HighQ has formed a strategic relationship with SYKE, a legal engineering consultancy that helps in-house departments and law firms procure and utilise technology to improve upon their business operations and service delivery.

Targeting disruption

The two providers are working together to advance on their shared interest in helping the industry realize how technology can transform and improve the business and practice of law. “The legal industry is being confronted with new technology every day and, at every point a new piece of technology is introduced, new opportunities are presented for both law firms and law departments to become more efficient in how they do business,” said Stuart Barr, HighQ’s chief product & strategy officer. “Our ambition is to help clients make sense of these options by pulling together the tools that can help them solve real problems facing their businesses, and SYKE will be an exceptional partner in this endeavor.” SYKE, headquartered in Leeds, helps corporate legal teams and law firms across the world buy and implement legal technology, with a focus on document automation, contract lifecycle management and repapering. With the mission of helping transform the global legal industry by embedding the latest innovative legal technology, the relationship with HighQ targets the current disruption throughout the legal industry. “As lawyers ourselves, we recognize the industry we love is going through an unprecedented period of disruption,” SYKE founder Alistair Maiden explained, “But rather than fear the change ahead of us, we see great opportunities to do things better.”

Thoughtful implementation

One of the first priorities for HighQ and SYKE is to better articulate how available technology can address challenges faced by the industry, both in-house and within the law firm environment. “Our work with HighQ is all about addressing that challenge,” Mr Maiden said. “Lawyers will use new technology when it offers a better solution to a problem than the current process, is easy to use and doesn’t require significant training, and is implemented by a team that considers the legal user’s perspective.” At the same time, SYKE and HighQ are equally committed to advocating that decision-makers be thoughtful in their approach to deploying new technology. “It is absolutely vital that technology be selected and implemented thoughtfully,” Barr said. “SYKE shares our philosophy that we must resist an instinct that may cause a company or firm to slap technology on like a bandage and instead examine existing workflows and objectives ahead of selecting a solution.”