The German Bar Association (DAV) has formed an exclusive partnership with legaltech firm Bryter, marking the first time the organisation representing Germany’s 60,000 lawyers has officially endorsed AI tools for practising lawyers.
Bryter is one of Germany’s leading legaltech companies and counts DLA Piper, Linklaters, Clifford Chance and in-house counsel at corporates including McDonald’s and Deloitte as customers. Its partnership with the DAV was intended to expand the digital toolkit available for German law firms “without technological entry barriers and with the highest standards of security and legal relevance”, the company said.
The partnership gives DAV members exclusive access to Bryter’s AI productivity suite, Beamon AI, at discounted rates. The suite offers tools for tasks like legal document drafting, contract analysis, research and summaries.
The DAV has historically been cautious about new technology. Bryter said its endorsement was institutional validation of legal AI beyond Big Law early adopters in one of Europe’s largest legal markets.
“This is another step towards the full incorporation of AI as an everyday aspect of professional life in law across Europe,” the company said.
Dr Sylvia Ruge, managing director of the DAV, said the partnership gave its members “access to technology that can offer real day-to-day relief”.
The partnership provides discounted rates for solo practitioners, small firms and mid-sized practices. Bryter pointed to the ease of use of its products, which don’t need implementation and can be accessed via web browser or MS Word plugin. The tools are customisable, with users able to connect Beamon AI to their own document templates, clauses, playbooks and contracts.
“AI adoption is moving from experimental to essential,” said Bryter CEO and co-founder Michael Grupp. “An association that takes the lead in guiding its members through digital transformation is invaluable right now.
“Law firms face major challenges: time pressure, talent shortages and increasing complexity are the norm. With Beamon AI, we’ve built something simple to use but powerful in impact – helping firms become future-ready with minimal overhead. That’s why we’re thrilled about this partnership with the DAV. They’re not just making this offer accessible, they’re actively supporting it.”
The partnership marks the latest instance in the rise and rise of AI in the legal profession.
Last month, GLP published research in association with LexisNexis that uncovered the extent to which leading European law firms are experimenting with Gen AI and the lessons they have learned from the first wave of projects.
Harnessing Gen AI in law: Lessons from the front lines in Europe reports that leading German firm Hengeler Mueller is using AI for first-level review in its investigations work, while lawyers at rival firm Gleiss Lutz are using it for summarising and comparing documents.
A slew of law firms have formed partnerships with legal AI companies like Harvey, Luminance and Everlaw to automate repetitive tasks and improve efficiency.
Just today, (5 June) Simmons & Simmons said it had formed a partnership with Berlin-based start-up Flank to develop projects using agentic AI, an advanced form of AI that can act autonomously. Simmons said it had already begun to integrate the agents, which can review, draft and red-line key legal documents and provide responses to legal and compliance questions.
Law firms are also developing their own AI products like Linklaters’ Gen AI chatbot, Laila, which was built entirely in-house by the firm’s software development team, launching AI sandboxes and incubator programmes and investing in AI start-ups. Earlier this year, Mishcon de Reya announced a pre-seed investment in Ctrl AI, an agentic AI start-up aiming to make high-volume work done by in-house teams more efficient, while in 2024 Travers Smith spun out and then invested in its AI technology products into a separate software business known as Jylo.
The Global Legal Post has teamed up with LexisNexis to help inform readers’ decision-making process in the selection of a Gen AI legal research solution. Click here to download the report, Harnessing Gen AI in law – lessons from the front lines in Europe, and here to visit the Generative AI Legal Research Hub.
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