Quebec firm rolls out ‘Billy,’ a closed-loop generative AI interface
Lavery, de Billy, L.L.P. has announced the appointment of Loïc Berdnikoff – who already serves as general counsel and chief privacy officer at the Quebec-based independent law firm – as its new chief innovation officer.
“In our profession, innovation, and in particular the use of artificial intelligence, must coexist with a number of compliance parameters aimed at ensuring the highest confidentiality and quality standards,” Berdnikoff said in a news release. “My role is to allow our firm to take bold steps forward, while ensuring security and quality and meeting our professional obligations.”
Lavery highlighted the appointment as part of its broader strategic initiatives to hasten the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies into its legal and intellectual property practices. Through its efforts, the firm said it seeks to:
- Transform technological obstacles into concrete solutions for legal practice
- Swiftly roll out capacity-building initiatives
- Align innovation with industry standards and the firm’s daily work
- Focus on what clients value, including strategic analyses, decision-making, risk anticipation, and negotiations
“Our firm’s ambition is clear: We want to build a model where artificial intelligence spurs excellence and is at the service of both our clients and our profession,” said Anik Trudel, Lavery’s chief executive officer, in the news release.
Lavery shared that it opted to develop customized internal tools, rather than resort to commercial solutions, for its technological shift. As a part of this work, the firm launched the Lavery Legal Lab on Artificial Intelligence (L3AI) in 2017. Benoit Yelle, Éric Lavallée, and Gaspard Petit are L3AI’s members.
“Innovation is at the heart of our strategic trajectory, and we are making every effort to hold our position as a leader in technological development in the legal industry in Quebec,” Trudel said in the firm’s news release.
In 2023, the firm began developing an internal generative AI tool. All its members could access, in a controlled environment, various versions of its chatbot specifically targeting the Quebec legal context.
‘Billy,’ AI assistant
Lavery also announced that it has started rolling out a secure, closed-loop, personalized generative AI interface featuring an assistant called “Billy.”
According to the firm, because its servers host the AI tool, it no longer relies on an interface from an external provider. Thus, the firm’s members can use the AI assistant without exposing client data to third parties.
Lavery described it as the first known AI tool offering such a guarantee within the province’s legal services market.
According to the firm, while its AI tool aims to help with its work, its legal and IP professionals will guide the AI assistant’s output.
Lavery explained that L3AI designed the new interface alongside the firm’s other members and its IT group’s professionals.
