20 LEXPERT MAGAZINE
|
MARCH 2019
questions. "As the soware acquires more
information, it moves along the path to
determine eligibility, and once eligibility
is determined, it generates the compliance
documents," Goldstein explains. "Deal-
Maker can be adapted to work in any
jurisdiction in which a lawyer has created
properly draed documents, including
cross-border transactions."
As it turns out, Dentons' interest in Deal-
Maker should not have been a surprise.
Since 2015, the firm's wholly owned and
independent subsidiary, Nextlaw En-
terprise, has been providing clients with
comprehensive problem-solving capabili-
ties that include advisory, innovation and
technology solutions. Nextlaw's operating
divisions include Nextlaw Labs, an advisory
arm focused on innovation and technology,
and Nextlaw Ventures, a venture-capital
firm focused on early-stage legal tech.
"Nextlaw Enterprise engages on a daily
basis with many of Dentons' top clients,
providing them with solutions that include
advising them on modernizing their legal
departments, rethinking organizational pro-
cess, curating best-of-breed technologies, all
with an eye to implementing comprehensive
solutions," says Beth Wilson, the Toronto-
"The practice of law is streamlining between giving
highly valued advice that requires expertise and putting
that advice into action. What we're starting to see is
a collaboration between the lawyers who are providing
that advice and those who are shaping the way
clients engage with the market."
based CEO of Dentons Canada LLP.
To that end, Dentons, through Nextlaw
Labs, has helped clients use technology to
streamline matter management and pro-
vide transparency into legal spend; to en-
sure jurisdiction-specific regulatory compli-
ance in multiple regions; and to develop a
"whistleblower hotline" aimed at efficiently
bringing non-compliance issues to light.
To be sure, Dentons is not the only law
firm on the technology innovation map.
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, for ex-
ample, held a tech demo day in January
to demonstrate its innovative initiatives.
About 150 Blakes clients attended the
event, where the firm's tech partners, in-
cluding Closing Folders Inc., Kira Systems,
Neota Logic Inc., Blue J Legal, HighQ and
Founded, showcased their technology.
Otherwise, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt
LLP has provided financial support to and
is working with Codify Legal Publishing,
which is developing technology to track
legislation and regulation more efficiently.
e firm has also partnered with the Legal
Innovation Zone, Ryerson's University's
tech incubator.
For its part, McCarthy Tétrault LLP has
its own e-discovery, information and man-
agement of digital information division,
MAT GOLDSTEIN
DEALMAKER
