Vorys Remains at the Forefront of Innovation with Everlaw
Vorys is a law firm that operates at the forefront of change.
From four attorneys in a small Columbus office to a 375-lawyer firm with 10 offices worldwide, Vorys has grown by consistently staying ahead of what’s next.
Whether it’s been the introduction of the internet, Microsoft Word, email, TAR, and now, with generative AI, Vorys has continued to embrace the technology that will provide the best outcomes for their clients.
“Over the years, we've seen a lot of changes in technology, and I keep looking back and thinking about what those have looked like,” Julie Brown, Director of Practice Technology at Vorys, said. “In the beginning, we had law libraries, and attorneys would do all their legal research through books, which was very time consuming. Then came Lexus and Westlaw, which were game changers in the industry, and then the internet. And now, we have generative AI, which is going to alter how we practice the law going forward.”
Vorys’s ability to identify and leverage technology has allowed them not only to survive this past century, but to thrive, sitting squarely in the Am Law 200 and providing strategic counsel in the areas of complex commercial litigation, real estate, labor and employment, corporate, M&A, and more to a range of businesses, including multiple Fortune 500 companies.
Now, with Everlaw as part of its journey, Vorys is demonstrating its continued commitment to empowering their attorneys and moving the use of technology in the law forward.
Keeping Pace with Change
Vorys’s commitment to innovation isn’t just about adopting the latest tools, but finding technology that keeps up with the demands of the modern legal practice.
Aside from all the innovative features and generative AI capabilities, what initially attracted Vorys to Everlaw was its ability to handle whatever they threw at it—whether processing complex data types or setting up a new case—in a timely manner.
“Everlaw has allowed us to handle a lot more data with very few people. At one time, I had eight people involved in our discovery process, and now I have three."
“The beauty of Everlaw is it's so fast and easy to get the data in and get it uploaded,” Brown said. “What used to take hours for us to do things like process and troubleshoot files now takes minutes.”
Those time savings have led directly to better client outcomes, with productions getting out the door faster.
“We’ve seen a reduction in the number of hours we spend in processing and producing electronic discovery,” Brown said. “We’re able to get productions out the door much faster. Where we might have spent an hour or two in another platform getting all the settings right and getting those productions out, we can now do it in minutes through Everlaw.”
That’s also helped Vorys save money, which is crucial in the oft-cited “doing more with less” mantra of today’s legal teams.
“Everlaw has allowed us to handle a lot more data with very few people,” Brown said. “At one time, I had eight people involved in our discovery process, and now I have three. They’ve been able to process, produce, and manage reviews for over six terabytes of data in just these past 10 months.”
A Full Embrace of Generative AI
Vorys is well aware that a generative AI revolution is happening in the legal industry, and is doing what it takes to lead strategically. Now that this technology has become firmly established in the market, that means moving beyond the evaluation stage and actually using it on live matters.
"Generative AI is going to create efficiencies like we've never seen before in the legal practice."
“With generative AI, in order to stay competitive with other law firms, you have to use it,” Brown said. “Clients are going to demand that you use it to be more efficient. It's important to start testing and looking at generative AI and bringing it into your firm. It takes a while to gain adoption, so if you're not already there and looking at it, you're behind other folks.”
Brown and the Vorys team have been invested in EverlawAI Assistant since its early days, which allowed them to see the promise of the tool early on.
“I participated in the beta program for EverlawAI Assistant, and we found great results, particularly in summarizing documents and creating chronologies automatically,” Brown said. “We've also tested it on deposition summaries, as well as drafting deposition questions and statements of fact, and it's very promising.”
Thanks to this experience, and the backing of the firm, Brown has encouraged her team to experiment with generative AI. In an industry where teams are always looking for an upper hand, generative AI provides a clear-cut competitive advantage.
“Generative AI is going to create efficiencies like we've never seen before in the legal practice,” Brown said. “I believe it’s already capable of creating a superior work product to that of most humans. There's a true advantage in using it to improve your work.”
Comprehensive Customer Support
In order to get a technology as transformational as generative AI implemented, there needs to be excellent follow-up support to ensure it's leveraged responsibly.
“One thing I’ve been completely overwhelmed by is the level of support and training that Everlaw provides,” Brown said. “The folks that work at Everlaw are just amazing. They know the product inside and out. It's just been a true pleasure to experience that.”
The customer support Everlaw provides is also a two-way street: if a user has feedback on how the platform can improve, it's taken under serious consideration, and oftentimes incorporated into future updates and releases.
“Everlaw is actually interested in our feedback,” Brown said. “If we're trying to do something and it's not working correctly, all of the support, including all the way up to AJ as the CEO, are very interested in hearing how they can improve the product and even change it if necessary to meet our needs.”
Continuing Toward What’s Next
The success of Vorys is a testament to the idea that constantly seeking improvement and innovation will enhance not only your own practice, but that of your entire team.
With leaders like Julie Brown, the firm has remained ahead of the curve, while keeping its focus on delivering meaningful outcomes for clients. Partnering with Everlaw is the latest chapter in that evolution, reinforcing Vorys’s commitment to empowering its attorneys with tools that match their ambition.
