Norton Rose Fulbright wins most innovative technology initiative

Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright has been awarded the most innovative technology initiative at The Lawyer European Awards 2019. These awards showcase achievements across the legal industry in Europe.

The Lawyer recognised the firm for its product N-Accelerate, developed in-house for automating large volumes of complex documents in a fast, secure and cost efficient way.

N-Accelerate improves the workflow efficiency of complex documents, such as the Loan Market Association (LMA) templates for banking transactions, legal opinions, sale and purchase agreements for M&A and aviation transactions, distribution agreements in the insurance sector as well as debt and equity capital markets documents. N-Accelerate’s sophisticated process provides clients with a faster and more accurate response, whilst enabling fee-earners to quickly produce automated documents employing a rapid and iterative development process modelled after the agile project management skillset.

Through the use of emergent technology to help the firm’s lawyers to complete tasks and processes more efficiently, N-Accelerate forms part of Norton Rose Fulbright’s global change and innovation program - NRF Transform - which aims to change how the firm works internally and with clients, driving effectiveness in the deployment of people, processes and technology. With N-Accelerate, highly complex and cumbersome documents are produced in minutes rather than days, with results presented using interactive user-friendly data visualisation dashboards.

Bernhard Fiedler, Frankfurt-based senior associate who led the development of N-Accelerate, said:

“This honour highlights our firm’s commitment to driving change and efficiencies for our clients and internally through the use of technology. Through the combined skills of our lawyers and technological support team, we are able to offer explored, tested and developed technologies to resolve the legal problems of our clients more efficiently and effectively.”

The initial pilot was run by Frankfurt based senior associate Bernhard Fiedler, and associate Mid-Eum Joo, supported by Helen Hannon, Senior Knowledge Manager and Document Automation Lead. Partner Dr Oliver Sutter was the overall sponsor of the initiative.

For further information please contact:

Heledd Phelps-Brown, Head of Public Relations, EMEA
Tel +44 20 7444 2890
heledd.phelps-brown@nortonrosefulbright.com

Notes for editors:

Norton Rose Fulbright

Norton Rose Fulbright is a global law firm providing the world’s preeminent corporations and financial institutions with a full business law service. The firm has more than 4,000 lawyers and other legal staff based in Europe, the United States, Canada, Latin America, Asia, Australia, Africa and the Middle East.

Recognized for its industry focus, Norton Rose Fulbright is strong across all the key industry sectors: financial institutions; energy; infrastructure, mining and commodities; transport; technology and innovation; and life sciences and healthcare. Through its global risk advisory group, the firm leverages its industry experience with its knowledge of legal, regulatory, compliance and governance issues to provide clients with practical solutions to the legal and regulatory risks facing their businesses.

Norton Rose Fulbright operates in accordance with its global business principles of quality, unity and integrity, aiming to provide the highest possible standard of legal service in each of its offices and to maintain that level of quality at every point of contact.

Norton Rose Fulbright Verein, a Swiss verein, helps coordinate the activities of Norton Rose Fulbright members but does not itself provide legal services to clients. Norton Rose Fulbright has offices in more than 50 cities worldwide, including London, Houston, New York, Toronto, Mexico City, Hong Kong, Sydney and Johannesburg. For more information, see nortonrosefulbright.com/legal-notices.