November.15.2017
Orrick today announced the formation of Orrick Labs, a dedicated in-house team of technologists focused on accelerating the development of leading-edge and innovative legal service solutions. Orrick Labs technologists will partner with the firm’s lawyers on customized solutions that enhance client service quality, security and efficiency.
“Clients worldwide are asking us how we are addressing innovation and value, and Orrick Labs is a key part of the answer,” said Orrick Chairman and CEO Mitch Zuklie. “With a dedicated team collaborating with our lawyers, our goal is to innovate where optimal solutions are not available in the market.”
The Orrick Labs team is led by Technology Architect Jackson Ratcliffe. With over three decades of experience deploying technology for law firms, financial institutions and universities, Jackson is a thought leader in legal tech innovation.
“We are at a true turning point in legal technology. With the convergence of cloud-based services, advances in data security and artificial intelligence, we can create truly innovative solutions that leverage computing resources no firm has had before,” Jackson said. “Orrick has a tremendous record of innovation, and I’m excited to work with the Orrick team to develop custom solutions that reflect a real understanding of clients’ needs and how lawyers practice today.”
Jackson worked for almost a decade at Venture Law Group, and has also worked for Simpson Thacher and Goldman Sachs. His team includes Michael Ferrel, a 20-year IT veteran who managed all IT infrastructure at Venture Law Group, and Chris Tucker, who has been designing, developing and administrating IT systems, software, security, and infrastructure for 20 years on Windows, Linux, and cloud systems.
The Orrick Labs team worked together on a consulting basis to deliver the Orrick TCG Dashboard, a portal that enables the Orrick team and the firm’s tech company clients to easily access each client’s comprehensive corporate legal information and to collaborate. Launched in 2016, TCG Dashboard is already in use with more than 800 of the firm’s tech clients globally.
The firm plans to expand the TCG Dashboard concept to other practice groups and clients. Orrick Labs is also looking at other areas where the firm can be more efficient, improve quality and reduce human error, such as document categorization, drafting, transaction automation, contract review and complex legal queries.
Orrick is widely recognized for innovation – in its legal advice as well as its use of technology, creative staffing and project management. In 2016, Financial Times named Orrick the #1 most innovative law firm in North America. Through Orrick Analytics, the firm offers one of the most sophisticated data analytics services in the market. Other recent innovations include the firm’s GDPR Assessment Tool and its Corporate Direct Lending Portal.