Law firm Clifford Chance sets up innovation lab in Singapore

LAW firm Clifford Chance has opened its Singapore innovation lab, Create+65, that would look for new legal technology solutions by bringing together venture capitalists, startups, product owners and developers, universities and private institutions, it said on Tuesday.

Participants who are invited to join Create+65 would be able to tackle problem areas faced by the law firm and their clients in the way legal services are delivered, and can tap cleaned data sets to develop test solutions. They can also connect with potential investment and funding vehicles, with the successful solutions rolled out to selected offices in the law firm's global network.

Create+65 will be part of the firm's Innovation and Best Delivery Hub for Asia-Pacific based in Singapore.

The innovation lab was set up with the support of the Singapore Economic Development Board, and in collaboration with Future Law Innovation Programme (FLIP) by the Singapore Academy of Law.

In a press statement, Paul Neo, Singapore Academy of Law's chief operating officer and creator of FLIP said: "There is no escaping the growing demands required from the legal industry in this fast-changing digital world, and we want to ensure that innovators have the support and the environment they need in order to develop their solutions."

Clifford Chance's Singapore managing partner Kai Schneider said: "We are very excited to be working with FLIP and startups to promote the latest thinking, methodologies and technology across the industry and challenge enshrined industry norms. In line with Singapore's aspiration to be at the forefront of technology and innovation in the legal sector, Create+65 builds on our ongoing commitment to contribute to an ecosystem of collaboration and innovation as we anticipate the increasing pace of change."