Slaughter and May is opening applications for the fourth round of the firm’s flagship legal tech programme, Collaborate. The programme is open to all types of legal tech products at all stages of development, but applications from products with a generative AI focus are encouraged.
A number of legal tech businesses will be selected to join the 12-week programme, benefiting from dedicated feedback, support, skills sessions, mentoring and access to the firm’s network of industry contacts. Additional support will also be available from several of the firm’s international peers via the Collaborate Advisory Network, and the 17 companies it has supported to date via the Collaborate Alumni Network.
Each cohort member will also benefit from access to the Slaughter and May Client Innovation Network. Established in 2021, the Network acts as a forum for members of in-house legal and legal operations teams to share ideas and experiences within the innovation and legal tech space. The network now has over 120 members from a full range of industry sectors, including Telecoms, Financial Institutions and Consumer and Retail.
Successful applicants will also have access to the firm’s lawyers and business services teams for product testing and feedback, as well as its information security, pitching, marketing and communication teams for advice and guidance, collaboration spaces and access to other value add services. Cohort members are also given the opportunity to pitch to Slaughter and May Ventures for funding at the end of the programme, and may also be invited to pilot their solution with the firm.
Jane Stewart, Head of Knowledge and Innovation said, “I am really excited that we are bringing a generative AI focus to Collaborate this year given the recent advances and opportunities in this area for us and our clients. The programme offers us a great opportunity to understand what new and innovative solutions are out there, whilst continuing to offer support and guidance for growing legal tech businesses.”
Knowledge and Innovation Manager and Collaborate Programme Lead, Billie Heer adds, “We are interested in working with legal tech companies whose products will not only assist our lawyers but will also offer broader solutions to the in-house teams at our clients, as well as facilitating operations of legal businesses generally. We’re broadening the programme out beyond just looking at transactional solutions, and I’m really excited to see what that brings.”
