Riverview Law has today announced that as of Q1 in 2016 it will be launching a series of legal virtual assistants powered by ‘Kim’ technology – short for knowledge, intelligence and meaning.
Kim is based on the platform of New Jersey-based document automation business CliXLEX, which Riverview acquired in August 2015. Kim is also based on output from Riverview’s R&D unit and builds on its partnership with the University of Liverpool, which it entered into in January of this year to leverage the University’s artificial intelligence capability within the legal sector.
The CliXLEX technology combines advanced data collection and management, configuration and machine-to-machine learning techniques with a growing level of AI. It is cloud-based but can be deployed on premises and has a powerful legacy integration layer toolkit.
It is anticipated that Kim will complement Riverview Law’s managed services and technology solutions targeted at the in-house market. Riverview’s managed services division provides legal advisory outsourcing solutions to corporate teams while it also licenses them its own technology – designed to help triage work coming into the department and direct it to the right teams or individuals. The virtual assistants will also be made available to other law firms.
The Kim technology is applicable to all sectors and is already being used outside the legal market. In addition to licensing its technology to third parties Kim will, in certain areas, launch its own products.
The Riverview Law virtual assistants are designed to help legal teams make quicker and better decisions. They will be able to take on many tasks for lawyers, combining Riverview Law’s legal domain expertise with automation, expert systems, reporting, visualisations and artificial intelligence.
Karl Chapman, Chief Executive of Riverview Law, said: “Because the Kim technology is applicable to all sectors, we are running this subsidiary as if it is a stand-alone business. In this context Riverview Law licenses the Kim technology on an arms-length basis and exploits it in the legal market, which is our domain expertise. During 2016 we will review the best way in which we can ensure that Kim fulfils its potential, globally, while ensuring that the Riverview Law board remains focused on delivering solutions for the fast changing legal market.
“Most businesses are, or are becoming, technology-led. Riverview Law is no exception. We handle thousands of legal matters every year for global corporations, mid-sized and fast-growing businesses. This expertise allows us to productise our knowledge in ways that help in-house functions of all sizes, in all sectors, globally. As a board we are very focused on scaling our business internationally using technology as the entry point into new geographies.”