Legal technology is a red-hot market where new solutions are constantly emerging, putting pressure on law firms to put them into practice. Since legal tasks have traditionally included routine tasks and static working methods, many believe that early adopters of legal technology will have a significant edge over their competitors. However, the media often oversimplifies the implementation process of legal technology, giving the impression that innovative IT-based solutions immediately eliminate routine tasks and even replace legal expertise.
19.8.2019
Legal Technology Improves Efficiency – But Not by Itself
Paula Aura
Related services
These expectations usually lead to firms not spending enough effort on integrating legal tech tools into their existing processes. As a result, lawyers often find their traditional working methods preferable and stick to them.
Dumping money into the latest tools and expecting them to do the job right away is hardly a recipe for success. Instead, the firms that manage to effectively incorporate new solutions into their existing processes will have a huge advantage in the future.
Properly Trained AI Allows Lawyers to Focus on the Essential
AI can enable law firms to work at less cost and higher quality, but only if the technology is implemented efficiently into existing workflows. Most legal problems are complex and involve hidden risks that require comprehensive legal expertise to detect. Machine-learning algorithms have no legal expertise — they only observe patterns and regularities in data. Therefore, lawyers need to work alongside AI and develop these tools continuously, rather than relying on them straight out of the box.
For instance, before algorithms can detect relevant information and raise red flags in due diligence reviews, lawyers have to identify the relevant information and train the algorithm to detect this information. When algorithms are given enough examples of red flags – say, certain types of contractual clauses – they start flagging such information automatically in future reviews. Lawyers no longer have to spend time finding the information in the due diligence materials, but can focus on how the clauses detected by the AI tool affect the transaction.
Document Automation Saves Time and Helps Avoid Errors
As most businesses, legal services involve manual tasks that can be removed or at least reduced by technology. For instance, when drafting documents, lawyers may spend hours modifying old templates and writing new contracts from scratch. Automating contract-drafting takes care of these steps, allowing lawyers to spend more time on analytical tasks.
In document automation, various versions of a given document type – for instance, a share purchase agreement – are stored in a system, enabling the lawyers to create the template they need just by combining different choices in a user interface. Based on the choices, the system generates a valid contract including all the required elements. For instance, the automated share purchase agreement might contain different options for price mechanisms, provisions and other key clauses, and be available in several languages.
Automation not only improves efficiency, but also minimises the risk of human error when contracts need to be delivered on a tight schedule. However, it serves this purpose only when any contract version acquired from the system is legally accurate. Both legal and technical issues must be taken into account, which requires cooperation between people with different skillsets.
At Castrén & Snellman, document automation is based on close collaboration between our lawyers, IT department and Knowledge Management. Moreover, our firm employs people with diverse backgrounds, for example in both law and computer science, who focus mainly on legal tech, such as document automation and training algorithms.
Meet Signe, the Accessible Legal Tech Solution
After putting hours of legal and technical work in automating our document templates, we wanted to bring high-quality document automation within the reach of our clients. This is why we launched Signe.
Signe is a platform where clients can log in and use their own automated contracts and documents through a simple user interface. It offers a way for in-house teams to adopt legal technology quickly without having to make large investments or spend resources on implementing new software.
When approached realistically and strategically, legal technology goes from being pure hype to a tool enabling law firms to provide legal services faster, more effectively and at less cost.
Written by Linda Björkenheim,
Legal Tech Trainee
Latest insights
Article published 2.2.2026 – Data & Technology
Avoid costly risks with well-drafted distribution agreements
Article published 10.10.2024 – Data & Technology
New act on dual-use items entered into force in September – what companies need to know
Article published 5.9.2024 – Data & Technology
Technology acquisitions can boost companies’ growth – or cause them to fail
Article published 6.5.2024 – Employment
Outsourcing company functions – four key points for success
Topi Lusenius & Samuli Salminen
Kim Parviainen & Lauri Laatunen
Topi Lusenius, Anders Forss & Kim Parviainen
Tomi Kemppainen, Kim Parviainen & Eija Warma-Lehtinen
Latest references
Downing – Acquisition of the entire share capital of Tornionlaakson Voima
We advised UK-based investment company Downing in its acquisition of the entire share capital of Tornionlaakson Voima Oy. Tornionlaakson Voima owns three hydropower plants in the Tengeliönjoki river system – the Portimokoski power plants in Ylitornio, the Jolmankoski power plants in Raanujärvi and the Kaaranneskoski power plants in Sirkkakoski. The power plants produce a total of approx. 45 gigawatt-hours of electricity per year. Tornionlaakson Voima’s daily operations will continue normally, and the transaction will not affect customers. The consummation of the transaction is subject to the approval of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. Downing has over 35 years’ experience in providing a wide range of investment solutions to the needs of institutional investors, advisers and retail investors. The company manages over £2 billion in assets in both the private and public markets and its current hydro power portfolio includes approx. 50 hydro power plants in the Nordics.
Case published 27.3.2026
LähiTapiola and OP Henkivakuutus – Successful representation of insurance companies in Supreme Administrative Court health data processing cases
We successfully represented insurance companies LähiTapiola and OP Henkivakuutus in two cases concerning an important point of principle: the right of insurance companies to process health data as part of the insurance application process. The Supreme Administrative Court handed down twin decisions ( one published as precedent ) addressing the matter in light of contrary DPA decisions. Under the Finnish Data Protection Act, insurance companies may, to simplify, process health data concerning “insured persons” (vakuutettu, försäkrad) to determine liability under the insurance. This rule constitutes an exception to Article 9 GDPR. At issue was whether the term “insured person” also covers people in the process of obtaining insurance coverage or only people who are already covered. In more practical terms: can an insurance company rely on the rule when considering whether/how to grant the insurance in the first place? The SAC answered in the affirmative and thus upheld the traditional industry approach over the DPA’s contrary view. The SAC noted that the Data Protection Act did not define the term “insured person” and thus looked at insurance legislation for guidance. As argued by the insurance companies, that legislation also uses the term in the context of describing the insured person’s pre-contractual informational obligations. Thus, and in view of the underlying purpose of the rule at issue, the SAC found that an “insured person” could be someone in the process of obtaining coverage, not just a person already covered. The outcome clarifies the scope of the local rule at the insurance application stage for the Finnish insurance industry.
Case published 22.1.2026
SuperOffice – Acquisition of Lyyti
We acted as Finnish counsel to SuperOffice AS, backed by Axcel, in its acquisition of Lyyti Oy from Finnish private equity firm Vaaka Partners and other sellers. Lyyti is a leading event management software company for physical, digital and hybrid events with a strong customer base in Finland, Sweden and France. SuperOffice is a leading provider of customer relationship management (CRM) software for small and medium-sized businesses across Northern Europe. Axcel is a Nordic private equity firm with a focus on technology, business services and industrials, healthcare, and consumer sectors.
Case published 9.12.2025
Lantmännen – Acquisition of Leipurin from Aspo
We advised Lantmännen ek för in its contemplated acquisition of Leipurin from Aspo Plc. Lantmännen is an agricultural cooperative and Northern Europe’s leader in agriculture, machinery, bioenergy and food products. Lantmännen is owned by 17,000 Swedish farmers and has 12,000 employees in over 20 countries. Leipurin is a leading Nordic supplier of bakery ingredients, equipment, and expert services to professional bakeries, confectioneries, and food manufacturers. The company operates across Finland, Sweden, and the Baltic countries with subsidiaries located in the aforementioned countries, providing comprehensive solutions to the baking industry. The closing of the transaction remains subject to regulatory approvals.
Case published 25.8.2025