| Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton | Standout | Knowledge Maps that distill partners' expertise on complex subjects. | 9 | 8 | 5 | 22 | Cleary hired Tacit Connexions who used military technology and artificial intelligence principles to extract both implicit and explicit expertise from partners to help junior lawyers. The technology has been used to help brain dump from fighter pilots to build flight simulators. |
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| Garrigues | Standout | Logalty: a joint venture between Garrigues and T-Systems enables contracts to be securely signed over the web. | 9 | 8 | 5 | 22 | Provides a third party secure system to guarantee online transactions electronically. The firm was instrumental in designing a system that provides durable legal proof. To date ten companies are testing it, but it could have global impact. |
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| Reynolds Porter Chamberlain | Standout | ReWord: the first system in Europe to collate rigorous analysis of reinsurance clauses. | 6 | 7 | 8 | 21 | Meets a pressing need in the reinsurance industry for clarity, comparative information and expert legal commentary. It identifies legal risk, reduces errors and costs. Clients use it daily and say it is a unique and essential tool. |
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| Baker & McKenzie | Highly Commended | A hybrid approach to resourceful in-sourcing in the firm's Philippines office, Global Services Manila. | 7 | 6 | 7 | 20 | The Manila operation added 323 employees in the past year. It now handles client-facing IP support work and production of marketing materials as well as traditional back office functions. Costs are at least six times less than London rates. |
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| CMS | Highly Commended | Knowledge and information services: added value services for clients. | 6 | 7 | 7 | 20 | Helping clients navigate the large amounts of information they receive through an information audit. An integrated know-how consultancy that efficiently keeps clients informed. |
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| Latham & Watkins | Highly Commended | A home-grown knowledge management system devised by a partner in the investment funds practice. | 6 | 7 | 7 | 20 | The system drives better practice through increased sharing of data and analysis that is not regimented. Individual associates are responsible for their own areas of it and it enables the group to better service clients. |
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| Allen & Overy | Highly Commended | An extranet which gives financial institutions a provisional tick or cross as to whether derivatives are deliverable. | 7 | 6 | 6 | 19 | Part of the firm's progressive e-business efforts, this reflects its close relationship with International Swaps and Derivatives Association and its ability to extract value from commoditised IT products. |
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| DLA Piper | Highly Commended | Outsourcing contract dashboard: an interactive way to help clients meet the challenges of outsourcing. | 6 | 7 | 6 | 19 | Using a mixing desk-like graphic, the system rates the outcome of outsourcing contracts against a client's key requirements. It simplifies the process and reduces the time spent by both firm and client. |
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| Lovells | Highly Commended | InterLovells: one of the most comprehensive firm intranets. | 6 | 6 | 7 | 19 | The firm has swept away its disparate systems in favour of this knowledge portal. It facilitates collaboration and boosts consistency across jurisdictions. |
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| TLT Solicitors | Highly Commended | Pensions extranet: a ground-breaking resource for pension trustees. | 6 | 6 | 7 | 19 | Enables pension trustees to view and agree changes to the trustee deeds interactively. Normally, paper amendments take five years to be incorporated. A system that through the provision of a working document cuts time spent and improves risk management significantly. |
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| DLA Piper | Commended | uKnow: a free, cross-border employment advice resource for multi-national clients. | 6 | 6 | 6 | 18 | The product covers 22 jurisdictions and information can be accessed through a secure, fully searchable website. Designed in response to research the firm conducted into the key challenges faced by global HR directors. |
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| Ashurst | Commended | Investment funds wiki: a solution to share knowledge with junior members of the team. | 6 | 6 | 5 | 17 | A wiki where the firm made the effort to ensure that junior members of the team could also contribute without a cumbersome approvals process. The project was led by the lawyers rather than the IT team. |
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| Clifford Chance | Commended | File As You Go: an email capture system. | 5 | 5 | 6 | 16 | Requires individuals to tag every email sent or received. One archive is used for the whole firm which controls and improves data storage, and decreases knowledge loss. Is currently only in the London office. |
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| Herbert Smith | Commended | Participation in the London Accord: an attempt to give policymakers the benefit of City research into climate change. | 5 | 6 | 5 | 16 | An example of the firm contributing its know-how on a subject of vital interest. Twenty lawyers produced a paper for a report on the financial industry's interpretations of climate change. |
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| LG | Commended | Family Bhive: a website to enable high net worth individuals to seek out independent advice from vetted advisers. | 7 | 5 | 4 | 16 | "Conceived as a 'Dragons' Den' for private client advisers, the site is the first forum for wealthy people to put questions about their affairs to potential advisers. Provides a rating for different services from different organisations. |
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