Allen & Overy introduces Harvey, the AI powered chatbot 

International law firm Allen & Overy (“A&O”), has broken new ground by integrating Harvey, the innovative artificial intelligence platform built on a version of Open AI’s latest models enhanced for legal work, into its global practice. The legal profession is no stranger to technology, but lawyers often find themselves falling behind in the rapidly advancing technology industry. With the introduction of Harvey by A&O, the legal profession is stepping into the future.  

Harvey will empower more than 3,500 of A&O’s lawyers across 43 offices operating in multiple languages with the ability to generate and access legal content with unmatched efficiency, quality and intelligence. 

A&O has been trialling Harvey in beta since November 2022 under the leadership of a team of lawyers and developers tasked with disrupting the legal industry, called the Markets Innovation Group (“MIG”). At the end of the trial, around 3500 of A&O’s lawyers had asked Harvey around 40,000 queries for their day-to-day client work.  

Commenting on the matter is David Wakeling (pictured), head of the Markets Innovation Group, A&O: “I have been at the forefront of legal tech for 15 years but I have never seen anything like Harvey. It is a game-changer that can unleash the power of generative AI to transform the legal industry. Harvey can work in multiple languages and across diverse practice areas, delivering unprecedented efficiency and intelligence. In our trial, we saw some amazing results.” 

Harvey is a platform that uses natural language processing, machine learning and data analytics to automate and enhance various aspects of legal work, such as contract analysis, due diligence, litigation and regulatory compliance. Whilst the output needs careful review by an A&O lawyer, Harvey can help generate insights, recommendations and predictions based on large volumes of data, enabling lawyers to deliver faster, smarter and more cost-effective solutions to their clients.  

Wim Dejonghe, senior partner at A&O, said: “This announcement marks a new era for A&O and the legal industry. Harvey AI is not just another platform, but a game-changer that will enable us to deliver unprecedented value, efficiency and innovation to our clients. We are proud to be the first law firm to partner with Harvey AI. We share their vision of using technology to enhance and transform legal services.” 

Harvey, which received seed funding from the OpenAI Startup Fund, was founded by a team of former lawyers, engineers and entrepreneurs who share a vision of transforming the legal industry with technology.  

Brad Lightcap, OpenAI’s Coo and manager of the OpenAI Startup Fund, said: “We invested in Harvey because we believe AI can have a profound impact on the legal process and their proprietary platform will fundamentally change the way lawyers spend their time. The fact that A&O witnessed the benefits and level of engagement within a few short months is testament to what Gabriel Pereyra, Winston Weinberg, and team have built.” 

Harvey’s introduction is a major milestone for the legal profession, and it is sure to revolutionize the way lawyers work. It is an exciting time for the legal profession, and Harvey is sure to have a major impact on the way lawyers work. 

The ground-breaking deal will give A&O a significant competitive edge in the market, as it will be able to advise clients using the most advanced and comprehensive AI platform in the legal sector combined with the quality and experience of one of the world’s oldest law firms.