AI at Van Doorne. Where legal craftsmanship and technology come together.

Legal work is changing. Not tomorrow, but right now. Our AI team is at the forefront of that change — not as spectators, but as builders. We combine legal expertise with technical knowledge and build and test the applications we use ourselves. From the automated review of thousands of contracts to unlocking complex datasets that would otherwise remain inaccessible.

Our approach always starts with the question, never with the tool. This results in solutions that are not only more effective, but also sharper. We work on legal quality at the highest level, driven by technology.

We work side by side with colleagues and with clients. Together with legal departments, we set up processes that keep working even after we’ve walked out the door. And everything we learn, we share internally. Our goal is for clients to always be helped by people with the most up-to-date knowledge and skills.

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FAQ

The AI team consists of colleagues from various practice areas within the firm: lawyers, civil-law notaries, and tax advisers, together with legal tech advisors. They combine legal expertise with technical knowledge and build and test the applications they use themselves, both for legal matters and for data-driven analyses. The team also actively explores what AI can and cannot do within the profession, and works out which approach delivers the best quality in practice. By bringing the practice groups together, the team can support clients firm-wide. What the team learns is shared with the rest of the firm, so that AI becomes not just a tool, but also a strategic strength.

Bulk contract reviews, in which large volumes of contracts are (partly) automatically analyzed for deviations, clauses, and risks; AI-supported legal analyses of extensive sets of documentation, for example in investigations, disputes, and transactions; complex legal matters where large amounts of data play a role and the analysis only emerges by unlocking and structuring that data; large-scale projects where AI makes the difference between a feasible and an unfeasible approach, because volume, turnaround time, or the number of sources involved would otherwise get in the way.

The team starts with the question, not the tool. First, the work is broken down: which steps are structurally the same, which information is decisive, and where does the judgment lie that a human must make? The corresponding approach is then built and tested on real documents. Because the technology evolves quickly, the team evolves along with it. That requires lawyers who look at their own profession from a different angle and come up with new solutions themselves.

The approach differs per matter. In advance, an analysis is made of where AI does and does not add value, which method fits, and at which steps AI is deployed. From there, the form is chosen: sometimes custom applications are built, for example for work that is repetitive or requires specific data processing. Often, the maximum is drawn from existing platforms, with workflows, agents, and models tailored to the matter at hand.

Legora is the firm's Legal AI platform. The platform analyzes documents, compares contracts, and extracts crucial information. It offers an opportunity to unravel complex tasks more quickly, provide strategic support to clients where needed, and make the work more effective, sharper, and even more personal. Security comes first: the platform is ISO 27001 and ISO 42001 certified, SOC 2 compliant, GDPR compliant, and based in Sweden.

The platform was selected following a careful comparative review, a pilot involving all staff at the firm, and an extensive assessment of privacy and security. Based on that, it was concluded that the platform aligns well with the requirements set for functional and substantive quality and information security. Market developments are also continuously monitored, and periodic checks are carried out to confirm that the platform continues to meet the quality and security standards.

Clear internal frameworks are in place in the form of a Responsible AI policy for the responsible and safe use of AI in legal practice. AI applications are assessed in advance for quality, privacy, and security before they are deployed, and after implementation they are also monitored and periodically evaluated to ensure that the tools in use continue to meet the standards.

The protection of client data is central to the deployment of AI. In practice, this means that client data is not stored or used for training by the providers of the AI models behind the applications, that data is processed exclusively within the EU/EEA, that data is encrypted in transit, and that AI applications are assessed both in advance and periodically for security and data processing.

Yes. The team works together with legal departments and with teams closely aligned with legal, such as procurement, to take their processes further with AI. It starts with the process itself, then jointly designs the approach, and hands it over to the people who work with it day to day, so they can continue with it independently.

On many matters, the team works together with the team handling the assignment. The practice group contributes knowledge of the matter and the legal assessment; the AI team contributes the approach and the technology.

Of course. We are happy to have a conversation about this technology and how it can be applied specifically to your matter. Please contact your regular point of contact for this. For general questions about the use of AI, a separate contact channel is also available.

There is awareness that AI technology consumes energy and that this has an impact on the environment. The sustainability footprint is largely determined by the underlying AI models; their providers invest, among other things, in data centers that run on renewable energy. AI is also used consciously and purposefully, only when it adds concrete value to the services provided and the quality of the work, in order to limit unnecessary use and its environmental impact. These developments are closely monitored, with an ongoing effort to use AI as responsibly as possible.