and safe way for everyone.
“It’s time to evolve processes, offering resources so that operational tasks can be supported by the use of AI and our experts have more time to develop strategic activities,” says Silvestre.
“Once we have accumulated all our internal potential, we will be ready to offer an even more complete experience for our customers. In the fourth stage of the project, we will not only support our own operations, but we will also be a vital point of contact for our customers, providing services, answering questions and collecting feedback for continuous improvement.”
The firm intends to launch a Client Portal, where all the tools and infrastructure developed in the previous phases will be made available to the public.
This milestone represents the full realization of the project’s vision, in which clients will have direct and easy access to all the features and services that the firm offers.
For Juliana Abrusio, partner in the Digital Law and Data Protection practice, this is an important milestone for both the firm and the legal sector as a whole. “Artificial Intelligence has opened up countless possibilities for companies in different sectors. Participating in this project strengthens our ability to offer innovative solutions and support our customers in the process of adopting and implementing this technology to generate solutions and value,” she says.
Andrea Cerqueira, Vice President of Corporate Sales for Customers and Startups at Microsoft Brazil said: “Since we launched our generative AI capabilities, we’ve been working closely with our customers to develop solutions that further enhance their innovation and productivity. Machado Meyer has a vast legal knowledge and what we have done is to unify all this information in a database that allows lawyers to have information relevant to their activities. In addition, the solution has native security features in the cloud, which offers the necessary tools for the firm to keep its information under governance, privacy and ethical principles.
We asked Paulo Silvestre further questions to find out more about the project.
How does the Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service specifically enhance the efficiency of legal professionals at Machado Meyer Advogados in their day-to-day tasks such as translations, revisions, summaries and research?
This technology significantly enhances the efficiency of our lawyers by automating and optimizing time-consuming tasks such as translations, document analysis and reviews, as well as detailed legal research. With the ability to process and analyze large volumes of data in seconds, this tool not only speeds up result delivery but also increases the accuracy and quality of the work performed.
Using AI for translations ensures greater terminological precision, crucial in legal texts.
In document reviews, AI aids in identifying inconsistencies or omissions that might be overlooked by the human eye.
In summaries and research, the analytical capability of OpenAI’s service enables the clear and concise synthesis of complex information, optimizing decision-making and legal strategy.
This level of technological support not only boosts our lawyers’ productivity but also ensures the delivery of the highest quality legal services to our clients.
What measures have been implemented to address the ethical and privacy concerns associated with AI, particularly in terms of ensuring the security and confidentiality of customer data within your AI-driven solutions?
We have implemented a robust set of measures to ensure the complete protection of our data. The solution is grounded in compliance principles and data security, strictly aligning with regulations like the GDPR and LGPD.
We adopt a proactive approach to data protection, incorporating advanced encryption technologies, robust authentication and continuous monitoring to prevent and detect any vulnerabilities. Our partnership with Microsoft provides access to cutting-edge security infrastructure and industry-leading data protection practices.
Could you elaborate on the future functionalities and tools that Machado Meyer Advogados plans to integrate into the AI solution and how these will be tailored to meet the evolving demands of your office teams?
A key focus will be using AI to analyze and interpret the vast repository of legal knowledge accumulated by the firm. We aim to develop systems that can extract strategic insights and identify trends from historical data and documents, turning this intellectual capital into a dynamic and accessible resource. This ability to deeply analyze legal data not only enhances the quality of our services but also paves the way for innovations in legal and advisory practices.
We are exploring the use of AI in areas like predicting judicial outcomes, optimizing procedural strategies, and personalizing legal consultancy.
In what ways do you see the role of AI evolving in the legal sector and how does Machado Meyer Advogados plan to adapt and innovate its services in line with these changes to continue offering value to its clients?
We see AI not just as a tool for process optimization but to enrich and expand the perception of value we offer our clients. With rapidly evolving client expectations, our focus is on anticipating and meeting these needs with innovative and personalized solutions.
We have a specialized team in Digital Law and Privacy, led by partner Juliana Abrusio. Her expertise in technology and innovation is crucial for keeping us at the forefront of AI adoption in law. The practical experience we have gained from successfully implementing AI solutions in our own environment gives us a unique insight into the challenges and opportunities presented by this technology. This positions us ideally to help our clients navigate and implement their own Generative AI solutions, ensuring that they too can benefit from this technological revolution.
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