Knomos Wins Global Legal Innovation Challenge 2017

We are pleased to announce the winner of the Blakes Global Legal Innovation Challenge 2017 is Knomos.

The legal technology company based in Vancouver, B.C., was judged by a panel of experts — including industry professionals — to have the next great idea for Canadian business law. 

"We’d like to congratulate Knomos for their innovative solution that we believe could be of great benefit to our clients," said Rob Granatstein, Firm Managing Partner at Blakes. "The solution submitted by Knomos was impressive in not only its use of technological innovation, but also the simplicity and efficiency of its design."

The Global Legal Innovation Challenge, a partnership between Blakes and legal innovation experts Law Made, asked how we can use technology to keep businesses updated on legislative and regulatory changes.

The winning solution — the Knomos VisuaLaws app — is a functional prototype that displays a historical timeline viewer of legislative changes to laws and regulations over time.

It utilizes machine learning, data visualization and collaborative tools to simplify research of changes to laws and regulations, streamline internal compliance protocols, and enhance the client experience.

"The Knomos team is thrilled to have Blakes recognize the VisuaLaws app as the winner of the Global Legal Innovation Challenge 2017," said Adam La France, CEO and Co-Founder of Knomos.

"This is an amazing opportunity for Knomos to work in direct partnership with a top business law firm and their corporate clients to further develop enterprise applications that will enhance legal services and improve client outcomes. It sends a strong signal to the legal industry that leading firms aren't waiting on the sidelines for technology to change. They're playing an active role in making it happen now.”

Knomos now will have the opportunity to work alongside Blakes in developing their winning submission. The estimated value of the prize is C$100,000.

Carla Swansburg, Director of Practice Innovation, Pricing & Knowledge Services, was impressed by the calibre of entries for this year’s competition that came in from legal technology innovators worldwide.

"We’d like to thank all of our finalists for this year’s competition for some truly innovative and inspiring approaches to the Challenge. The Challenge has confirmed just how exciting the legal innovation space is right now, and we think Knomos has the potential to be a pioneering force for the industry."

There will be further news on the winner’s progress in the coming months.