NextLaw Labs signs first portfolio company, ROSSIntelligence Inc., a startup developing a legal advisor app powered by IBMWatson 

Dentons, the global law firm,today announced that NextLaw Labs, its collaborativeinnovation platform, has joined with IBM to create a technology platformprogram using IBM Cloud to enable startups to create and deploy legalapplications more quickly. NextLaw Labs has also signed a deal with itsfirst portfolio company, ROSS Intelligence Inc., a startup developing a legaladvisor app powered by IBM Watson. 

In working withIBM, NextLaw Labs will provide legal tech startups with access to IBM Cloud andthe IBM Global Entrepreneur Program for Cloud Startups. These companies willalso have access to IBM’s platform-as-a-service, Bluemix, the largest Cloud Foundry deployment in the world. By creating this kind of legal model, NextLaw Labs will be an active technology investor, accelerator and businessincubator focusing on creating new products and services that will change thepractice of law, improving client service and enhancing client solutions. 

With a developer-friendly catalog of more than 100 tools and services ofthe most prominent open-source technologies combined with IBM and third-partyservices, Bluemix will enable these startups to focus all of their energy oncreating cloud applications for the legal industry at consumer scale. 

“This is an important momentin our profession. Joining the world’s largest law firm with the world’sleading technology provider is just one of the ways that NextLaw Labs isworking to transform the legal industry,” said Joe Andrew, Global Chairman,Dentons. “By focusing on using new technology to work smarter and ultimatelylower our clients’ costs, our interests and our clients’ interests are one andthe same.” 

NextLawLabs Signs First Portfolio Company 

NextLaw Labs also announced that it has signed a deal with its firstportfolio company, ROSS Intelligence Inc., which is also a member of the WatsonEcosystem. ROSS Intelligence Inc. is developing ROSS, an IBM Watson-poweredlegal advisor app that will streamline legal research, saving lawyers' time andclients’ money. With the support of Watson’s cognitive computing and naturallanguage processing capabilities, lawyers ask ROSS their research question innatural language, as they would a person, then ROSS reads through the law,gathers evidence, draws inferences and returns an evidence-based answer. 

“As NextLaw Labs continues togrow, our lawyers get early access to tools that help them deliver betteroutcomes, and our clients benefit from cutting-edge technologies not yetavailable on the market,” said Elliott Portnoy, Global Chief Executive Officer,Dentons. 

“Technology is now and willcontinue to be a real differentiator in the legal profession,” explained DanJansen, CEO, NextLaw Labs. “The potential in companies like ROSS shows how theapproach to solving client challenges is going to change. NextLaw Labs wants tobe a part of transforming what is possible into a tangible offering in today’slegal market.” 

Through NextLaw Labs, lawyersand professionals at Dentons will continue to work with ROSS to refine thecorpus of legal data and knowledge before it is made publically available. 

About Dentons 

Dentons is a global law firmdriven to provide a competitive edge in an increasingly complex andinterconnected world. A top 20 firm on the Acritas 2014 Global Elite BrandIndex, Dentons is committed to challenging the status quo in deliveringconsistent and uncompromising quality in new and inventive ways. Dentons’clients now benefit from 3,000 lawyers and professionals in more than 80locations spanning 50-plus countries. With a legacy of legal experience thatdates back to 1742 and builds on the strengths of our foundationalfirms—Salans, Fraser Milner Casgrain (FMC), SNR Denton and McKenna Long &Aldridge—the Firm serves the local, regional and global needs of private andpublic clients. www.dentons.com.

 About Next Law Labs 

NextLaw Labs is a businessaccelerator focused on investing in, developing and deploying new technologiesto transform the practice of law. It is an autonomous, wholly owned subsidiaryof global law firm Dentons with physical and virtual locations in technologycenters worldwide. Through complementary and strategic partnerships withleading technology companies, startups, other business accelerators andestablished legal vendors, NextLaw Labs will invest in promising companies anddevelop a suite of new technologies that fundamentally change the practice oflaw, improving client service and enhancing client solutions.  

For further information, pleasecontact:
Ashley Burke
Global Director of Communications
+1 202 408 3255
ashley.burke@dentons.com