BigLaw firm Clayton Utz has partnered with AI tool Harvey for firmwide use.
Clayton Utz chief executive partner Emma Covacevich (pictured) said: “Partnering with Harvey keeps us at the forefront of legal innovation, and takes our already highly successful AI program to the next level.”
Harvey is a generative law AI platform that provides capabilities to streamline legal tasks, including contract reviews, document drafting, due diligence, data extraction, and summarisation.
Clayton Utz partner and head of AI, Simon Newcomb, said: “Harvey’s platform gives us significant efficiencies in labour-intensive document review and drafting tasks, it enhances our ability to extract critical insights quickly and it helps us to maximise the benefit of the firm’s knowledge resources.
“The platform allows our legal teams to create customised AI-enabled workflows supporting specific client and firm requirements. That’s important for us to provide AI offerings differentiated from our competitors.
“Our lawyers will be able to focus more on higher-value strategic advice and client engagement.”
This announcement came as part of the firm’s strategic investment in AI innovation to improve client service and operational efficiency.
“Harvey’s legal-specific AI capabilities will allow our lawyers to deliver services more efficiently, faster and in more depth while maintaining the highest quality standards,” Covacevich said.
The firm stated that this move coincided with Harvey’s arrival in Australia, when it established its first office in Sydney.
Harvey chief executive Winston Weinberg said: “From investing in data processing within Australia to building out a team and office here, we are committed to growing in this region and to ensuring our customers are set up for long-term impact and success.”
Newcomb said: “Clayton Utz is among the first tenants in Harvey’s new secure AU environment with all storage and processing taking place in Australia, allowing the firm to use Harvey without creating data sovereignty concerns about data going offshore.”
This news follows a growing trend of AI adoption by firms, with the use of Harvey commencing at Arnold Bloch Leibler this month, KWM in May, G+T in February, and PwC in 2023.
“Having tested Harvey extensively in a pilot involving over 100 lawyers across practice groups, offices and levels of seniority, the overwhelmingly positive feedback confirms Harvey’s potential to transform how we work,” Newcomb said.
Weinberg said: “We are honoured Clayton Utz chose Harvey after such a rigorous pilot and evaluation phase, and we are thrilled to share this news alongside our office launch in Sydney. The firm has a stellar reputation, and we are honoured to be part of their AI transformation.”
