Legal tech giant, expert witness finder, recruiter, dispute resolution group are pushing boundaries
Canadian Lawyer’s ninth edition of the Readers’ Choice awards celebrates a line-up of stand-out legal tech, service providers, and products in the fields of recruitment, alternative dispute resolution, and vetting expert witnesses, among others.
Thomson Reuters Canada is the recipient of five awards across the areas of content and analysis, legal tech, and online legal research.
“Many vendors and startups in the market will experiment with large language models, but the differentiator for us is the content that underlines those solutions and our people who power that,” says Steven Assie, head of Canada at Thomson Reuters.
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Thomson Reuters has integrated AI-powered technology into its products and solutions for over three decades. Its winning products include Westlaw Canada, which is known for its search capabilities, and Practical Law Canada, a legal research, content, and analysis product supported by experienced lawyers.
“We pride ourselves on being customer-obsessed, and I think that’s shown in our products,” Assie tells Canadian Lawyer. “We’re constantly engaging customers to get their feedback into our products, which informs our road map.”
Thomson Reuters has also announced partnerships with industry providers and third-party vendors and has made targeted acquisitions to bring additional capabilities in-house, Assie adds.
Another awardee is Connect Medical Legal Experts, which matches expert witnesses with legal professionals requiring their services. The company vets experts such as physicians and nurses to ensure that their qualifications meet the highest standards.
These expert witnesses provide testimony, write medical-legal reports, and educate the courts on case issues.
“Our company mission from the beginning has been to openly share knowledge because I firmly believe that legal knowledge can prove healthcare outcomes and medical knowledge can prove medical-legal outcomes,” says Chris Rokosh, president and chief executive officer of Connect Medical Legal Experts.
The company aims to furnish lawyers with access to qualified and unbiased healthcare professionals who can translate complex research and medical information into an easily understandable language for anyone. It also uses technology to help lawyers find and reach experts anywhere.
“We’re helping to keep everyone educated and up-to-speed on the issues around medical malpractice easily and conveniently,” Rokosh tells Canadian Lawyer. She hosts the Inside Medical Malpractice podcast, which features content accredited for medical, legal, and nursing professional development in many Canadian and U.S. jurisdictions.
This year’s Readers’ Choice awardees include Thomson Reuters, Connect Medical Legal Experts, Henderson Structured Settlements, and Ricoh Canada.
Other honourees include ALT Recruitment Partners, the country’s only firm focusing on in-house corporate legal recruitment, and ADR Chambers, a six-time winner for its approach to arbitration and mediation.
“We don’t give up easily; we’re open with our clients and candidates about what’s happening and what we’re seeing, particularly in a tough market,” says Emily Lee, partner at ALT Recruitment Partners, a women-owned company making its debut in the Readers’ Choice awards.
“What we’ve prided ourselves on through the years is trying to be ahead of the curve in anticipating what the market wants and needs,” says Allan Stitt, president of ADR Chambers, which came up with expedited rules of arbitration.
Canadian Lawyer congratulates all the winners for 2023! See the full list here.
